How to ask jo a question
Launch jo
Press Cmd+Space (or your configured shortcut) to open jo from anywhere on your Mac. The query interface appears instantly, ready for your question.
Ask naturally
Type your question just as you’d ask a person. No special syntax or keywords needed. jo understands natural language.
Example queries to try
Here are real queries that jo handles well. These examples show how to ask about different aspects of your digital life:Email and communication
Catch me up on my emails with the accountant
Catch me up on my emails with the accountant
jo scans your inbox for recent threads with your accountant, summarizes the conversation topics, and highlights any action items or pending responses.What jo accesses: Mail app via IMAP
Did my landlord ever get back to me about the leak?
Did my landlord ever get back to me about the leak?
jo searches your email history for messages from your landlord about the leak, shows you the latest response, and tells you if you’re waiting on them or they’re waiting on you.What jo accesses: Mail app conversations
What did I tell Jake I'd send him?
What did I tell Jake I'd send him?
jo reviews your recent messages and emails with Jake to find any commitments or promises you made.What jo accesses: Mail, Messages
Files and documents
Where's that W-9 from my accountant?
Where's that W-9 from my accountant?
jo searches your Downloads, Documents, and email attachments for W-9 files from your accountant.What jo accesses: Local files, email attachments
Help me pull together my competitor notes
Help me pull together my competitor notes
jo finds all your notes, documents, and browser bookmarks related to competitors and presents them in one place.What jo accesses: Notes, files, browser history
Browsing and research
What was that productivity podcast I started?
What was that productivity podcast I started?
jo checks your browser history, saved bookmarks, and notes for productivity podcasts you’ve visited or mentioned.What jo accesses: Browser history, Notes
Where's that Stripe page I had open?
Where's that Stripe page I had open?
jo searches your recent browser history for Stripe documentation or dashboard pages.What jo accesses: Browser history
Meetings and calendar
What came out of my 1:1 with Sarah?
What came out of my 1:1 with Sarah?
jo finds meeting notes, calendar entries, and follow-up emails related to your meeting with Sarah.What jo accesses: Calendar, Notes, Mail
Prep me for my 2pm with Sarah Chen
Prep me for my 2pm with Sarah Chen
jo checks your calendar, finds your last 5 email threads with Sarah, pulls up notes from previous meetings, and surfaces relevant context like personal details she’s mentioned.What jo accesses: Calendar, Mail, Notes
What makes a good query
jo works best when you ask questions the way you naturally think about information:Be specific about people
Include names, roles, or relationships. “My landlord” or “Jake” helps jo narrow the search.
Mention timeframes
Add context like “last week,” “this month,” or “from 2022” when it matters.
Describe the topic
Use your own words. jo understands “budget issue” even if your email said “spending problem.”
Ask follow-ups
jo remembers context within a conversation. Ask “What about the other contractors?” after an initial query.
Local vs. cloud queries
Most queries run entirely on your Mac using the local AI model. jo only uses cloud models when:- You explicitly request advanced help (“Call in GPT for this”)
- The query requires complex reasoning or synthesis
- You’re working on a creative task like drafting or brainstorming
Privacy first: Local queries never leave your Mac. When you do use a cloud model, only that specific conversation is sent—never your indexed data.
Tips for better results
Start broad, then narrow
Start broad, then narrow
Begin with a general question, then ask follow-ups to drill down. “Show me my Tokyo trip photos” followed by “Just the restaurant photos.”
Use context clues
Use context clues
Include details you remember: “That email with the contractor quote, I think it was around $4,000.”
Ask about connections
Ask about connections
jo excels at finding relationships: “What projects am I working on with both Sarah and Mike?”
Request summaries
Request summaries
Ask jo to synthesize information: “Summarize what I learned at that conference last year.”
Next steps
Now that you understand how to query jo:Manage permissions
Control exactly what data jo can access
Cloud integration
Connect GPT, Claude, or Gemini for advanced tasks