Break your goal into 81 cells, then search straight from them
1. The basic flow
Set a goal and build a 9×9 chart — your goal in the center, 8 elements around it, and 8 items under each element: 81 cells in total.
Tap a cell to dig deeper — the path you took (theme → element → item) becomes the search query, opened in the in-app browser.
Bookmark the good pages — Kuku also records which cell led you to each one.
Write what you learn back into the cells — the chart becomes a living game plan instead of a write-once statement of intent.
▲ The full flow: create → drill down → search → bookmark (2× speed, about 85 seconds, captioned)
2. Creating a chart (4 ways)
Tap ＋ in the top right of Home to start a new chart. Enter a central theme, then fill it in one of 4 ways. Whichever you choose, you can edit everything freely afterwards.
a. Write it yourself
Create the chart with just the theme, then tap cells to type directly. A good rule of thumb: carve the elements (the 8 surrounding cells) into distinct areas, and make each item concrete enough to act on.
b. Start from a template (free)
Choose "Create from Template" to pick an 8-element draft from 4 categories: learning, projects, habit building, and exploration. You get a working skeleton instantly, even where AI is unavailable.
c. Generate with on-device AI (free, no network needed)
On Apple Intelligence-capable devices, you can generate an 8-element × 8-item draft on the spot. Everything runs on the device — nothing is sent over the network. → 8. Using AI generation
d. Generate with cloud AI (Kuku Pro + your own API key)
If you have a Claude / Gemini / OpenAI / Qwen API key, you can generate a higher-quality draft grounded in web search. → API Key Guide
AI and templates only produce drafts. AI never overwrites a cell you typed yourself.
3. Getting around the 9×9 grid
Overview and focus: You start with an overview of all 81 cells. Tap any 3×3 block to focus on it and see it enlarged.
Drill-down: Tap an element cell in the center block to zoom into that element's outer block.
Going back: The back button in the top left (or the navigation bar) takes you up one level, with a zoom animation that keeps you oriented.
Editing: Long-press a cell (or tap it while focused) to open the edit sheet and enter or revise text.
Overview of all 81 cellsDrilling down into an element
4. Searching and bookmarking from a cell
Tap a cell's search button to open a search built from the words along your path (e.g. "learn English listening shadowing") in the in-app browser. Compared to searching a single word, results that match your goal's context tend to surface first.
When you find a good page in the browser, save it with the bookmark button. Tap it again to remove the bookmark.
Saved pages appear in the bookmark list on Home, across all your charts. Each one also shows which chart and which cell (path) it came from.
You can change the search engine in Settings (→ 6. Settings).
Search by path → in-app browserBookmark list with paths
5. Markdown export (Obsidian / Notion)
Exporting a chart: Use the share button on the chart screen to export the theme, 8 elements, and all items as outline-style Markdown (.md).
Exporting bookmarks: Use the share button on the bookmark list to export Markdown organized by chart and path. You can also long-press a single bookmark to share just that one.
Paste or import the result straight into Obsidian or Notion — the free plan of either is enough.
6. Settings
Search engine: Choose from Google (default), DuckDuckGo, Bing, Baidu, and NAVER. Pick DuckDuckGo if you prefer less tracking. NAVER is better for Korean-language local results.
Generation provider: Choose the cloud AI provider (Claude / Gemini / OpenAI / Qwen). A provider with a key already set is used automatically.
API keys: Entered per provider. Keys are stored only in your device's Keychain and are never sent to the developer's servers. Save an empty field to delete a key.
Pro status and Restore Purchases: Check and restore from the Settings screen.
7. Kuku Pro (one-time purchase)
The free version lets you create up to 5 charts. Breaking down goals, search, bookmarks, export, on-device AI, and templates are all included for free.
Kuku Pro (a one-time, non-consumable purchase) unlocks unlimited charts, cloud AI mode, and the mind map view (fully expanded, zoomable). It is not a subscription.
After switching devices or reinstalling, use Settings → Restore Purchases under the same Apple ID to get Pro back (it may also restore automatically).
8. Using AI generation
On-device AI (Apple Intelligence) — free
On supported devices (iPhone 15 Pro or later and other Apple Intelligence-capable models), turn on Apple Intelligence under Settings app → Apple Intelligence & Siri.
The first use may take a while as the model downloads (shown as "Preparing").
On unsupported devices, templates, manual input, and cloud AI all still work.
Cloud AI (Claude / Gemini / OpenAI / Qwen) — Kuku Pro
Get an API key for the provider you want to use. Steps, free tiers, and caveats are covered in detail on a separate page → API Key Guide
Copy the issued key (if you got it on a Mac, you can paste it directly on your iPhone via Universal Clipboard, as long as both use the same Apple ID).
In Kuku, go to Settings → API Keys, tap the paste button next to that provider's field, and save (whitespace is removed automatically; a warning appears if the key belongs to a different provider).
Choose "Cloud AI" on the new chart screen or in block completion to generate drafts grounded in web search.
Each generation request is sent directly to the provider you chose, using your key (it never passes through the developer's servers). API usage fees are billed to you by that provider.
9. Troubleshooting
Symptom
Cause and fix
"On-device AI" doesn't appear / can't be used
Your device doesn't support Apple Intelligence, or it's turned off. Check Settings app → Apple Intelligence & Siri. If it says "Preparing", wait for the model download to finish.
"Couldn't generate because a safety guard was triggered"
This is a permanent refusal by the on-device AI's safety features — waiting won't change it. It can happen with real people's names, for example. Try rephrasing, or try cloud AI (it may handle the same content without issue).
Cloud AI generation fails with "Invalid API key"
Almost always a paste mistake (leading/trailing whitespace, or a key from a different provider). Re-check or reissue the key following the guide.
"AI usage limit reached"
This is a rate limit on the provider's side. Wait a while, or check your usage and billing settings in the provider's console (free tiers have fairly low limits).
Purchased, but Pro isn't active
Run Settings → Restore Purchases. You must be signed in with the same Apple ID you purchased with.
Search results won't open (mainland China)
Google and DuckDuckGo are not reachable from mainland China. In Settings, switch the search engine to Baidu (it becomes the default automatically if you have not picked one) or Bing.
