A tour of the interface

The icon bar, sidebar, chat area and message box - what everything does.

2 min read Includes video Updated October 19, 2026

Everything in AI Assistify lives on one screen: a narrow icon bar on the far left, a sidebar that changes with the icon you pick, and the chat itself. This tour shows what each part does so you always know where to look.

A quick tour of AI Assistify0:41

The icon bar

The chat screen: icon bar, sidebar, conversation and message box
The chat screen: icon bar, sidebar, conversation and message box

The column of icons on the far left switches what the sidebar shows. At the very top, the bell shows product updates (the badge counts unread ones); at the very bottom, your profile picture opens your profile.

IconOpens
ChatsYour conversations, grouped by date, plus folders
WritingThe free AI writing tools library (opens in a new page)
AssistantsReusable assistants with their own instructions, files and tools
FilesDocuments you've uploaded for the AI to read
PromptsYour saved prompt templates
ToolsInstalled tools and MCP connectors, plus the stores to add more
ModelsBuilt-in models and any custom models you've added
SettingsGeneral preferences, API keys, app data, cloud sync and shortcuts

At the top of the sidebar you'll always find the workspace switcher and its settings gear - see Workspaces. Press CtrlS to hide or show the sidebar, or use the small arrow on its edge.

The chat area

When no conversation is open you see the home screen with your Pinned AI Agents - assistants you've pinned for one-click access. Click View All to browse every assistant.

The home screen with your Pinned AI Agents
The home screen with your Pinned AI Agents

At the top of the chat:

  • Model selector (left) - shows the current model; click it to switch.
  • Assistants - pick an assistant to chat with. Shortcut: CtrlP.
  • Chat info, Share chat and New Chat buttons appear once a conversation has started.

The message box

The message box at the bottom is where you type. The row of buttons underneath it gives you everything else:

The message box and its toolbar
The message box and its toolbar
ButtonWhat it does
PaperclipAttach a file or image
Assistants, Files, Prompts, ToolsOpen the matching picker
MCP ConnectorsTurn connectors on or off for this chat
ArtifactsOpen long code and documents in a side panel
Deep ResearchResearch a question across many sources
Thinking ModeShow the model's reasoning (supported models only)
MicrophoneDictate your message - the language picker next to it sets the spoken language

You can also type a trigger character straight into the box: @ for assistants, / for prompts, # for files and ! for tools.

Where to go next