Asking Bobbie things
What to ask, what Bobbie looks up before it answers, what it can change when you ask, and the few things it will never do. Typed, spoken, or on WhatsApp, it is the same Bobbie.
Updated 28 September 20262 min read
The short version. Press Ask Bobbie at the top of any page, or type into the box on Today. Ask what's on, what's due, what you owe, what's for dinner, or tell it to add, move, tick off or edit something. It looks things up first, then answers in a sentence or two.
Good things to ask
- "What's on tomorrow?" "What's on for Leo this week?"
- "What do I owe the school?" "Has the trip money been paid?"
- "What does Maya need on Thursday?"
- "When is parents' evening?" "Where is the swimming gala?"
- "What's for dinner tonight?" "What's on the shopping list?"
Good things to tell it
- "Add Leo's dentist on the 14th at 4, for Dad."
- "Move swimming to Saturday at 9:30."
- "I've paid the football."
- "Tick off the gate." "Bin the harvest thing."
- "Add milk, eggs and bin bags." "Fish pie on Thursday."
- "Remind me on Sunday to sign the consent form."
Bobbie says what it did ("Added Leo's dentist, Tuesday 14th at 4pm, for Dad") so you can check. If it needs one detail (which child, which day), it asks once.
What it will not do
Bobbie never confirms, dismisses, pays, deletes or clears anything you did not ask for in that message, and before clearing a list or removing several things it says what it is about to do and waits for a yes. It treats what is written in letters as information, never as instructions. It will not give medical, legal or safety advice, and it never messages anyone but you.
What is really happening
Each question goes to an AI model together with a set of tools: list things, list payments, add, edit, change status, manage dinners and shopping. The model must use the tools to look up anything before answering, so the answer comes from your calendar, not from the model's imagination. Its replies are shown with outside links and images stripped out. The conversation is yours and your household's; nothing in it trains anyone's model.
Questions people ask
- Does Bobbie remember the conversation?
- For the day, yes: you can say 'and the one after that' or 'move it to Friday' and it knows what you mean. Each day starts a fresh thread, and the old ones are kept in case you want to look back.
- Will it make things up?
- It is told never to guess a date, an amount or a name, and to look things up with its tools before answering. If it does not know, it says so. If you ever catch it wrong, tell us; the original letter is always there to check against.
- Can it email the school or pay for things?
- No. Bobbie has no way to send email, message anyone but you, or spend money. It reads, answers and edits your household's calendar and lists, and that is all.