Reel settings and limits
Turning reels on and off, setting delivery times, choosing a model, the per-plan daily limit, and how reels use tokens.
Turning reels on and setting times
Reels are opt-in. In account settings, Reels (also reachable from the Reels app), you turn the morning reel and the nightly reel on or off independently and set the local time each one runs. Times use the timezone on your account, which is set in your general account settings. Changing a time changes future runs; it does not regenerate past reels.
Extra reels on demand
Besides the two automatic reels, you can generate extra reels on demand, up to a daily limit that depends on your plan:
- Sapling (free): no extra reels on demand. You still get the automatic morning and nightly reels.
- Tree: 5 per day
- Grove: 25 per day
- Forest: unlimited
The two automatic reels never count against this limit, and the limit resets daily. One reel generates at a time: if you ask for another while one is still running, Astell points you at the in-flight one.
Do reels cost tokens?
Yes. Every reel, automatic or manual, is a real inference pass across your loops, so it consumes tokens from your monthly pool like other metered usage. Two exceptions keep the spend fair:
- An all-clear reel (nothing open to report) is built without the model and costs nothing.
- If your workspace has used up its monthly tokens, a scheduled reel is skipped before it spends anything.
Choosing a model
Reels settings let you pick the model used to generate reels, with the same choices you have in chat. The default is the fast model on every plan. More capable models, and Ultra mode, are available on paid plans.
Optional sections
The reel's core summary is always present. The optional sections (needs you, latest loops, on the horizon, notebook, streak) can each be turned off in Reels settings, and future reels omit them.
Notifications
Whether the "your reel is ready" message reaches you, and whether by email or in the app, is set separately in your notification settings.