Ultramemory

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Ultramemory is a privacy-first, open-source knowledge management application for macOS. It functions as a local AI-powered recall engine, creating a unified, searchable private memory from a user's existing digital work tools (email, Slack, files, screenshots, etc.).
2. Core Value Proposition: Ultramemory solves the problem of information fragmentation by transforming scattered digital work artifacts into a single, queryable memory stored entirely on your Mac. Its primary value is "remembers everything, tells no one"—delivering fast, contextual answers with citations while guaranteeing complete data sovereignty and privacy (no cloud, no account, no sync).

Main Features

1. Universal Data Connectors: Ultramemory integrates with and continuously indexes data from Gmail (mail & attachments), Slack (channels & DMs), Google Drive (Docs & Sheets), Calendar, local Files (user-selected folders), Screenshots (on-device OCR), Audio transcripts, Apple Notes, and Browser History. Each connector can be paused, scoped, or excluded per channel, folder, or person for granular control.
2. Unified Local Memory Engine: All connected data is processed into a single, queryable SQLite database (ultramemory.db) stored in the user's home directory. The engine employs deterministic full-text search (FTS) and vector retrieval (for semantic search) to index content, supporting complex queries. It detects and tracks information contradictions across sources, flagging them for the user.
3. Local AI Conversational Search: While basic search works offline, Ultramemory integrates with Ollama to run local large language models (e.g., gemma4:26b, qwen3:4b) on Apple Silicon hardware. It hot-plugs models, allowing users to ask questions in plain natural language and receive narrated answers with evidence trails. The AI model reads only the cited evidence on-device, ensuring privacy even during complex reasoning.
4. Transparent Privacy Architecture: The core promise is "everything flows in, nothing flows out." All processing is on-device, with no account creation, no telemetry, no internet requirement, and no server to send data to. Users have one-click controls to export or delete all data, view stored content, and manage global capture pausing and exclusions.
5. Free & Open Source Core: Ultramemory is free forever (no subscription, trial, or pro tier) and licensed under MIT. The entire codebase is publicly auditable, allowing users and developers to verify its privacy claims, contribute connectors, or fork the project.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Information Fragmentation and Context Loss. Professionals waste significant time manually searching across multiple apps (email, Slack, files, notes) to piece together decision history, meeting outcomes, or file details. Ultramemory solves this with unified search and contextual recall with citations.
2. Target Audience:
   • Software Developers & Tech Leads: Need to recall technical discussions, decisions, and code references scattered across channels and documents.
   • Project & Product Managers: Require a single source of truth for meeting notes, timeline decisions, and cross-functional communications.
   • Research Analysts & Knowledge Workers: Must synthesize information from emails, reports, and web research into coherent insights.
   • Privacy-Conscious Users & Professionals Handling Sensitive Data: Demand local-first tools to maintain data sovereignty and comply with regulations.
3. Use Cases:
   • "When did we decide to push the launch?" Instantly retrieves the exact Slack message, email confirmation, and meeting note with the full evidence trail.
   • "What were the key points from last week's sync with the vendor?" Summarizes the meeting transcript and linked documents.
   • Detecting contradictory information: Automatically flags when, for example, a venue contract says one thing and an RSVP sheet says another, preventing operational issues.
   • Offline knowledge retrieval: Accessing the entire indexed memory and asking questions without an internet connection, ideal for travel or secure environments.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation vs. Traditional Methods: Compared to manual search or cloud-based tools like Notion/Obsidian (which require manual curation and may sync data), Ultramemory is automated, passive, and fully local. It differs from standard search tools (Spotlight, Alfred) by providing AI-narrated, cross-source answers with source citations, not just file paths.
2. Key Innovation: The "Local-First AI Recall" architecture is its core innovation. By combining a unified indexing engine (SQLite with FTS and vectors) with on-device LLM inference via Ollama, it delivers powerful, conversational search capabilities while making an absolute guarantee that no user data ever leaves the Mac. This technical approach achieves a rare balance between advanced AI functionality and uncompromising privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Ultramemory work and is it really private? Ultramemory works by installing a local app that connects to your chosen services (Gmail, Slack, etc.) and continuously indexes their content into a private database on your Mac. All search and AI processing happens locally on your hardware. No data is ever sent to a cloud server, and you can audit all stored data or delete everything with one click.
2. What kind of search can it do without an AI model? Without an AI model, Ultramemory provides powerful deterministic full-text search (FTS) and vector similarity search. You can ask keyword-based questions and receive ranked results with links to the original sources. The conversational, narrated answers require a local AI model via Ollama.
3. Do I need an internet connection to use it? No. Once installed and your sources are connected, all indexing and searching work completely offline. An internet connection is only needed for the initial download and, optionally, to pull a local AI model via Ollama. After setup, Ultramemory functions in airplane mode.
4. What are the system requirements for Ultramemory? Ultramemory requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later and runs on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Macs. A minimum of 16 GB RAM is recommended for optimal performance when running the local AI models (gemma4:26b).
5. Is Ultramemory a replacement for my existing apps like Slack or Gmail? No. Ultramemory is an addition to your tools, not a replacement. It reads from your existing apps via connectors to create a unified memory, allowing you to continue using Slack, Gmail, and Files exactly as you do now. It adds a powerful layer of search and recall on top.