Help · Setup

Set up bighelp

Get the app, connect it to Hermes on your computer, and add the bighelp plugin. You need no bighelp account.

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What you need

A computer that runs Hermes 0.21.1 or later. A Mac or Linux computer gets every feature. On Windows the plugin loads, but notifications, Live Activities, Quiet Hours, workflows, the Files tab, My Templates, provider sign-in and plugin self-update don't work.
An iPhone or iPad with iOS 17 or later, an Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26 or later, or a Mac.
A way for your phone to reach the computer: your home network, Tailscale or an HTTPS address.

Get the app

Where do I get bighelp?

iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro: bighelp on the App Store. It's free.
Mac: download the latest Mac release from GitHub. It's signed and notarized, and it updates itself. To check now, choose Check for Updates… in the bighelp menu.
Want new builds first? Join the beta on TestFlight.

Connect your computer

How do I connect bighelp to my computer?

The first time you open bighelp, tap Get Started. Setup has four steps: Welcome, Connect, the plugin, and your mode.

On Connect your computer, type the address of your Hermes dashboard in the box that says hermes.example.com or 192.168.1.20. Add the port when Hermes uses one, for example 192.168.1.20:9119.
If the address needs a token, a password or headers, open More options first. See the table below.
Tap Continue. bighelp shows Finding your agents… while it looks for Hermes.

To add another computer later, open Settings › System and tap Add a computer under Computers.

Which address should I use?

How you connect	What to do
Home network	Type the computer's private address and Hermes' port, for example `192.168.1.20:9119`. bighelp tries HTTPS first, then plain HTTP. Over plain HTTP it says "Not encrypted. Use plain HTTP only on a network you trust."
Tailscale	Type the computer's Tailscale name or address, with the port if you need one. Turn on Tailscale on your phone too.
HTTPS	Type the full address, for example `https://hermes.example.com`. Addresses on the internet always use HTTPS.
Cloudflare Access	Open More options and turn on It's behind Cloudflare Access. Then enter your service token's Client ID and Client secret. Your Access policy has to allow the token (Service Auth).
Password proxy	Open More options and turn on It asks for a username and password. If the address asks for one, bighelp goes to this step by itself.
Other proxies	For a proxy that checks its own headers, like Pangolin or an nginx rule, open More options and add Custom headers. bighelp sends them to this address only and keeps them in Keychain.

By default, Hermes answers only on the computer itself. To let your phone reach it, follow Hermes' guide to connecting from another device. The Need help connecting? link in bighelp opens the same page.

To change an address or its access later, open Settings › System, tap your computer, then Address and access and Edit access.

An error? See An error when you add your computer.

Which login do I use?

Use your Hermes login, the same one as Hermes' dashboard. There's no bighelp account.

On Sign in to Hermes, pick how your Hermes signs in, if bighelp asks: No sign-in, Access token, Username & password or Browser sign-in.
Enter your login and tap Connect. With Browser sign-in, bighelp opens Safari. Sign in there, then come back.
When it says Connected and "Your agents are ready to chat.", you're in.

Before bighelp sends anything, it shows Your data and AI: what you share goes to your Hermes computer and the AI providers you set up on it. Tap Agree and continue.

bighelp keeps your login in the Keychain on this device only.

Install the bighelp plugin

Do I need the plugin?

You can chat, answer approvals, and use scheduled tasks and Kanban without it. The plugin adds the rest: Feed, Ideas and Goals, cards, phone access, Full Duplex voice, notifications and Live Activities, the Files tab, workflows, Teamwork and templates. It runs inside Hermes, uses Hermes' sign-in and opens no new ports.

How do I install it?

From the app (easiest, it installs the latest release):

In first setup, on Add the bighelp plugin, tap Install Plugin. Later, open Settings › System, tap your computer under Computers, and tap Install bighelp Plugin.
When it's installed, restart Hermes on your computer so the plugin loads. Installing doesn't turn on notifications. Do that next in Settings › Notifications.

From the computer: run this, then restart Hermes.

hermes plugins install promptclickrun/bighelp-plugin --enable

This installs the newest code on GitHub, not a release. To install an exact release, follow the plugin's install steps.

Keep the plugin up to date

How do I update the plugin?

From the app: open Settings › System. When an update is waiting, the System row says "bighelp plugin update available".

In the bighelp plugin section, tap Update Plugin.
Tap Restart Hermes when the app offers it. Replies in progress on your computer stop.

From the computer: install the latest release and restart the messaging gateway once:

hermes bighelp update --restart

Then restart the dashboard too, so it loads the new version. To see how the last update went:

hermes bighelp update-status

Leave out --restart to install without restarting anything. The old command name, hermes loopdy, still works.

Trouble? See The app asks you to update the plugin and hermes bighelp update stops.

Choose Bots, Chat or Code

Which mode should I pick?

The last setup step is Choose your mode. You can change it later.

Mode	What it is
Bots	Simple chats with your bots, like texting friends.
Chat	Every chat, tool and setting in the full bighelp app.
Code	Start coding tasks on your projects and review the changes.

Tap Use Bots, Use Chat or Use Code.

How do I switch modes later?

From Chat or Code: open Settings › Modes and turn Bots mode or Code mode on or off.
From Bots mode: tap your picture at the top left and turn off Bots mode ("Turn off to see everything bighelp can do.").
From the top of each home: turn on Unified Mode Toggle in Settings › Modes.

What to turn on next

Notifications: Settings › Notifications, then Enable Notifications. More about notifications.
Phone access: Settings › Connections › Device access. Each tool is off until you turn it on. More about phone access.
Apps: Settings › Connections › Composio Apps. More about apps.
Feed, Ideas and Goals: Quick start has 45 prompts to set them up.

All help topics Using bighelp Something's wrong?