Glossary - newly

These are the words the Newly docs use, and what each one means. Where other tools or older versions of Newly use a different word, it’s listed under Not to be confused with.

Products and apps

Term	Meaning
Newly	Newly at app.newly.app and in Newly for Mac. These docs describe it.
The web app	Newly in your browser, at app.newly.app. Nothing to install.
Newly for Mac	The Newly app for your Mac. After the first mention, these docs call it the Mac app. It adds Local chats. See The web app and Newly for Mac.

Projects and chats

Term	Meaning
Project	One app. A project holds your app’s code and all of its chats.
Chat	One conversation with the agent inside a project. Start one with New chat. A project can have many chats, and they all work on the same code.
Remote chat	A chat that runs in the cloud, so you can open it from any device. Every chat in the web app is a Remote chat.
Local chat	A chat that runs on your Mac, in Newly for Mac. Your Mac must stay awake. See Local chats on your Mac.
Session	The environment a chat runs in. You’ll see this word in some messages, such as “Couldn’t start your cloud session”, and in Developer mode.
Production APK	A standalone Android release build with your JavaScript bundled in. Download it from the Production Android APK card in a chat, or from Deploy then Builds, and install it on an Android phone. See Download an Android APK.
Parked	A chat that went to sleep after being idle (about 15 minutes by default). The header shows “Parked - your next message resumes it”. Your code is kept. See Parked chats and limits.
Developer mode	A setting that shows logs and more of the workspace. See Settings and Developer mode.

The agent

Term	Meaning
Newly Agent	The AI that builds your app in Newly. Newly chooses the model behind it and may change it. In running text, these docs call it the agent.
Your own Claude or Codex login	In Local chats on Mac, you can use your own Claude or Codex account instead of Newly Agent. Those chats don’t use Newly credits.
Build, Plan, Ask, Design	The modes in the prompt box. Build changes your app. Plan and Ask let you talk through your app, and with Newly Agent they don’t change code. Design is for Local chats on Mac. See Build, Plan, Ask and Design.
Skill	A short set of instructions that teaches the agent how to do one kind of task your way. Add one to a project (This project) or to all your projects (My skills), and type `/` in the prompt box to use one on demand. See Skills.
Turn	One round of work by the agent, from your message to its reply. By default, a single turn can run for up to three hours.

Preview and builds

Term	Meaning
Cloud simulator	An iPhone or Android device that Newly runs in the cloud and streams into the preview pane. There are two kinds: your simulator and the agent’s simulator. See Using the cloud simulators.
Your simulator	The cloud simulator you use to try your app. Start it with Start my simulator.
The agent’s simulator	The cloud simulator the agent uses to test your app. Watch it with Open agent simulator.
Native build	A full build of your app’s native code. It happens when the agent adds a native package or changes settings such as the icon. See Native builds and packages.
Development build	The build of your app that runs on the cloud simulators. It’s for previewing only and can’t be installed on a phone.
TestFlight build	A release build of your iOS app that Newly uploads to Apple, so you and your testers can install it on an iPhone. See Ship your iOS app to TestFlight.

Code and versions

Term	Meaning
Saved version	A snapshot of your code that Newly saves at the end of every turn that changed files. You go back to one with Restore to here.
Restore to here	The link under a message that returns your code to the saved version from that message. It changes code, not your app’s data. See Undo and Restore to here.
Undo	The toolbar button that goes back to the version before your last change. It’s hidden when Developer mode is on.
`dev`	The branch your chats work on. By default, every chat in a project shares it.
`main`	Your project’s production branch. Promote to main, in Settings under Project, copies `dev` onto `main`. See Where your code lives.
newly CLI	A command-line tool for developers. Use it to download your code and to deploy your backend to production. See Get your code.

Backend and AI

Term	Meaning
Newly Backend	The backend the agent adds when your app needs accounts, shared data or files. It has separate dev and production environments. See Data, accounts and Newly Backend.
Environment	Dev or production. Your backend and your app’s AI limits are counted separately for each.

Credits and billing

Term	Meaning
Credits	What Newly work is paid with. Newly Agent work and your app’s AI requests use credits. See How credits work.
Plan	A monthly or annual subscription that adds credits every month. Plans start at $25 a month for 100 credits. See Plans and top-ups.
Top-up	Credits you buy once, from the Add credits tab in Billing. Top-ups last 12 months.
Credits from Newly	Credits Newly gives you. In Billing they’re labelled “From Newly” and never expire. A plan that Newly gives you works like a plan, so its credits expire monthly.
Organization	The account that owns projects and pays for them. Credits and plans belong to an organization. Its people are an owner, admins and members. Only the owner and admins can buy credits, manage the plan, or connect Apple.
Project Admin, Can edit, Can view	Access levels for one shared project. Admin can prompt, edit and manage people. Can edit can prompt and edit. Can view can read the chat and the files. These are separate from organization roles. A project Admin doesn’t manage your organization’s billing. See Share a project.

Not to be confused with

If you’ve seen	In Newly
Prompts (as a unit you pay for)	Credits, which follow the work done, not the number of messages
Conversation, thread	Chat
Cloud chat	Remote chat
Asleep, stopped (for an idle chat)	Parked
Emulator	Cloud simulator (the Android one is an Android emulator)
Expo Go, QR code preview	Cloud simulators in the preview pane
Liquid Backend, Supabase	Newly Backend
Version history, revert, checkpoint	Saved versions, Restore to here and Undo
Team, workspace	Organization
Editor, viewer	Can edit, Can view
Newly desktop	Newly for Mac

⌘I