The short version
- Made by
- lukethedev (@iamlukethedev), an independent developer
- Relationship to Nous Research
- None. Not made, endorsed or supported by Nous Research.
- What it connects to
- The Hermes Agent you run on your own computer
- Herald servers or accounts
- None
- Store name
- Herald: Hermes Agent Companion
Why the app mentions Hermes Agent
Herald is a client for Hermes Agent, the open-source agent Nous Research publishes under the MIT licence. To tell people what it works with, it has to name it, the same way a mail app names the mail services it supports. Using a product’s name only to describe compatibility is often called nominative use. Hermes Agent and its name belong to Nous Research.
The app takes care not to look official. Its store name says Companion. Its welcome screen reads “Unofficial app for Hermes Agent, made by @iamlukethedev. Not affiliated with Nous Research.” Settings › About repeats that the app “is not made, endorsed, or supported by Nous Research.” This website says so too.
Official and community Hermes sources
| Source | Who runs it | Official? |
|---|---|---|
| hermes-agent.nousresearch.com, the site and docs | Nous Research | Yes |
| github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent, the code and releases | Nous Research | Yes |
| nousresearch.com | Nous Research | Yes |
| Hermes Desktop, the CLI and TUI, the web dashboard and the messaging gateway | Nous Research | Yes: the official ways to use Hermes |
| Herald, Hermex, Hermes Conduit and other community apps | Independent developers | No |
| Hermes Agent – Android on Google Play | Hen Works | No; it is built on the open-source code |
Hermes’s own site describes hermes-agent.nousresearch.com as the official site and github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent as where the source lives.
Questions to ask of any Hermes app
- Who is the developer named in the App Store or Google Play listing?
- Does the app say plainly whether it is official, and does Nous Research link to it from its own site or docs?
- Where do your messages go: straight to your own Hermes, or through the developer’s servers?
- Do you need an account with the developer?
- What happens to provider API keys you type in? Herald’s Models tab saves them into your Hermes on your computer, never on the phone.
What this means for support
Questions about Herald go to Herald’s developer through support; refunds are handled by Apple and Google under their store policies. Problems inside Hermes itself belong with the Hermes project on GitHub. Nous Research can’t help with Herald, and Herald can’t change how Hermes works.
Questions
Does Herald use a private Nous Research API?
No. It speaks the same JSON-RPC protocol over a WebSocket that the Hermes terminal interface and desktop app use, served by hermes serve on your own computer. Hermes documents that protocol as one of the ways other programs can drive it.
Could a Hermes update break Herald?
It can happen, because Hermes changes often and Nous Research doesn’t coordinate with community apps. When a Hermes change breaks something, Herald needs an update. Some features also ask you to run hermes update when they need a newer Hermes.
Who owns the Hermes Agent name?
Nous Research. Herald’s name and app are its developer’s own.
Is there an official app I should use instead?
Not on phones yet. See is there an official Hermes Agent app for what Nous Research has said.
