Frequently Asked Questions

CondorBox is a private AI home server that runs entirely on an Apple Silicon Mac. It replaces dozens of cloud subscriptions — AI chat, voice assistant, file sync, photo library, security monitoring, parental controls, and more — all running locally on your own hardware. Your conversations, files, and browsing history never leave your home.

No special hardware required. CondorBox works on any Apple Silicon Mac you already own— a MacBook Air, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, or Mac Pro. Choose the BYO (Bring Your Own) plan and install our software on your existing machine. If you'd prefer a unit that's already set up and ready to go, we offer pre-configured options starting at $2,999.

Most people are up and running in about 15 minutes. Our setup wizard walks you through every step with plain-language instructions — no command line, no technical knowledge needed. If you get stuck, Condor Care support is included with every plan.

Yes. After the initial setup, all core features work fully offline: AI chat, voice assistant, file sync, media streaming, smart home controls, and security monitoring. The only features that require an internet connection are software updates, the remote access VPN relay, and the customer billing portal.

BYO (Bring Your Own) means you supply the Mac and we supply the software. You pay a monthly subscription starting at $14/mo and install CondorBox yourself using our wizard. Pre-configured means we image and test a Mac Studio for you, then ship it ready to plug in and use — no setup required. Both options receive the same software, updates, and support.

The AI models included depend on your tier:

• Starter — 9B parameter model (36 GB Mac)
• Family — 27B parameter model (64 GB Mac)
• Pro — 35B Mixture-of-Experts model (96 GB Mac)
• Max — 122B Mixture-of-Experts model (192 GB Mac)

Every tier includes chat, tutor, writer, and coder modes. All models run locally using Apple Silicon's unified memory — no GPU cloud costs, no per-token fees.

Yes. Say “Hey Condor” and the voice assistant wakes up, listens, and responds using text-to-speech — all locally. It supports 120+ tools including smart home controls, calendar queries, web search, media playback, file management, and more. Wake-word detection and speech recognition both run on-device with no cloud calls.

No. All AI models run locally on your Mac. Your conversations, documents, and queries are never sent to Chicha Technology or any third party. We have no technical ability to access your conversations — they exist only on your device.

Yes. CondorBox includes age-appropriate AI modes and content filtering so kids get a safe, helpful AI tutor — not an unconstrained chatbot. Parents manage settings from the dashboard or by voice. CondorKids — a dedicated parental controls app with screen time limits, bedtime enforcement, and per-device activity reports — is coming soon and will be included on Family tier and above.

On your CondorBox. Files, photos, messages, AI conversation history, browsing activity — everything stays on your Mac. Chicha Technology does not operate data centers that store your personal data. The only information that leaves your home is a lightweight heartbeat (software version and health status) used for update checks.

Security coverage scales with your tier:

• Layer 1 (all tiers, free) — Process monitoring, file integrity, DNS ad-blocking, basic network anomaly detection
• Layer 2 (Family and above) — AI threat intelligence, LAN device scanning, privacy scoring, automated blocking
• Layer 3 (Pro and Max) — Full SIEM, Sigma rule engine, ransomware detection, gatekeeper monitoring, TCC audit

Partially, yes. The Chicha Cybersecurity threat detection engine powers the on-unit security monitor at no extra charge — Layer 1 on all tiers, Layer 2 on Family+, and Layer 3 on Pro/Max. The standalone Chicha Cybersecurity cloud service (for teams and businesses) is a separate product starting at $0/mo.

No. Zero telemetry on conversations, files, photos, or browsing. The update agent sends only your software version number and a health status code (OK / degraded). We are technically unable to read your personal data — it is encrypted at rest on your Mac and never transmitted to our servers.

BYO subscriptions start at $14/mo (Starter). Pre-configured units start at $2,999 (one-time hardware + setup) plus an optional software subscription for updates and support. See the full breakdown on the pricing page.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you are not satisfied for any reason within 30 days of your first purchase, email support for a full refund. No questions asked.

Condor+ is our all-inclusive bundle that adds every ecosystem app to your subscription:

• Family plan: $9.99/mo — security, parental controls, all 9 ecosystem apps
• Business plan: $29.99/mo — everything in Family plus fleet management and priority support

Individual apps are also available separately if you only need one or two.

Yes. Monthly subscriptions cancel instantly with no penalty. Your access continues until the end of the current billing period. There are no annual contracts, no cancellation fees, and no hoops to jump through — cancel from the billing portal in one click.

CondorBox requires macOS 13 Ventura or later on an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer). macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia are fully supported. Intel Macs are not supported.

Two options:

• Condor Connect — Access all services through a browser from any device. Uses our self-hosted VPN so no third-party relay sees your traffic.
• Condor Remote — Native app for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android with full VNC desktop access, clipboard bridge, and automatic unit discovery.

Both use end-to-end encrypted connections. Your data is never routed through Chicha Technology servers.

Updates are delivered as cryptographically signed manifests. Before any update is applied, the signature is verified on your device — if it doesn't match, the update is rejected. Updates roll out in phases (1% → 10% → 50% → 100%) to catch issues before broad deployment. If an update causes problems, CondorBox automatically rolls back to the previous working version. You can also defer or disable automatic updates from the system panel.