Private AI Chatbot for iPhone: What Stays on Your Phone
ChatPing needs no account and stores chats only on your device. Here is what runs on your phone, what goes to a cloud provider, and how to keep a chat local.
Published October 27, 2026
ChatPing is a private AI chatbot for iPhone in a practical sense: there is no account, and your chats are stored only on the device. The on-device model runs on your phone once downloaded, and it works offline once set up. Cloud models are optional and work differently, so here is exactly what goes where.
Want to try it? ChatPing is on the App Store. Not affiliated with OpenRouter or any model provider.
What is private and what is not
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| ChatPing account | None. There is no sign-up or login. |
| Chat storage | Chats are stored only on the device. There is no sync between devices. |
| On-device model | Chats with it are processed on your phone. It runs on your phone once downloaded and works offline once set up. |
| Cloud models | Messages go to the provider you chose, through your own OpenRouter key. They follow that provider's terms. |
| OpenRouter key | OpenRouter itself needs an account to get a key. ChatPing needs none. The key is kept in the iPhone Keychain. |
How to keep a chat on your phone
- Install ChatPing from the App Store and open it. You go straight to the app.
- Pick the on-device model.
- Let it download once, on a connection you are happy to download over.
- Chat. After that one-time download, the on-device model works offline once set up.
Cloud models are the other path. If you choose one, that chat goes to your chosen provider. If an on-device model fails, ChatPing can offer to retry the message with a cloud model, and that retry follows the cloud rule above.
What to know
- The app shows banner ads.
- You can attach PDF, text and image files, dictate by voice, and get streaming replies.
- You can ask the assistant to search your chat history, open a chat, start or delete chats, switch model, or summarize a PDF.
- Deleting a chat always asks you to confirm.
- You pay your AI provider directly for cloud models.
FAQ
- Do I need an account? No. There is no account, sign-up or login.
- Where are my chats stored? Only on your device.
- Does it work offline? The on-device model does, once set up. Cloud models need internet.
- Do cloud chats stay on my phone? No. They go to the provider you chose through your own OpenRouter key.
- Do chats sync to my other devices? No, there is no sync between devices.
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Not affiliated with OpenRouter or any model provider.