Browse documentation

Choosing a model

Cognos offers many models. Pick one by name, or filter by what you need — speed, reasoning, web search, or images.

3 min read Updated 22 July 2026

1Pick a model

  1. Open the model picker

    Select the model name shown above the message box.

  2. Find one

    Browse Pinned, Recent and Recommended, search by name, or use the quick filters (Fast, Powerful, Reasoning, Web search, Image, Vision, and more).

  3. Select it

    Your choice sticks for new messages and follows you across devices.

The model picker showing pinned, recent and recommended models with quick filters.
The model picker, with quick filters along the top.

2Model vs provider

The model is the choice you make. The provider is the company that actually runs it and sees your message while it answers. Cognos records the provider on each answer — you can check it any time in the per-answer privacy details.

3What a model can and can't do

  • The picker only enables what a model actually supports — an image-only model can't hold a text chat, for example.
  • Web search is quietly skipped on models that can't do it, rather than blocking your message.
  • Your privacy tier limits which models you can use. Models above your tier appear greyed out so you can see what a higher tier would unlock.

Keep reading

Privacy tiersYour privacy tier sets the furthest your messages may travel to be answered. It changes which models you can use — and nothing else.Web searchOn some models, the AI can look things up on the web while it answers, and cite its sources.ReasoningSome models can show their thinking before the final answer — and you control how much effort they spend.