Tech Specs

Karui

How it works

A Focus silences the apps you choose and allows only Karui.
For each notification from those apps, iOS 27’s Shortcuts trigger “When I receive a notification” runs the Karui Shortcut, which passes the notification’s app, title, text, and sender to Karui.
Karui classifies the notification as Important, Neutral, or Spam.
Karui posts Important notifications again, and your Focus lets them through. Neutral and Spam notifications stay quiet and are kept in History; Neutral ones can also appear in a daily summary.

Rules on your iPhone decide first. Messages from your important contacts, messages that mention one of your names, one-time codes, and messages matching your urgent terms are always Important.
Everything else goes to Apple’s on-device Foundation Models, with your names, terms, important apps, and upcoming calendar events as private context. The model returns a category, a confidence, a short reason, and an interest score from 1 to 5 that ranks the daily summary.
When the on-device model isn’t available, for example when iOS limits it while Karui runs in the background, transparent rules decide instead, and Karui rechecks those notifications later. See Technical Note KN001.
Second Opinion, off by default, has your Shortcut ask Apple’s Private Cloud Compute with the Use Model action: only when the on-device model couldn’t sort a notification, or, with When to Ask set to Always, after every on-device answer.

On-device classification usually takes about 4 seconds on iPhone 17 Pro. A Second Opinion round trip through Shortcuts usually adds 2 to 3 seconds.
iOS gives apps in the background a small share of the on-device model. After a burst of notifications, Karui may sort some with rules for a while, then rechecks them when you open Karui, or right away with Second Opinion on. Why this happens.
Classification is assistance, not a guarantee. Check Notification Center and Karui’s History when something may have been missed.

Karui has no server and no account, and sends no analytics. Your VIPs, settings, and History stay on your iPhone.
Second Opinion sends a notification’s text and app, your names, and your sorting terms to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. Anything the rules decide, contact details, and calendar events are never sent. See the privacy policy.

iOS 27 or later with Apple Intelligence on: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air, any iPhone 16 model, or later. iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air run Apple’s more capable on-device model.
The Shortcuts app with the standard Karui Shortcut, and a Focus that allows Karui.