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This guide gets you from zero to your first AI conversation as quickly as possible. You need an Android device, a copy of Rikka installed, and an API key from at least one AI provider. If you do not have an API key yet, sign up with your chosen provider first — links are included in the steps below.
1

Download and Install Rikka

Install Rikka on your Android device from either the Google Play Store or the official website.

Official Website (Recommended)

Download the latest APK directly from rikka-ai.com — always up to date.

Google Play Store

Tap Install on the Play listing for automatic updates and easy installation.
Once installation is complete, open Rikka from your home screen or app drawer.
2

Open Settings and Add a Provider

Rikka needs at least one AI provider before you can chat. Navigate to the provider settings now.
  1. Tap the Settings icon (gear) at the bottom of the sidebar.
  2. Select Provider Settings from the settings menu.
  3. Many providers are pre-configured — if yours is listed, just tap it and enter your API key. If not, tap the button in the top-right corner to create a new provider.
The most widely used API format. Enter the base URL and API key from your provider to complete the setup.OpenAI has two API versions. Chat Completions is the default in RikkaHub and is the most popular format supported by the vast majority of providers. The newer Responses API is what OpenAI itself now prioritizes — if you are using the official OpenAI API or a relay that mirrors GPT models, switching to the Responses API is recommended. Tap Use Responses API to enable it.
3

Enter Your API Key

Paste your API key into the API Key field for the provider you selected.If you are using an unofficial relay that is not built into RikkaHub, you will also need to set the provider’s Base URL when creating a new provider.
Treat your API key like a password. Do not share it, and do not paste it into untrusted apps. Rikka stores your key locally on your device and never sends it to Rikka’s servers — it goes directly to your chosen provider.
After pasting your key, tap Save or Confirm to store the provider configuration.
4

Add Models

After configuring a provider, scroll to the Models section at the bottom of the provider screen and tap it.Most providers support fetching the model list automatically — tap the expand button to load the list, then select the models you want to use.To remove a model you no longer need, swipe it to delete.
You can change the model at any time from within a conversation using the model picker in the chat toolbar.
5

Configure Default Models

Go back to the Settings page and select Default Models & Prompts to set the default model for each feature module.Beyond the chat model, other features (such as title generation and summarization) can each use a different model — a faster, cheaper model often works well for those tasks.
6

Start Your First Conversation

Everything is ready. Head back to the main screen and start a new conversation.
  1. Tap the model selector button at the bottom-left to choose the model you want to use.
  2. Type your first message in the text field and tap Send.
Rikka streams the response back to you in real time. That’s it — you’re up and running!
Try a simple opener like “Explain what you can help me with” to get a feel for the model’s capabilities before diving into more specific tasks.
Avoid asking the model which model it is. Models do not have accurate self-awareness about their own identity — this is a fundamental property of how large language models work, not a bug in Rikka.Official apps can answer this correctly because they inject a system prompt that tells the model its identity. RikkaHub does not include such a prompt by default, though you can add one yourself through the system prompt settings.

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What to Explore Next

Providers Overview

Add more providers and learn how to configure advanced options like custom base URLs and headers.

Custom Assistants

Create reusable assistants with custom system prompts, model defaults, and personalities.

MCP Extensions

Connect external tools and data sources to give your AI access to real-world actions.

Web Access

Enable live web search so your AI can answer questions about current events and recent information.