Ask the Sky — overview
Most launchers hand you a search box. Zenith gives you someone to talk to.
Ask the sky is the launcher's built-in AI assistant. Say or type a request — "open Spotify", "put Maps in region 2" — and it answers. It can also act for you, using the launcher's own controls to launch apps, place, change or remove stars — the apps, folders, and shortcuts on your sky (your home screen) — switch skies, run your gestures and talismans, or change any setting. The one thing it won't run is a zenith action — shade, lock, recents, back, quick tiles, screenshot, or power menu. Those run only from your own gesture. When you name another Zenith app, it can ask that app to do the job, such as adding something to your calendar.
Who you're talking to
The voice that answers has a name: Cielo. She's the assistant's persona — the "who" behind each reply. In the suite's terms she's a being, and she's who ask the sky is; you don't pick her or set her up.
Your own AI, your own key
Ask the sky doesn't run on a Zenith server. It's bring-your-own-key: you paste in a key from an AI provider you already use, and the assistant talks to that provider. The key is stored only on your device and shared across every Zenith app. Setup is one short trip through Settings — see Set up Ask the Sky.
There's one choice that needs no key: "On-device (Gemini Nano)" runs on the phone itself, on phones that have Google's on-device model. It answers in words only — it can't change anything in the launcher.
It's optional, and off-limits until you allow it
The whole assistant sits behind one switch, "ai & assistant" — on by default, but easy to hide. Turn it off in Settings › ask the sky and every AI surface disappears: no assistant, no AI actions, nothing.
Even with the assistant on, two things stay in your hands:
- Nothing reaches your AI provider until you accept a one-time disclosure on the first send.
- Every request and reply passes an on-device safety check before it runs or is shown — see AI safety — Zenith Guard.
The suite-wide AI switch
There's a second switch, kept for every Zenith app at once. It isn't in the launcher — another Zenith app sets it — and it's on unless something turns it off. It is not the same as "ai & assistant".
While it's off, the panel still opens and takes your words, but every ask is answered "the sky is asleep — AI is switched off for the suite (turn it on in settings)." Nothing is sent to any AI provider. The "settings" it means are the other Zenith app's settings; turning "ai & assistant" off and on here doesn't change it.
While either switch is off, other Zenith apps' assistants can't reach the launcher either.
Where it lives
Ask the sky opens as a panel that slides up from the bottom, titled "ask the sky". It stays a clean prompt box: a place to type, a mic to speak, and a "send" button. The keyboard's Send key sends too. While it works, "send" becomes "stop": tap it to end the ask at once, and the panel reads "stopped. anything already started may still finish." Unfolding a foldable with the panel open keeps your chat, what you typed and an answer on its way.
With TalkBack, the buttons at the top of the panel say their names: "interpret screen", "lenses" (shown when Zenith AI is installed), "remember this chat" and "read replies aloud". The three on/off ones also say whether they're on; without Gold, "remember this chat" adds "Gold". The mic beside the box is "speak your ask", and "send" is heard as "send". All the setup — your provider, key, and model — lives in Settings, not in the panel. Until a key is added, the panel says "the sky isn't set up yet." and offers "set up the sky in settings ›". With "On-device (Gemini Nano)" chosen, the prompt box shows with no key.
Under each reply, grey lines show what the assistant actually changed, so you never have to take its word for it. See What Ask the Sky can do.
See also. Set up Ask the Sky · What Ask the Sky can do · Voice, memory & lenses · AI safety — Zenith Guard