Alfred Display App

User Instructions

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Apps
3. Settings + Customization
4. Alfred AI
5. Other Notes

Getting Started

The Alfred Display App is available as an app through the Apple App Store.

URL:

When you open Alfred, you will be shown the home screen. This is your default display, but you may customize if you want your home screen to be art or cross-stitch.

To use the navigation, double tap on the top or bottom portions of the screen. You will see menus appear. The bottom menu is used to navigate Alfred’s apps. You may customize the default view for each app in settings. The top menu includes sections within that app.

Apps

Alfred includes the following apps:

1. Displays
2. Calendar
3. Webcams
4. Clock

Displays

Alfred is designed to look beautiful the most of the day it isn’t doing anything. You can select the type of display you want to appear throughout the day. These options include art (famous paintings), cross stitch (witty sayings), or the display board (a customizable message).

Calendars

If you provide Alfred with calendars to watch, Alfred will display your monthly, weekly, and daily views of your schedule. These include a month view, this week’s agenda, today’s agenda, and tomorrow’s agenda.

Webcams

Alfred provides a look around the world with beautifully framed webcams in some of the world’s most historic spots.

Please note that webcam uptime is not always consistent. If webcams are down for an extended period of time, they may be temporarily or permanently removed from Alfred’s catalog. This includes webcams that are part of your personal schedule but are no longer available. When this occurs, a randomized webcam will be used.

Clock

Alfred lets you display the time, with different types of clocks to use throughout the day. This includes a beautiful text clock display, traditional analog, a dark version of the text clock, and a nighttime digital clock.

Settings + Customization

You can customize Alfred for a personalized experience. Any adjustment to the default settings are stored locally on each device. This is so that you can have a personalized experience unique to each instance of Alfred you are using. For example, you can have a device in the upstairs office that only show your work calendar, with another display in the kitchen showing the entire family’s outlook.

The following settings may be adjusted:

1. Schedule
2. Frame Style
3. Calendars
4. Default Pages
5. Personal Data

Schedule

You can customize Alfred to display specific screens throughout the day. There is a default schedule populated automatically that you can adjust. To add an item to the schedule, choose a time from the text field, and select a page from the drop down. Click the add button to add it to your schedule. Items are automatically displayed in time order.

To remove an item from your schedule, click on the remove link next to the scheduled item.

Changes in schedule do not take effect until you have left the settings page.

Frame Style

You can choose between a gold, silver, black, white, and wood frame. By default, the gold frame is chosen. To select a new frame, click the radio toggle next to the frame image you want to select.

Calendars

Finding and Creating Public URLs or Calendar IDs

You will need to use a public URL or a Calendar ID (depending on your service) in order for Alfred to watch your calendar. Finding and using your public URL or Calendar ID will depend on your calendar application. The most common applications are listed below. If you are using another calendar application, please check with their instruction of or making calendars public and finding the URLs.

Google Calendar:

Google Calendar uses public calendar IDs to share.

1. Go to your Google Calendar settings
2. Select your calendar under ‘Settings for my calendars,’
3. Check the ‘Make available to public’ box
4. Copy the Calendar ID
5. Go to Alfred’s settings page and enter the Calendar ID as a new calendar (if it automatically copies, remove the ‘mailto:’ prefix)

Microsoft Outlook:

Microsoft Outlook calendars require subscribing to the calendar through Google.

1. Log into your Microsoft calendar using the online login (this must be done online first, not through your mail application)
2. Navigate to ‘Settings > Calendar > Shared Calendars’
3. Choose the calendar you wish to publish and click ‘Publish’
4. Copy the Internet Calendar Link that is generated
5. Go to your Google Calendar and navigate to ‘Settings > Add Calendar > From URL’
6. Enter the Calendar Link provided and check the ‘Make Publicly Accessible’ box
7. Then, find the Calendar in the left-hand menu, and click on ‘Calendar Settings’
8. Select the Calendar and copy the Calendar ID
9. Go to Alfred’s settings page and enter the Calendar ID as a new calendar (if it automatically copies, remove the ‘mailto:’ prefix)

Apple Calendar (iCloud):

1. Go to Alfred’s settings page and enter the Share Link as a new calendar
2. Click to edit the calendar
3. Toggle the Public Calendar option
4. Copy the Share Link provided

Adding Your Calendar URL to Alfred

All of the calendars Alfred watches are managed in the settings page.

Adding a calendar: On the settings page under Calendars, provide a name (this is not seen publicly) and an public URL. Then click the ‘Add’ button to add the calendar.

