# Your first local chat with LM Studio

In LM Studio, download a compatible model in Discover, load it in Chat, and send a message.

Sources checked: 2026-10-17

## 1. Install the right build

Use the [Mac](/learn/mac), [Windows](/learn/windows) or [Linux](/learn/linux) guide to check requirements and install LM Studio from [its download page](https://lmstudio.ai/download).

## 2. Find a small model

Open Discover. Search for a small chat or instruct model, such as Qwen2.5 0.5B, and choose a compatible GGUF variant. Check the actual file size against [the memory guide](/learn/choose-a-model), read the license and download it.

If that search has no suitable result, choose another small chat model offered by Discover. A search result does not guarantee that your machine can load it.

## 3. Load it in Chat

Open Chat, open the model loader at the top, and select your downloaded model. Let the app finish loading. Use a modest context size for the first run; increase it only after a short chat works.

## 4. Send a first message

Ask: “Explain a rainbow in three short sentences.” A successful load lets you send a message and receive a reply. After the model and runtime are downloaded, try another message with the internet disconnected.

## 5. Optional: import a Hugging Bay file

For a GGUF downloaded outside LM Studio, its docs describe the folder layout `~/.lmstudio/models/publisher/model/model-file.gguf`. Place a compatible file in that layout under the app's configured models directory, then select it in Chat.

If the `lms` command is already available, the documented experimental shortcut is:

```sh
lms import "/path/to/model.gguf"
```

Replace the path with your downloaded file and follow the prompt. Importing does not convert an incompatible model. The [import instructions](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/advanced/import-model) explain the layout.

## Sources

- [LM Studio system requirements](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/system-requirements)
- [LM Studio first chat](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/basics)
- [Import GGUF into LM Studio](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/advanced/import-model)
- [LM Studio offline operation](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/offline)

[Next: check what stays on your device](/learn/privacy)