Connect an AI app

This page shows you how to add Auto to the AI app you use. It takes about two minutes. You don't need to write code.

Before you start

1. Install Auto Photos on your iPhone.
2. Sign in to Auto Photos and turn on photo syncing.
3. Keep the sign-in you used close at hand. You use the same account to connect the AI app.

You can connect first and set up Auto Photos later. The assistant tells you what to do if it finds no photos.

Add Auto to your app

Every app needs this URL:

https://app.auto.inc/api/mcp/v1

Claude

These steps work on claude.ai and in the Claude desktop app.

1. Open Settings, then Connectors.
2. Click Add custom connector.
3. Name it Auto and paste the URL.
4. Click Add, then Connect.
5. Sign in to Auto in the window that opens, then click Allow.

In a chat, open the tools menu and make sure Auto is on. Then ask something like "Show me my photos from last weekend."

On a Team or Enterprise plan, an owner may need to add the connector for the organization first.

ChatGPT

1. Open Settings, then Apps.
2. Search for Auto and select it.
3. Click Connect.
4. Sign in to Auto in the window that opens, then click Allow.

If Auto is not in the list, turn on Developer mode under Settings, Apps, Advanced settings. Then click Create app, name it Auto, paste the URL and choose OAuth.

In a chat, pick Auto from the tools menu and ask about your photos.

If you added Auto to ChatGPT a long time ago and it no longer finds your synced photos, remove it and add it again. That gives it the current permissions.

Claude Code

Run this in a terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http auto https://app.auto.inc/api/mcp/v1

Then start Claude Code, type /mcp, pick auto and choose Authenticate. Your browser opens. Sign in to Auto and click Allow.

Cursor

Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json. To use it in one project only, put it in .cursor/mcp.json in that project.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "auto": {
      "url": "https://app.auto.inc/api/mcp/v1"
    }
  }
}

Open Cursor Settings, then MCP. Click Connect next to auto. Sign in to Auto and click Allow.

VS Code

Add this to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "servers": {
    "auto": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.auto.inc/api/mcp/v1"
    }
  }
}

Click Start above the server entry. VS Code asks you to sign in. Sign in to Auto and click Allow. Use the server from Copilot Chat in agent mode.

Other apps

Any app that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth can connect. Look for a setting called MCP servers, Connectors or Integrations. Give it the URL. The app finds the sign-in page by itself.

If the app asks for a client ID or a token, it does not support automatic sign-in. You can give it an API key as a bearer token instead. A key gives full access to your library, so use this only with apps you trust.

What Auto asks for

When you sign in, Auto shows a page titled Authorize with the app's name. It asks for one permission:

mcp:images: list and search your synced camera roll, show those pictures in compatible apps, and organize them into albums in Auto.

The app can't delete your photos. It can't see other people's photos. It never sees your Auto password.

Things to try

• "What's in my Auto library?"
• "Find the photo of the wifi password at the cabin."
• "Show me pictures of my dog from this summer as a grid."
• "Make an album called Lisbon trip with my photos from Lisbon."
• "Which of my screenshots have flight details in them?"

Disconnect

1. Sign in at app.auto.inc and open Account.
2. Find the app under Connected apps.
3. Click to remove it.

The app loses access on its next request. Links to pictures it already showed stop working within 15 minutes. You can also remove Auto from inside the AI app, but that does not cancel the access on Auto's side. Do both if you want to be sure.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
The assistant says it found no photos	Open Auto Photos and check that syncing is on. A large library takes a while to sync.
The assistant can't find a photo you know is there	On the free plan, Auto Photos keeps your newest photos only. Older ones are not searchable.
Sign-in opens a page that says the request is not valid	Remove Auto from the app and add it again.
Pictures show as links, not images	Your app does not support MCP Apps. The links still work for 15 minutes.