---
title: "Constellation Model Ejection & Help"
description: "Fix device discovery, route, model-loading, vision, tool, sync, and idle-ejection issues in Constellation."
version: "Noema 3.6+"
platforms: ["iPhone", "iPad", "Mac", "Vision Pro"]
reviewed: "July 26, 2026"
canonical: "https://noemaai.com/docs/constellation-troubleshooting"
---

# Constellation Model Ejection & Help

Check both devices, confirm the Mac is awake, inspect the selected route, and use the ejection controls to manage Mac memory.

## Release the Mac model

On the requesting device, open the active connection control in Chat and choose the eject action. Under **Settings → Sync & Devices → Model Ejection**, choose whether this also unloads the model from the connected device and whether that happens immediately or after a delay.

On the Mac, open **Settings → Sync → Model Ejection** to control whether a requester may unload the Mac model, whether idle Constellation models unload automatically, and how long an idle model remains in memory.

> Both devices must allow remote ejection. An active generation is never interrupted; Noema waits until it finishes before unloading the model.

## The Mac does not appear

- Confirm both devices use the same Apple Account and can access iCloud.
- Turn on **Reach this Mac from anywhere** under Mac **Settings → Sync**.
- Turn on **Use your Mac’s models** under Constellation on the requesting device.
- Keep Noema open and the Mac awake.
- Turn off Off-Grid Mode.
- Pull down in the iOS chat drawer, then reopen Stored.

## The Mac appears asleep

Noema cannot wake a sleeping Mac, and closing a MacBook lid still puts it to sleep. Under Mac **Settings → Sync → Keep this Mac awake**, choose **While plugged in** or **Always** if that matches your power needs.

## Use is taking time

Pressing **Use** starts the real model load immediately. Chat can appear before a large model is fully resident, but the first request must still wait for loading to finish. A model already marked loaded should start faster.

## The route is Bridge instead of Direct

This usually means the current NAT or firewall rejected a peer-to-peer path. Bridge is the intended encrypted fallback. Configure Private Link if you operate a private mesh and want a predictable path across networks.

## The eye icon is missing

- Confirm the selected model is actually a vision model.
- For GGUF, install its matching `mmproj` or supported embedded projector beside the weights.
- Reload the model after changing the projector.

Noema hides vision capability when the installed files cannot process images, even if repository metadata describes the model family as multimodal.

## Tools do not appear or run

- Open the Chat capability controls and allow the required tool.
- Confirm the tool is enabled globally.
- Check that required local data, runtime, or OS permission is available.
- For MCP, select a connected server on a platform that supports it.
- Confirm workspace policy and Off-Grid Mode permit the tool.

The remote model proposes tool calls, but the requesting device owns permissions and execution.

## A chat has not updated yet

Pull down in the iOS chat drawer to force a complete sync. If it still does not arrive, check the Sync status on both devices and confirm neither device reports a local history-write failure or a newer-version compatibility hold.

## A project is present but its PDF is unavailable

Project definitions and source references sync; source files and dataset indexes do not. Import or download the corresponding source on the current device before using local retrieval there.

## Related documentation
- [Noema Constellation](https://noemaai.com/docs/constellation)
- [Constellation Connections & Privacy](https://noemaai.com/docs/constellation-connections)
- [Constellation Models, Tools & Photos](https://noemaai.com/docs/constellation-models-and-tools)
- [Support](https://noemaai.com/docs/support)