The Abyss vs bighelp

The Abyss is the iOS companion for Hermes - your self-hosted AI agent running on your own machine. Connect over your local network or Tailscale, send prompts, watch the agent think and reach for tools in real time. The Abyss is a remote control. Hermes is the brain. You own both. Built for people who already host their own things. CHAT - Live token streaming. Watch the agent's reply appear as it's generated. - Transparent tool calls. See the agent reach into your shell, files, or the web - with each tool's name and arguments shown as a card. - Multimodal. Attach images from the photo library and send them with your prompt. - Slash commands. Trigger agent-side commands from a clean, keyboard-friendly composer. VOICE MODE - Hands-free conversation. Dictate prompts and hear the reply spoken back. - On-device transcription. Your voice is transcribed locally; the text is what gets sent to your agent. - Bring-your-own TTS. If your Hermes backend streams text-to-speech, you hear the agent in a neural voice; otherwise it falls back to iOS voices. SESSIONS - Server-side history. Every conversation lives on your own Hermes server, not ours. - Searchable, renameable, pinnable. Find the thread you need, give it a name, keep it on top. - Local cache. Scroll the transcript even when you're offline. MULTIPLE BACKENDS - Run more than one Hermes instance? Add them all. Switch active with one tap. - Pair a second device by scanning a QR code. Credentials never cross our servers - we don't have any. - Each backend gets its own identity colour so you always know which agent you're talking to. DEMO MODE - Not running Hermes yet? Try the demo. A scripted preview shows how the real client behaves, without any setup. No account, no network, no obligation. PRIVACY-FIRST BY DESIGN - All credentials live in iOS Keychain. Face ID required before revealing or sharing them. - No analytics. No third-party SDKs. No telemetry. - The Abyss only talks to the backends you point it at. Apple processes any future purchases; that's the only third party in the loop. - App data flows between your device and your own Hermes backend. Nothing else. REQUIREMENTS - A running Hermes Agent on a machine you control. - Network reachability to that machine. Same Wi-Fi works; Tailscale (or another mesh) is recommended if you want to reach the agent from anywhere. The Abyss is not a hosted AI service. It is a remote control for an AI agent you host yourself.

bighelp is a streamlined way to work with the AI agents you run with Hermes. Whether you want a simple chat interface, or a full fleet command center, bighelp has it covered. CHATS THAT FEEL LIKE TEXTING • Message any of your agents one on one • Watch replies arrive as they're written • Type, talk, or share photos and files • Pick up any conversation right where you left off GROUP CHATS • Pull several agents into one thread • Mention who should take what, and they split the work A FACE FOR EVERY AGENT • Give each agent a name, a face and a job • Live avatars show when an agent is thinking, working or waiting on you WORKFLOWS Build and manage custom node-style workflows for repeatable processes across your agents! YOU STAY IN CHARGE • Approvals let an agent ask before it acts • Agents can reply with cards and forms, so choosing is one tap TASKS ON A SCHEDULE • Set up a morning brief, a weekly budget check-in or a fare watch • Pause or change a task anytime VOICE • Talk it through, turn by turn or live • Turn-based voice is transcribed on your device EVERYWHERE YOU ARE • Notifications, Live Activities, widgets and Shortcuts • An Apple Watch app for quick replies and approvals • Works on iPhone and iPad • Light and dark themes NERD MODE Everyday controls stay simple. Turn on Nerd Mode in Settings to reveal host tools like files, plugins and logs. OPTIONAL DEVICE TOOLS With your permission, agents can add to your Calendar and Reminders and see where you are. Each is off until you turn it on under Permissions. HOW BIGHELP CONNECTS bighelp connects directly to a Hermes host you run, such as your own Mac, over your home network, Tailscale or HTTPS. Sign in with that host's own login. No separate bighelp account is needed. The free bighelp plugin for Hermes adds notifications, live voice, cards and the Feed. Your Hermes host remains the agent engine. AI, voice, storage and infrastructure providers configured on that host may process data under their own terms and may require separate accounts or subscriptions.