Connect blindGram to OpenRouter
A complete step-by-step guide to connecting blindGram Assistant to OpenRouter. Learn how to generate a key, access hundreds of free and premium AI models, and troubleshoot common issues.
OpenRouter is the default provider in blindGram because a single account connects to hundreds of AI models from Meta (Llama), Mistral, Google (Gemma, Gemini), Anthropic (Claude), and OpenAI, including several high-performance free models.
Why use OpenRouter?
- Hundreds of models with one key: Switch between Llama 3, Mistral, Claude, or GPT without registering separate accounts. #
- Free models available: Access generous rate-limited free models without entering credit card details. #
- Privacy control: Transparent routing and logging policies configured directly in your OpenRouter dashboard. #
Step 1: Sign up and create an API key
1. Open OpenRouter in your web browser.
2. Sign in or create a free account using your Google, GitHub, or email credentials.
3. Open your account menu (top right) and select Keys.
4. Tap Create Key. Enter a label (for example, `blindGram Phone`).
5. Set an optional credit limit or leave blank, then tap Create.
6. Tap Copy to copy the generated secret key (starts with `sk-or-v1-...`).
> Security Tip: Treat your OpenRouter key like a confidential password. It is stored locally on your Android device and sent only to OpenRouter endpoints.
Step 2: Configure blindGram Assistant
1. Open blindGram on your phone.
2. Open the main menu and navigate to Settings > blindGram Area > Assistant > AI.
3. Under The service:
- Tap Provider and select OpenRouter (this is the default).
- Tap API key and paste your copied key.
- Tap Save or press confirm.
Step 3: Choose your model
OpenRouter hosts hundreds of models. In blindGram's Model selector:
- Free models (Recommended for starting): #
- `meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free` — Excellent reasoning, fast responses, and completely free.
- `google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp:free` — Extremely fast visual processing and conversational answers.
- `anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet` — Outstanding image recognition and subtle text analysis.
- `openai/gpt-4o-mini` — Balanced speed, visual precision, and cost efficiency.
- Load models from provider: Tap this option to search and download OpenRouter's live catalog directly inside blindGram. #
Step 4: Turn on AI features
Toggle on the features you want active:
- Describe image: In Describe image, enable Detailed description to send photos to your OpenRouter vision model for spoken descriptions. #
- Voice summary: In Voice summary, toggle on Summarize with AI. #
- Text summary: In Text summary, enable Summarize messages. #
- Ask AI: In Ask about messages, enable Ask AI about any message. #
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Problem: "Model not found" or "Provider error"
- Cause: Free models on OpenRouter occasionally change IDs or experience temporary downtime. #
- Solution: In blindGram, tap Model, choose Load models from provider, and select an active model (such as a current free Llama or Mistral variant). #
Problem: "Rate limit reached (429)" on free models
- Cause: Free models on OpenRouter enforce requests-per-minute limits across public users. #
- Solution: Wait 30–60 seconds before retrying. Alternatively, add $5 of prepaid credit to your OpenRouter account to unlock priority tier models with zero waiting. #
Problem: Voice summaries not transcribing
- Cause: OpenRouter does not host audio transcription endpoints. #
- Solution: blindGram Assistant uses the speech recognition engine installed on your phone to transcribe voice notes into text first, then forwards the transcript to OpenRouter for summarization. Ensure your on-device speech engine has the matching language pack installed. #
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use OpenRouter without a credit card?
Yes. OpenRouter offers completely free models tagged with `:free` that require no payment information.
How do I see my past AI chats?
All summaries, image descriptions, and questions are stored for one week in AI Conversations.