At a glance
- iPhone and iPad
- Herald Chat in the share sheet
- Android
- Herald in the share targets
- What you can share
- Text, a link, photos and files; on iPhone up to four images or files at once
- Size limit
- 8 MB per file
- Goes to
- A bot on your primary connection, in its Bot Chat
Share something
- Tap Share in any app
Choose Herald Chat on iPhone or iPad, or Herald on Android.
- Pick the bot
Herald opens “Share to a bot”. Under To, it starts with the bot you shared to last time, then the chat you have open, then your first bot.
- Add a note
The Note field asks “What should the bot do with this?”. Summarise, translate, file it: whatever you would type.
- Tap Send
If Hermes is unreachable, text and links offer Queue for later and wait in the outbox until you are back online.
What happens to each kind of item
| Item | How it reaches the bot | When Hermes is offline |
|---|---|---|
| Text and links | In the message, with your note | Waits in the outbox |
| Photos | As image attachments, with location and camera details removed | Needs Hermes to be reachable |
| Other files | As file attachments, up to 8 MB each | Needs Hermes to be reachable |
How it works with Hermes
A share goes through the same path as a message typed in the chat. Photos are attached the way Hermes expects, with HEIC pictures converted to JPEG first. Files are attached as documents, and your note becomes the prompt. The bot sees everything in its Bot Chat, so its answer is waiting there when you open Herald.
What the bot does with a link depends on its tools. With web tools enabled it can open the page; without them it only sees the address.
Privacy
Every photo loses its identifying metadata, such as location and camera details, before it leaves the phone. If Herald can’t remove it, the photo isn’t sent, and Herald tells you why. Shared items go only to your own Hermes, never to a Herald server.
Limits
- The share sheet takes files up to 8 MB. In a chat, the composer’s + button can send larger files with a recent Hermes.
- Only bots on your primary connection are offered.
- Shares go to bots, not group rooms.
- Photos and files can’t wait in the outbox; they need Hermes to be reachable.
Questions
Why isn’t Herald in my share sheet?
On iPhone, scroll to the end of the row of apps and tap More to show Herald Chat. On Android, Herald appears among the share targets once it is installed.
Can I share to a group room?
Not from the share sheet, which sends to one bot. Paste or attach the item in the room instead.
Where does the shared item end up?
In the bot’s Bot Chat, the conversation you reach by tapping the bot on the roster.
Why can’t I send a large video?
The share sheet stops at 8 MB per file. Open the bot’s chat and use the composer’s + button, which streams larger files to a recent Hermes.
