Basic settings

Accessing Your Settings

Open WebUI lets you customize a few key preferences to make your experience more comfortable. Don't worry - you don't need to change anything if the defaults work for you, but knowing where these settings are can be helpful.

To open your settings:

1. Look at the bottom-left corner of your Open WebUI screen
2. Find your profile icon or username (usually shows your initials or a small avatar)
3. Click on it
4. Select "Settings" from the menu that appears
5. A settings window opens

Alternative access: Some versions of Open WebUI have a settings icon (gear symbol) that you can click directly.

What you'll see: The settings window typically has several tabs or sections. As a basic user, you only need to know about a few of them. The rest are for advanced users or administrators.

Changing the Theme (Dark/Light Mode)

The theme controls how Open WebUI looks - specifically whether it uses a dark background or a light one. This is purely personal preference and doesn't affect how the AI works.

Available Themes

Open WebUI typically offers these visual themes:

Light Mode

• White or light gray background
• Dark text
• Good for bright environments or if you prefer traditional document-style appearance
• Easier on the eyes in well-lit rooms

Dark Mode

• Dark gray or black background
• Light text
• Reduces eye strain in low-light conditions
• Popular for extended screen time
• Uses less power on OLED screens

OLED Dark Mode

• Pure black background (specifically for OLED screens)
• Maximum contrast
• Saves battery on phones and laptops with OLED displays

System Theme

• Automatically matches your computer or device's theme setting
• Switches between light and dark based on your operating system preferences
• Useful if your device changes themes based on time of day

How to Change Your Theme

1. Open Settings (click your profile icon → Settings)
2. Look for "General" or "Interface" tab
3. Find the "Theme" section
4. Click on the theme dropdown or theme options
5. Select your preferred theme:

   • Light
   • Dark
   • OLED Dark
   • System
6. The change applies immediately - no need to save or refresh

Try them out! Switch between themes to see which one you prefer. There's no right answer - it's all about what's comfortable for your eyes.

Tips for Choosing a Theme

Use Light Mode if:

• You work in a bright office or near windows
• You prefer reading on white backgrounds
• You're printing or sharing screenshots (they'll look more traditional)

Use Dark Mode if:

• You work in dimly lit environments
• You spend many hours per day in Open WebUI
• You find bright screens cause eye strain
• You work late at night

Use System Theme if:

• Your computer already switches themes automatically
• You want Open WebUI to match your other apps
• You like automatic day/night adjustments

Most popular choice: Many users prefer dark mode for daily work, but it's entirely personal preference.

Setting Your Preferred Default Model

Remember how you select an AI model at the top of each chat? You can set which model appears by default when you start a new conversation. This saves you from selecting it every time.

Why Set a Default Model?

Without a default:

• Every new chat starts with whatever model the system chooses
• You need to manually switch to your preferred model each time
• Takes an extra step before you can start working

With a default:

• New chats automatically use your favorite model
• Start asking questions immediately
• Still can change models anytime - the default is just a starting point

How to Set Your Default Model

There are usually two ways to set your default model:

Method 1: From Settings

1. Open Settings (profile icon → Settings)
2. Look for "Interface" or "Models" tab
3. Find "Default Model" section
4. Click the dropdown menu
5. Select your preferred model
6. Click "Save" if needed

Method 2: From a Chat Window

1. Start any chat (new or existing)
2. Click on the model name at the top
3. Browse the available models
4. Look for "Set as Default" option next to model names
5. Click "Set as Default" on your preferred model
6. A checkmark or indicator shows it's now your default

Choosing Your Default Model

Which model should you choose?

For most users, the model that's already set as default when you first log in is a good choice. But here's how to think about it:

Consider your most common tasks:

• Do you mostly write content? Choose a model good at writing
• Do you work with code frequently? Choose a model optimized for programming
• Do you ask general questions? Choose a well-rounded, general-purpose model

Consider speed vs. power:

• Faster models respond more quickly but may be less sophisticated
• More powerful models take a bit longer but handle complex tasks better
• For everyday questions, faster models are usually fine

Ask for advice: If you're not sure, you can actually ask the AI: "Which model should I use as my default for general business tasks?"

The AI can explain the differences between available models.

Don't overthink it:

• You can change your default anytime
• You can still use other models whenever you want
• There's no wrong choice - pick one and try it out

Testing Different Models

Before setting a default, you might want to test a few:

1. Start a new chat
2. Ask the same question with different models
3. Compare the responses
4. Notice which one gives you the style and depth you prefer

Example test question: "Explain the concept of supply and demand in simple terms"

Try this with 2-3 different models and see which response you like best.

