September 7, 2026

Assist Modes in Guide: Smart and Expert

Guide 2.5.0 lets you choose between Smart mode, the default for everyday tasks, and Expert mode, a more powerful model for complex work on Standard and Plus plans. Here's how to switch and what to expect.

A vintage electrical switch with labelled settings

Since version 2.5.0, Guide has an Assist mode setting that decides which AI model handles your requests. There are two options.

Smart (default)

Smart is Guide's everyday mode and the right choice for almost everything: reading what's on screen, opening apps, filling in forms, sending messages, playing music. It runs on a newer, more capable AI model than earlier versions of Guide, and it's what Guide uses unless you change it.

Expert

Expert puts a bigger, more capable model behind Guide, one built for long, multi-step work. Use it for tasks with many steps or unfamiliar layouts: a booking with dates and options, a long form across several pages, comparing things across tabs.

Availability: Expert is included with Guide Standard and Guide Plus. On the free trial and Guide Lite, Expert appears in the Assist mode list but can't be selected; upgrading to Standard or Plus unlocks it straight away.

How to switch

  1. Bring Guide into focus (Ctrl + Alt + G).
  2. Go to the Settings tab.
  3. Under Assistant Behavior, find Assist mode and choose Smart or Expert.

The setting is saved immediately and applies to your next request. There is no need to restart Guide.

With a screen reader, the Assist mode control is a standard combo box: arrow through the two options and the description of each is read out.

Assists and actions

An assist is one request from you. Guide may take many actions (clicks, keystrokes, screenshots) to complete it. Since 2.5.0, Guide can take up to 40 actions per assist (up from 30), so longer tasks are less likely to stop before they finish. Your plan's monthly assist count is unchanged.

Which mode should I use?

  • Start with Smart. It is fast, capable, and included with every plan.
  • Switch to Expert if Guide keeps getting stuck on a particular task, or the task has a lot of steps. Switch back afterwards if you like; the choice is yours to keep either way.

Need help?

Email support@guideinteraction.com and we'll get back to you.