Tendril FAQ: Safety, Points, and How It Works
Tendril lets everyday people help power open AI from a browser tab or a phone, and earn TEND Points for it. It is free, needs no wallet or crypto, runs sandboxed in your browser, and never touches your files or personal data. Here are answers to the questions people ask most.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it safe?
- Yes. Tendril runs inside your browser, sandboxed like any website. It only does AI work in the background and never touches your files, your accounts, or your personal data. Pause or close it whenever you want.
- Is it free?
- Totally. Nothing to buy, no subscription. You lend a little of your device's spare power, or tap a few times on your phone, and you earn points for it.
- Will it slow down my computer?
- No. Tendril uses only your spare capacity and steps aside the moment you need your machine. You can cap how much it uses, or close the tab anytime.
- What do I get for it?
- You earn TEND Points for everything you contribute, and they actually mean something. Points are your rank, your reputation, and your proof that you helped build open AI. They are not money and we never promise payouts. A token is on the roadmap, and points are how the network recognizes the people who power it.
- Do I need crypto or a wallet?
- No. One click and you are in. No wallet, no setup, no crypto knowledge needed. You can connect a wallet later if you want, but you never have to.
- How is the phone version different?
- On a computer you open a tab and it quietly runs AI in the background. On your phone you play Tap to Train: see two AI answers, tap the better one. It takes seconds, and it is actually fun. Do one or both.
- Is it real people, or bots farming points?
- Real people. We score agreement across contributors, rate-limit suspicious activity, and run quality checks, so anything we cannot trust earns nothing. That is why a Tendril rank means something.
- What is all this actually for?
- Better, fairer AI, built in the open. Most models barely speak many of the world's languages and fall short on what matters locally, like health, learning, and farming. When you contribute, you help fix that, and the Tendril Foundation directs part of every contribution to the non-profits and research foundations building open AI for underserved languages and communities. More about that at tendril.foundation.
- How is this different from Grass and similar apps?
- Those rent out your internet connection and keep the value. With Tendril you help build open AI itself, the data the network creates is a public good, and contributors share in it. You are part of the network, not just renting it your bandwidth.
More questions
- Do I get paid?
- No. TEND Points are proof of contribution, not money. We never promise a payout.
- Is Tendril a scam?
- No. Tendril is free, runs sandboxed in your browser, never touches your files or accounts, and needs no payment, wallet, or crypto. You earn TEND Points for contributing, which are a measure of reputation and proof that you helped build open AI. They are not money and we never promise a payout.
- What is a soulbound point?
- A soulbound point is a record of contribution tied to you that you cannot buy, sell, or transfer. TEND Points are soulbound: they prove you helped build open AI, rather than acting as a tradable asset or money.
- Can I contribute without a wallet or crypto?
- Yes. One click and you are in. No wallet, no crypto, no setup. You earn TEND Points just for contributing, and you never have to connect anything.