Pick and pin models

The model button under the message box chooses which AI model answers in this chat. Click it to pick a model, type to search, and pin the ones you use most so they stay at the top.

Pick a model

1. Click the model button in the row of controls under the message box. It shows the current model's name.
2. Type to search, or scroll.
3. Click a model, or move to it with ↑ and ↓ and press Enter.

The model applies to your next messages in this chat. Press Esc to close the menu without changing anything.

How the list is organised

For providers with a long list, like OpenRouter, DeepSeek or a local model app, the menu is organised top to bottom:

1. Pinned: your pinned models, always first.
2. Your models: the models you added to this provider and ones you've picked before.
3. One group per maker (for example Anthropic, DeepSeek or Google on OpenRouter), each with its newest models first. Older versions are folded under Previous generation; click it to open.

Long lists draw the first rows only. Click Show more, keep pressing ↓, or search to reach the rest.

What the badges mean

Badges only appear when the provider's own list says so. Granular never guesses from a model's name.

• No tools (amber): the model can't use tools, so an agent on it can chat but can't work with files or the terminal.
• Vision: it can read images.
• 128K, 1M and similar: how much text the model can take in at once (its context window).
• $, $$, $$$: the provider's price for input. $ is under $1 per million tokens (small pieces of text), $$ is under $5, and $$$ is $5 or more. Point at the badge for the exact figure.
• Free: free to use, but may be slow or limited.
• Retiring: the provider plans to remove it.
• Unavailable: the provider no longer lists it. See below.

Pin a model

• Point at a model and click the pin icon on the right (Pin to the top). Click it again to Unpin.
• Or highlight a model with the arrow keys and press Cmd+D on Mac or Ctrl+D on Windows.

Pins are kept when you restart Granular and when a list refreshes. They apply app-wide, to every chat, for that kind of account. A model pinned on your DeepSeek key and the same model on OpenRouter are separate pins. Granular never removes a pin; only you do.

Search all your accounts

Typing in the search box also looks through your other connected accounts. Matches appear under On your other accounts. Pick one and the chat switches to that account and model.

Models that disappear

A model you've picked or pinned is never taken away. If a provider stops listing it, it stays in the menu marked Unavailable, and pinned ones stay pinned so you can unpin them yourself. Pick another model if it no longer answers.

Refresh a list

Provider lists refresh by themselves when they're a day old. To refresh now, click Refresh models at the bottom of the menu. If the provider can't be reached, Granular uses the last list it had, or the list built into the app, and says so at the bottom of the menu, for example "couldn't reach the provider".

Other model menus

• Claude, Codex and Gemini accounts show a shorter list in a set order. The search box there reads "Search models on all accounts…". Models you pin move up into a Pinned section at the top, rather than showing twice. See Connect an AI model, Connect Codex and Connect Gemini for each list.
• Coding agents (OpenCode, Pi, Cursor, Grok and GitHub Copilot) list the models that agent can reach right now. GitHub Copilot's list starts with Auto, where Copilot picks the model. See Connect OpenCode and Use GitHub Copilot.
• The AI Add-on (Granular Hosted) menu groups models by maker: Anthropic, OpenAI and Google first, then the other makers, each with its newest models first and older ones under Previous generation. It has pins and search, but no Your models section. Each row shows roughly how many credits a typical turn uses. See Granular Hosted models.

Every badge and tag in these menus explains itself: point at it to read what it means.

Troubleshooting

If a model says Unavailable
The provider no longer offers it to this account. Pick another model, or unpin it.

If an agent says it can't read or change files
The model may be marked No tools. Pick one without that badge.

If the list looks out of date
Click Refresh models at the bottom of the menu.

If Cmd+D or Ctrl+D doesn't pin
Highlight a model with the arrow keys first. The shortcut works while the menu's search box has focus.

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