Everything you do with Dvina happens in one chat. Here's how to ask your first question, add files, use your voice and answer when Dvina asks you something.

Ask a question

  1. Click or tap the message field at the bottom of the chat.
  2. Type what you want, the way you'd ask a person.
  3. Press Return (Enter on Windows), or tap Send.

To start a new line without sending, press Shift Return (Shift Enter on Windows).

While Dvina answers, you can keep typing. To stop an answer, click Stop.

Tip

After a reply, Dvina may suggest what to ask next. Press Tab to use the suggestion.

Add files

You can bring photos, PDFs, spreadsheets, documents and voice memos into the chat.

  • Drag and drop: Drag files onto the chat and drop them when you see Drop anything here.
  • Upload: Open the Dock and choose Upload files. On iPhone, you can also choose Photos or Camera.
  • Add from your Library or apps: Type / in the message field to add files, apps or databases to your message.

Files you share and documents Dvina writes are kept in your Library, ready the next time you ask.

Share from another app

On your phone, send something to Dvina from the app you're in, like a photo from Photos or a link from your browser.

iPhone

  1. In the other app, tap the Share button.
  2. Choose Dvina.
  3. Dvina opens with what you shared in the message field. Add your question if you like, then send.

You can share up to 20 items at once. To ask about selected text without leaving the app, choose Ask Dvina instead; see Ask from where you are.

Android

  1. In the other app, tap Share.
  2. Choose Dvina.
  3. Dvina opens with what you shared in the message field. Add your question if you like, then send.

You can share several items at once.

What you share lands in the message field:

  • Photos, videos, audio and files are attached to your message, the same as when you upload them.
  • Links and text go into the message field as text, where you can edit them.

Nothing is sent until you send it. If Dvina can't read a file, it tells you which one.

Find your way: the Dock

The Dock is the button beside the message field. When your Library has things in it, its icon shows the latest ones. Click or tap it, and its rows open above it:

  • Recent activity: What was just added or updated. Choose one to open it.
  • Library: Opens your Library. The row says how much it holds, like 24 in Library. To add skills, agents and more, open it and choose Add Context.
  • Your profile: Your name and Livespace. Choose it to switch Livespaces or see Usage and Settings. See General and account settings.
  • Device: The computer the chat works on. See Work on your computer from any device.
  • Projects: The project the chat works in. See Projects.
  • Agents: The agents that work in the chat. Check as many as you like. The row shows once you have an agent; see Agents.
  • Scheduled messages: Your messages waiting to be sent, with how many. See Scheduled messages.
  • Schedule message: While you've typed something, lets you choose when it's sent.
  • Upload files: Adds files to your message. On iPhone, Photos and Camera are here too. See Add files.

Your profile, Device, Projects and Agents open their own list in the Dock. Make a choice, or go back to the first rows.

Talk with Dvina

To talk instead of type, click the phone button in the message field (Talk with Dvina). Dvina listens and answers out loud, and you can:

  • Tap Mute to turn off your microphone.
  • Tap Type to switch back to typing.
  • Tap End to end the conversation.

When the conversation ends, it shows in your chat, so you can read it and carry on. The first time, Dvina asks to use your microphone.

Answer approvals

Before Dvina does something that changes things, like sending an email or changing a file, it shows an approval card in the chat. The card says what Dvina wants to do, for example Allow this action?, and which account it uses.

  • Click Allow to let Dvina go ahead.
  • Click Reject to stop it.
  • For some actions, you can choose Always allow in this chat.

Sending, paying and deleting for good ask every time. Their card says so, for example Sends, asks every time, and doesn't offer Always allow.

Important

Nothing goes to another person, is deleted for good or gets paid until you choose Allow.

Answer questions

Sometimes Dvina needs a choice that's yours to make. It shows the question with a few answers to pick from. Choose one, choose Something else and type your own answer, or choose Skip.

Reply in a thread

To follow up on one answer without losing your place, reply in a thread.

  1. Hover over Dvina's answer and click Reply. You can also right-click the answer, or touch and hold it on a phone, then choose Reply.
  2. Type your follow-up and send it.

Dvina answers inside the thread, knowing exactly what you meant. The answer in the chat shows how many replies it has; click it to open the thread. To go back, click Close thread.

Tips

  • Hand off long work. Ask for something big, like a report or a comparison, and keep talking. Dvina runs it as a task in the background and reports back in the same chat.
  • Keep something private. Open Message options and choose Temporary chat. A temporary chat isn't saved to your history or memory, and it's deleted when you close it.
  • Send it later. In Message options, choose Send later… to schedule a message.
  • Get back to the chat. In the desktop app, choose Ask Dvina from the File menu, or press ⌘ T on a Mac or Ctrl T on Windows.