Removing a calendar: Click on the ‘Remove’ link next to the saved calendar.

Calendar Troubleshooting

If you calendar is not appearing after you have uploaded it, it is most commonly one of two issues:

1. The URL you provided Alfred is not an actual Calendar ID, URL, or Link
2. The calendar you provide Alfred is not public, or publicly accessible

Default Pages

You can choose which style of screen you want as your default pages. This includes the home, calendar, and clock pages.

To update a default page, select from the drop down next to Home Page, Default Clock, or Default Calendar.

Personal Data

You can provide personal data to make Alfred and Alfred AI more personal. This includes both geolocation and personal preference data.

Geolocation data includes your city and state. Alfred will automatically identify your latitude and longitude. Geolocation data is used when displaying the weather. In Alfred AI, geolocation is used in weather data, plus regional based responses.

Personal data includes sports teams, and your astrological sign. This data is used by Alfred AI to personalize briefings.

To adjust your device’s settings, double tap the bottom of the screen to display the main navigation, and click on the settings option. On the settings page,

Alfred AI

Alfred AI is an optional part of the Alfred Display App. You may use Alfred with or without personalization. If using Alfred AI with personalization, you determine what is shared with Alfred and AI. Alfred AI reviews your personal information (which includes but is not limited to geolocation and calendars) and uses AI agents to summarize and bring you your schedule.

Personalization information, including information that is provided to AI agents is local to each device and not stored on any centralized server managed by Alfred. To personalize these settings see ‘Settings + Customization > Personal Data’.

To use Alfred AI, double tap the inside area of the frame, when on an art or webcam screen. Clicking on one of the app icons will activate an Alfred AI prompt. You can also include Alfred AI prompts in your personal schedule.

Alfred AI has the following prompts: Daily Brief, Agenda, Weather Briefing, Local Briefing, News Brief, Sports Brief, This Day in History, and Alfred’s Almanac.

Daily Brief

Alfred AI’s Daily Brief is a one-stop brief for your day. It will outline the weather, your schedule, an overview of top news stories, sports scores for the teams you follow, what’s happening in your area, astrological data, and today in history.

Agenda

Alfred AI’s Agenda prompt is a tick tock of your day, outlining your day’s schedule and providing some notes about travel schedules and busy periods.

Weather Briefing

Alfred AI’s Weather prompt is a look at today’s weather and what to expect this week.

Local Briefing

Alfred AI’s Local prompt is a quick highlight of happenings in your area.

News Brief

Alfred AI’s News prompt is a highlight of top news stories. This is not a news feed — Alfred AI gives you a report of the news and summarizes what you need to know.

Sports Brief

Alfred AI’s Sports prompt will pull recent scores and give you a brief of top events. It will also provide a snapshot of the teams you follow.

This Day in History

Alfred AI’s History prompt provides an engaging article of a snapshot in time on this day in history. It also provides information on how this event influenced our world moving forward.

Alfred’s Almanac

Alfred AI’s Almanac prompt is a daily almanac entry for the current day. It provides astrological data like sunrises and sunsets, change in daylight hours, current moon phase information, ecliptic longitude and earth-sun distances, a summary of what is in-season and harvesting, upcoming moon phases including the next full moon, your personal horoscope, and a look at the stars.

Other Alfred Notes

Subscription to Alfred

The Alfred Display App is available for free for a 7-Day trial. After the introductory period, Alfred is accessible through a $4.99/month subscription.

Subscribing

Alfred comes with a 7-Day free trial so you can check out Alfred’s features. At the end of the 7-day trial, you will be charged $4.99 per month. You will be able to cancel anytime. To cancel, navigate to your device’s App Store subscriptions.

On Alfred’s first launch, you will be provided with the 7-Day trial. If you need to restore a previous purchase, click on the ‘Restore Purchases’ link. When prompted to start the free trial, you will be asked to log into your Apple Store account, or use a passkey to approve the trial period and subscription.

If you cancel the subscription before the 7-day trial period is over, you will not be charged.

Apple Shortcuts

You can add Apple Shortcuts to access Alfred’s features directly. To create a shortcut, open the Apple Shorcuts app, click to add a new shortcut, and select Open URL. Then, place the appropriate shortcut URL.

Available Shortcut URLs include:

alfred://home
alfred://art
alfred://crossStitch
alfred://display
alfred://calendar
alfred://agenda
alfred://agendaToday
alfred://agendaTomorrow
alfred://clock
alfred://clockAnalog
alfred://clockEvening
alfred://clockNight
alfred://webcams