You start an AI conversation on your iPhone, but need your Windows keyboard to finish the draft. OGAM (Off Grid AI Mobile) and OGAD (Off Grid AI Desktop) keep that conversation available on both devices. Open it on the PC and continue from the earlier messages.
After pairing, chat updates move automatically over your local network without a cloud sync service. Set up the apps, activate Pro and prepare local models while internet is available. The local handoff can then work without internet, with both apps connected.
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For iPhone-to-Windows sync, use the local network. The nearby Apple-device route is not available on Windows. Internet can be unavailable while the local network still connects the two devices.
What must be ready on each device?
Use OGAM with Pro access on the iPhone and the Windows build of OGAD with Pro access on the PC. This guide uses OGAM 0.0.111 and OGAD 0.0.51. Install the apps, complete licence setup and download any required local models before you need to work without internet.
Two operating-system settings can affect the connection:
| Device | Required access |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Local Network access for OGAM; camera access if you scan the pairing QR code |
| Windows PC | Firewall access for OGAD on the trusted local network |
Keep OGAM in the foreground during pairing and the first sync. Keep the PC awake. Syncing conversation text does not download the AI model that produced it, so prepare a local text model on each device that will generate answers.
How do you connect the iPhone to the Windows PC?
Open the PC’s pairing code and scan it with OGAM. The scanner handles the connection details, while a typed-code option is available if you do not want to use the camera.
- Connect the iPhone and PC to the same local network. The PC may use Ethernet if it reaches that network.
- In OGAD, open Devices from the sidebar.
- Make the PC discoverable if its status is Hidden, and leave Find nearby devices enabled.
- Select Show QR Code.
- In OGAM, open Settings → Sync. Tap Scan pairing QR code, shown as a camera control, and scan the code on the PC.
- Follow the displayed pairing or device-access instructions. Wait until both apps show the other device as connected.
For manual entry, select the PC from the available devices on the iPhone. Enter the pairing code shown by OGAD and select Pair.
If you need to enable phone discovery, open the gear beside the iPhone’s name in Sync. Check Discoverable and Find nearby devices, then return and tap Rescan.
What if the iPhone cannot find the PC?
First check Local Network permission. On the iPhone, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and enable access for OGAM. Then reopen the app and rescan. This permission lets an app interact with devices on the local network. Apple’s local-network guidance explains the setting.
Next check the PC. In Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall, review OGAD’s access for the trusted network. An app-specific exception is sufficient; leave the firewall enabled. Microsoft’s firewall guidance covers the available controls.
A guest Wi-Fi network may isolate devices from one another. Both devices being online does not prove that they can connect locally.
How do you continue a chat on Windows?
Once paired and connected, the apps send chat updates automatically. You still start the conversation and choose when to send a follow-up. There is no need to export each reply or press a separate button to sync a selected chat.
Try this small handoff:
- On the iPhone, use a local text model to ask: “Draft a short message inviting a friend to lunch next Saturday.”
- Let the answer finish and keep OGAM open.
- On Windows, open Chat in OGAD and find the same conversation.
- Check that the original request and answer are present.
- Select a local model on the PC if needed. Ask: “Make it more casual and leave the time undecided.”
- Open Chats on the iPhone and confirm that the PC’s messages appear in that conversation.
Different devices may use different models. Sync preserves the conversation data; it does not guarantee identical answers or transfer a model automatically.
Does automatic sync work while the iPhone is locked?
iOS limits background app activity. For a reliable handoff, keep OGAM open until the latest messages and attachments arrive. When you return to the app, check that the PC is connected before continuing the conversation.
“Automatic” means updates move through the available connection without a manual export. It does not mean OGAM can remain reachable indefinitely after iOS suspends it.
Files may take longer than messages. If a document or image is still arriving, wait for that transfer before asking a question about it. The shared-chat release notes describe the file-progress message shown during transfer.
Does pairing share only the chat I test?
No. Chats and projects are part of the required shared workspace. Pair devices that you trust with this data. The Sync → Sharing screen controls optional data; it does not limit sync to a single chosen conversation.
You do not need to enable screenshot or download-folder sharing to sync a text conversation. This guide also does not import conversations from another AI service or use iCloud as the chat transport.
How do you check that internet is not required?
After setup, use a local network whose internet connection is unavailable. Keep local Wi-Fi on and turn off cellular data on the iPhone. Leave both apps open, then send a new message from the phone and check it on the PC.
Answer from the PC with a local model and check the result on the iPhone. A cloud model, web search or other online tool can still need internet, even when chat sync itself stays local.
| What fails | What to check next |
|---|---|
| No device discovery | Local Network permission, discovery controls and Rescan |
| PC found but connection fails | Windows firewall and local-network isolation |
| Updates stop after leaving OGAM | Reopen the app and wait for connected status |
| Chat arrives but cannot generate an answer | Availability of the selected local model |
| Attachment arrives late | Open the attachment in its chat and wait for its transfer to finish |
Try an iPhone-to-Windows handoff
Get OGAM for iPhone and download OGAD for Windows. Pair your devices, ask for a short draft on the phone, and edit it through the same chat on the PC. Keep the context and move to the screen that suits the work.