For supported model routes, Raycast 2.8 can keep images outside Cloud Sync. A chosen external model provider may still receive an image for processing.
Raycast released version 2.8 for macOS on October 14, changing how AI Chat stores images attached to local-model conversations. For anyone pasting screenshots into a chat, the important checks are the sync settings and where the selected model processes the image.
When images stay on your Mac
Raycast’s updated privacy documentation gives the exact condition: Cloud Sync must be off, or AI Chat History must be excluded from syncing. In that case, images used with Local Models, extension-provided models or Connected Subscriptions are stored on the device and left out of Cloud Sync. This follows existing settings; there is no separate image-storage switch.
Custom Providers are excluded from this change. Images sent through them are still uploaded to Raycast. Raycast-hosted models cannot use on-device-only images.
Storage and processing are separate
A Connected Subscription or extension can still send an image to its provider for an answer. Keeping Raycast’s stored copy on your Mac does not make that request local. The connected provider’s terms and privacy settings apply.
Raycast’s Local Models feature requires Pro and uses Ollama. Image attachments need a vision-capable model. If the goal is processing on this Mac, check the Ollama Host setting too: a configured remote host runs the model on another machine. Some server-side tools, including image generation, still use Raycast AI.
AI Memory is another consideration. When enabled, it periodically sends recent chats from any model to a Raycast-hosted model to update the memory summary.
Check your setup before attaching images
Open Settings → About and confirm version 2.8 or later. The About pane also offers an update check.
Next, inspect Settings → Cloud Sync. If sync is enabled, open Synced Content and check AI Chat History. You can exclude that category while retaining sync for other content. Review your backup before changing sync settings; Raycast recommends exporting settings and data.
Under Settings → AI → Models & Providers, check the model and its connection. Review Memory separately under AI → Personalization.
Turning Cloud Sync off leaves previously synced cloud data in place. Disabling a category pauses its syncing; it is not a cloud-data deletion step.
These checks help distinguish attachment storage from the rest of the AI workflow. They do not establish a blanket offline or privacy guarantee.
This guide follows Raycast’s documentation; we have not tested the change hands-on.
