Getting started with Tobava
Last updated: 16 October 2026
Tobava gives you two ways to find things out from one page: Tobava AI, a chat assistant that answers in plain language, and Tobava Search, a web search engine that gives you a list of links. This guide walks you through both and helps you decide when to use which.
The home page
Go to tobava.com. The main box has two buttons above it: AI Chat and Search. The text inside the box tells you which mode you are in: “Ask Tobava AI anything” in chat mode, “Search the web” in search mode. Type, press Enter, and Tobava either opens a chat or shows search results.
Below the box are three shortcuts that start a chat for you: Research with sources, Write an article and Plan a presentation. Each one fills in the start of a request, so you only need to add your topic.
If you mostly use one mode, you can make it the default under Settings → General → Open Tobava in. The menu (the side panel) also has shortcuts for a new chat, a temporary chat, web search, voice chat and research.
AI Chat or Search: which should I use?
| Use AI Chat when you want… | Use Search when you want… |
|---|---|
| An explanation, summary or step-by-step answer | To find a particular website, shop or page |
| Help writing, rewording or planning something | To compare several sources yourself |
| To ask follow-up questions in a conversation | Images, videos or the latest news headlines |
| A short answer that cites web sources for you | Many results quickly, without using a chat message |
You can move between them. On a search results page, the Ask Tobava AI about this button starts a new chat with your search words. In chat, Tobava AI looks things up on the web by itself when a question needs current information.
Your first questions
You do not need special commands. Write as you would to a knowledgeable friend. A few habits make a big difference:
- Say what you actually need. “Explain compound interest” is fine, but “Explain compound interest using a $1,000 deposit at 5% for 10 years” gets you a worked example.
- Give context. Mention who it is for, where you are, or what you have tried already.
- Ask for a format. A table, a checklist, three options, or “under 100 words”.
- Follow up. If the answer is close but not right, say what to change instead of starting again.
Example
Vague: “Tell me about running.”
Better: “I'm 45 and have never run. Give me an 8-week plan to run 5 km without stopping, three sessions a week, as a table.”
After each answer, Tobava AI usually suggests three follow-up questions. Tap one to continue, or type your own. The AI chat guide has many more examples.
What you can do without an account
You can try Tobava AI straight away. Visitors who are not signed in get a short preview of 3 chat messages a day, including 1 full web search. In the European Union, the UK and Switzerland, the preview is 1 message a day. After that, Tobava asks you to sign in or create a free account to keep chatting. Searching with Tobava Search does not use chat messages.
Without an account, your conversation stays in your browser and is not saved on Tobava's servers. That also means it is not available on your other devices, and it can be lost when you close the tab.
Why create a free account
A free account costs nothing and gives you:
- 10 chat messages a day instead of 3
- 3 full web searches a day in chat, instead of 1
- Saved chats you can reopen on any device, with your 30 most recent conversations kept
- A Usage page in Settings that shows what you have used today
Free allowances reset at midnight UTC. To sign up, choose Create free account. You can use an email address and password, or continue with Google or Microsoft; on iPhone and iPad you can also sign in with Apple. Tobava stores your email address and a hashed version of your password, never the password itself.
If you need much more than the free allowance, the optional paid plans are explained in Plans and billing.
A few settings worth knowing
- Answer language (Settings → General): reply in the language of your question, or always in a language you choose, such as English, Hindi, Tamil, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese or Arabic.
- Personalisation: tell Tobava AI how to answer you, for example “Keep answers short” or “Use Australian spelling”.
- Appearance: light or dark theme.
- News on the homepage: show or hide the headlines below the main box.
Install Tobava like an app
On supported browsers the menu shows Install Tobava app, which adds Tobava to your home screen or desktop. On iPhone or iPad, open tobava.com in Safari, tap the Share button, then choose Add to Home Screen.
Next steps
Still stuck? Email [email protected] and tell us what you were trying to do. For a bug, include the page address and the browser you use.