Language Preferences

Open WebUI supports multiple languages. You can use the interface in your preferred language.

What Changes When You Change Language?

Interface elements change:

• Button labels
• Menu items
• Settings names
• System messages

What doesn't change:

• Your conversations with the AI (it will respond in whatever language you use to ask questions)
• Chat content you've already created
• Document names or content

Note: Even if you set the interface to English, you can still have conversations with the AI in Spanish, French, German, or any other language the AI supports. The language setting is just for the buttons and menus.

How to Change Language

1. Open Settings (profile icon → Settings)
2. Look for "General" or "Interface" tab
3. Find "Language" section
4. Click the language dropdown
5. Select your preferred language from the list
6. The interface updates immediately

Available Languages

Open WebUI typically supports many languages, including:

• English
• Spanish
• French
• German
• Portuguese
• Chinese
• Japanese
• And many others

The exact list depends on your organization's setup.

Tips for Language Settings

If you're multilingual:

• Set the interface to your primary language
• You can still ask questions in any language
• The AI will respond in whatever language you use

If you're learning a language:

• Keep the interface in your native language for clarity
• Practice by having conversations with the AI in the language you're learning

If the language changes unexpectedly:

• You might have accidentally changed it
• Open Settings and switch it back
• The settings icon and location stay in the same place regardless of language

Other Basic Settings You Might See

While exploring your settings, you might notice other options. Here's what a few common ones do:

Chat History

Setting: Enable/disable chat history What it does: Controls whether your conversations are saved Recommendation: Keep this ON unless you have a specific privacy need

Notifications

Setting: Enable/disable notifications What it does: Controls whether you get alerts when chats complete Recommendation: Useful if you multitask while waiting for responses

Text Input Style

Setting: Rich text vs. plain text input What it does: Changes whether the input box has formatting buttons Recommendation: Plain text is simpler; rich text allows formatting

As a beginner, you can safely ignore most other settings. They're either for advanced users or will make sense once you're more experienced.

Your Settings Summary

Here's a quick reference for the main settings:

Setting	Where to Find It	What to Choose
Theme	Settings → General/Interface	Dark, Light, OLED Dark, or System
Default Model	Settings → Interface OR click model name in chat	Your most-used model
Language	Settings → General/Interface	Your preferred interface language

Resetting to Defaults

Changed something and want to go back to how it was?

To reset individual settings:

• Just change them back manually to the original value

To reset everything:

• Look for a "Reset to Default" or "Restore Defaults" button in Settings
• Or contact your administrator if you're really stuck

Can't find a setting anymore?

• Look through all the tabs in Settings - it's probably just in a different section
• Ask your administrator for help

Common Questions

Q: Will changing my theme affect my colleagues? A: No. All settings are personal to your account. Your theme choice doesn't affect anyone else.

Q: If I change my default model, will it change my existing chats? A: No. Existing chats keep using whatever model they started with. The default only affects new chats you create.

Q: Can I have different default models for different folders? A: This is an advanced feature. As a basic user, stick with one default model for all chats.

Q: I changed the language by accident and can't read the menus anymore. Help! A: The Settings icon location doesn't change. Click it, look for the tab you were in before (same position), find the dropdown you changed, and select English or your language. If truly stuck, ask a colleague or administrator.

Q: Do I need to save my settings changes? A: Most settings apply immediately. Some might have a "Save" button - click it if you see it. When in doubt, click Save before closing the settings window.

Q: Why don't I see some settings that are mentioned in tutorials? A: Your administrator might have hidden certain settings that regular users don't need. This is normal and helps keep things simple.

Q: Can I customize the colors beyond the preset themes? A: Not in basic settings. The preset themes are designed to work well. Custom colors are an advanced feature.

Practice Exercise

Take 5 minutes to explore your settings:

1. Open Settings by clicking your profile icon
2. Try switching themes - change to dark mode, then light mode, then back to your preference
3. Look at your default model - is it the one you want? Change it if needed
4. Check your language setting - make sure it's correct
5. Browse the other tabs just to see what's there (you don't need to change anything)
6. Close Settings when you're done

After this exercise, you'll know exactly where to go when you want to adjust something!

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You've now personalized your Open WebUI experience with the basic settings that matter most. In the final section, we'll show you where to find additional help and resources when you need them.