# Ion > Open-source apps that run on a computer you own, share what they know, and can be rewritten by your own AI. Join the Ion early-access list. Ion has not launched. This site is the early-access signup and the public log of the build. Anything stated here is accurate as of the last deploy; nothing about pricing or a release date has been announced. ## Pages - [Home](https://useion.ai/): Open-source apps that run on a computer you own, share what they know, and can be rewritten by your own AI. Join the Ion early-access list. - [How it works](https://useion.ai/how-it-works/): Install open-source apps on your own computer, connect them with permissions you approve, plug in your Claude or ChatGPT plan, and change any app by asking. - [Setup](https://useion.ai/setup/): What you need to run Ion: a Mac or Linux computer that stays on, a Claude or ChatGPT plan, and a guided setup. No domain needed to start. - [Compare](https://useion.ai/compare/): How Ion compares with chat agents, self-hosted app installers, and the subscription apps you already pay for. - [Security](https://useion.ai/security/): Your apps and data stay on your computer. Every app is isolated, every cross-app read is logged, and Ion never holds your AI credentials. - [FAQ](https://useion.ai/faq/): Answers about Ion: what it is, what computer you need, how your AI and data are handled, sharing, pricing and more. - [Apps](https://useion.ai/apps/): 13 open-source, MIT-licensed apps for home and work. Install any in one tap; each one gets smarter when you install another. - [Developers](https://useion.ai/developers/): dev-hub runs AI coding agents on a computer you own: a task board, isolated branches, previews and deploys. The Ion app steers it from your iPhone or Apple Watch. ## Key facts - **What is Ion?** Ion is a self-hosted app library whose open-source apps share one context, work with your Claude or ChatGPT plan, and can be rewritten by your AI to fit you. - **What computer do I need?** Any Mac or Linux computer that can stay on, such as a Mac mini or an old laptop. Setup is guided, and you don’t need a domain to get started. - **Does Ion include AI?** No. Ion runs Claude Code or Codex on your own machine, signed in with your own plan or API key. Your usage comes from your own plan and is subject to its limits. That includes background use by apps you’ve allowed. - **Does my AI run in the background?** Only for apps you allow. Some apps, like Pipeline, can use your AI in the background. You can see which ones do and switch it off for any app. Background use counts toward your plan’s limits. - **Where is my data stored?** On your own computer. It goes to your AI provider only when you ask, or when an app you’ve allowed uses your AI in the background. - **Is this against Anthropic’s or OpenAI’s terms?** Ion runs their own unmodified agents on your machine, and you sign in with your own plan on their own page. Ion never handles your AI credentials. - **How is Ion different from OpenClaw-style agents?** OpenClaw-style agents are chat agents with memory. Ion gives you real apps (lists, logs, budgets) that your AI can see and change. You use the app; the AI works when you ask, or in the background for apps you allow. - **How is Ion different from Umbrel or CasaOS?** Umbrel and CasaOS install apps. Ion’s apps know each other, your AI can answer across them and rewrite them, and you can share any app by email. - **Can I use Ion for my business?** Yes. The launch library includes Ledger for invoices and expenses, Pipeline for deals and follow-ups, Board for kanban boards and Reel for video, and you can share any app with a teammate by email. - **Can other people use my apps?** Yes. You can invite anyone to a specific app by email; they sign in with a one-time code and need nothing installed. Guests see only the app you shared. Inviting someone outside your own network requires a domain, which Ion’s setup walks you through. - **What happens when an app updates?** At launch, your customizations are merged into the new version, your AI resolves any conflicts, and you preview the result before anything changes. - **Do I need to code to build my own app?** No. Mouseion plans and builds it with you from a description: it asks what it needs to know, and you approve the plan before it builds. More at https://useion.ai/developers/. - **Is Ion open source?** The apps are open source (MIT). The Hub is source-available: you can read and run it, but not host and resell it. - **How much does it cost?** Pricing hasn’t been announced yet. Joining early access through the waitlist costs nothing. - **Is there an Android app?** Not yet, but it’s coming. Until then, every Ion app runs in your phone’s browser and can be installed to your home screen, so Android users can use the apps today. The Ion app itself is currently iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro and Apple Watch. - **What if my computer dies?** At launch, Ion takes nightly local snapshots and every app can export its data. Keep a copy somewhere else; off-site backup isn’t built yet. ## The Ion blog > Notes from building Ion: engineering write-ups, product decisions, and what we are learning along the way. - [How to hard refresh on iPhone, iPad and Android (every browser)](https://useion.ai/blog/how-to-hard-refresh-on-iphone-ipad-and-android/) (2026-09-17): Mobile browsers have no hard refresh. Here is the least destructive way to get a fresh copy of a page in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Samsung Internet on iPhone, iPad and Android, and what each option costs you. - [I changed my website's code but it's not updating: how to find out why](https://useion.ai/blog/website-changes-not-showing-up/) (2026-09-17): You saved, built and deployed, and the page still looks the same. Test each layer in order, from your editor to your browser's cache, to find the stale copy, starting with a hard refresh. - [Hard refresh on desktop vs mobile: what every browser supports](https://useion.ai/blog/hard-refresh-desktop-vs-mobile/) (2026-09-16): A hard refresh is a keyboard shortcut on every desktop browser and a missing feature on every mobile one. Here is exactly what each browser supports, on which platform, and what the mobile workarounds actually cost you. ## Optional - [Full text of every page](https://useion.ai/llms-full.txt): the same content with post bodies inlined. - [RSS feed](https://useion.ai/rss.xml): new posts. - [Sitemap](https://useion.ai/sitemap-index.xml): every indexable URL.