FAQ & troubleshooting

Answers to the questions that come up most in the closed beta, grouped by topic.

Setup & keys

"Check your API key" — my key isn't working

This is an auth failure (HTTP 401/403). Open Settings, re-paste the key for that provider, and make sure there's no stray whitespace. A blank key is treated as no key, so the provider will show as not configured. Keys are stored per provider, so each provider needs its own key — a key saved for OpenRouter won't authenticate OpenAI.

Where do I get an API key?

From the provider's own console, not from Cordy. See Getting started → where to get a key for step-by-step links for OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Vercel AI Gateway, and Volcengine Ark.

After saving a key, the model list didn't fill in

Cordy loads a provider's catalog once a valid key is saved. If it stays on the small bootstrap list, the key is probably missing or rejected — re-check it. You can also tap Refresh models. For Anthropic (native), the model entry is built in rather than fetched, so the list won't grow from a /models call.

Can I use a self-hosted or in-house endpoint?

Yes — add it as a custom OpenAI-compatible provider. HTTPS is required except for loopback / private-LAN hosts, where plain http:// is allowed for local development.

Errors & recovery

Cordy maps provider and network failures to short, safe messages — raw provider responses, API keys, and auth headers are never shown.

Message	Meaning	HTTP	Retryable?	What to do
Check your API key and try again.	Invalid / expired key	401 / 403	No	Fix the key in Settings
Provider credits exhausted. Top up your account and try again.	Out of credits	402	No	Add credits/billing with the provider
Provider is rate limited. Try again later.	Rate limit	429	Yes (later)	Wait, then Retry
This conversation is too long. Start a new chat or shorten the history.	Context window exceeded	—	No	New chat, or remove old context
Provider rejected this request. Try a different model or adjust settings.	Invalid request	400	No	Change model / adjust settings
Provider had an issue. Try again.	Provider server error	5xx	Yes	Retry
Network timeout / Network unavailable / request failed.	Transport problem	—	Yes	Check connection, Retry
Local database / Secure storage failed.	On-device storage error	—	No	Retry the action; if it persists, restart

Retryable errors surface a Retry action. If a stream is interrupted by a crash or force-quit, the next launch cleanly marks it Stopped, and you can Regenerate.

"Provider credits exhausted" (402)

Your account is out of credits or has no billing set up. Top up or add a payment method in the provider's console (for example OpenRouter or OpenAI), then try again.

"Provider is rate limited" (429)

You've hit the provider's rate limit. Wait a moment and use Retry. If it keeps happening, slow down or check your plan's limits with the provider.

Models & capabilities

Which models support images (vision)?

It depends on the model. Cordy tags models from the provider catalog (falling back to a bundled LiteLLM snapshot). If a model can't accept images, Cordy blocks image send before any request and shows "Choose a vision-capable model before sending images," with a Change model action. Pick a model tagged for vision to attach images.

Which models support extended thinking?

Only thinking-capable models. The thinking budget control appears only for those; on other models you'll see "The selected model does not support extended thinking." Anthropic (native) models support it directly; some reasoning models via OpenRouter do too.

Can Cordy run tools / function calls?

Not yet. Tool / function calling is represented in the message format (the app can render tool-use and tool-result blocks) but is not executed in this release. Automatic multi-provider gateway and fallback routing are also future work — today each conversation uses exactly one provider and one model.

Costs & usage

Why does a cost show "≈"?

Some providers don't return token usage with a response. When that happens, Cordy estimates the token counts on-device and marks the resulting figures with a leading ≈ on the Settings → Token usage page. Prices come from the provider (when reported) or a bundled LiteLLM snapshot; when no price is known, the model shows —.

Are the in-app costs exact?

Treat them as estimates. Cost is computed from the price captured at completion time, and token counts may be locally estimated (≈). Always reconcile against your provider's own billing for the authoritative number.

Where do I see what I've spent?

Settings → Token usage shows totals plus per-model, per-provider, and per-day breakdowns.

Platform & availability

Is iOS available yet?

Cordy is Android-verified; iOS is in progress. The iOS app compiles against the shared code but hasn't been device-smoke-tested yet, and image, camera, and voice input aren't wired on iOS. Use Android for the complete, verified experience today. Full detail is on the Privacy & security page.

Why don't I see the camera / photo / microphone buttons on iOS?

Those capture entry points aren't wired on iOS yet, so Cordy hides them rather than showing buttons that do nothing. On Android they're all available. Sharing/export is wired on both.

Data & privacy

Does Cordy send my conversations anywhere?

Only your prompts, only to the provider you selected, only when you send a message. There is no Cordy backend, no account, no cloud sync, and no telemetry. See Privacy & security for the full story.

Where are my API keys stored?

In platform secure storage only — the Android Keystore (AES-256-GCM) or iOS Keychain (device-bound, excluded from cloud backup). Never in the conversation database, never in logs.

How do I wipe everything?

Settings → Erase all local data. It clears the database, preferences, stored keys, attachments, and caches from the device in one action, and reports honestly if any boundary fails. It does not touch the app binary or OS-level backups. See Privacy & security → one-tap erase.