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How to Use Claude with Elysium (BYOAI Setup Guide)

February 23, 2026
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If you're already paying for Claude, you don't need to add Elysium AI to use AI with your schedule. This guide walks through the BYOAI (Bring Your Own AI) setup with Claude using OpenClaw — the setup that lets you manage your schedule from your phone via Telegram.

What you'll need

How it works

When you enable BYOAI in Elysium, the app creates an OpenTime folder and generates a README.md inside it. This file documents your entire schedule format. OpenClaw gives Claude access to files on your device — so when you message Claude through Telegram, it can read and write your schedule files directly.

The result: you can manage your schedule from your phone, via Telegram, without touching the app.

Step 1: Enable BYOAI in Elysium

  1. Open Settings in Elysium.
  2. Go to AI → Bring Your Own AI.
  3. Tap Enable. Elysium creates the OpenTime folder and generates README.md.
  4. Note the folder path — you'll need it when setting up OpenClaw.

Step 2: Set up OpenClaw

  1. Download OpenClaw from the App Store.
  2. Open it and follow the setup to add your Claude API key.
  3. In OpenClaw's file access settings, grant it access to the OpenTime folder Elysium created.
  4. Connect to Telegram when prompted — OpenClaw creates a personal bot for you.

Step 3: Start scheduling

Open your OpenClaw bot in Telegram and send a message. A good first message:

"Read the README.md in my OpenTime folder, then help me plan my week."

Claude reads the format reference and orients itself. Then you can start scheduling:

"Add a task: finish the proposal draft by Thursday at 5pm."

"Create a project called 'Website Redesign' with goals for design, dev, and launch. Target date: end of March."

"Move everything I have scheduled for Friday to Monday and Tuesday."

Tips for best results

Start each session with context. Claude doesn't have persistent memory by default. Beginning with "read my README.md and current schedule" helps it understand your setup before making changes.

Be specific with dates and times. "Thursday at 5pm" works better than "end of week." If you have a default timezone set in Elysium, Claude will use it — but explicit times are always cleaner.

Review changes before they happen. Ask Claude to describe what it's going to do before writing: "What changes would you make? Don't write anything yet." Once you're happy, say "Go ahead."

Use it from your phone while commuting. This is the killer use case. You're on the train, you just had a meeting that changed your whole week — open Telegram, tell Claude what happened, and your schedule is updated before you get off the train.

What Claude can do with your Elysium schedule

  • Create tasks, goals, habits, events, appointments, reminders, and projects
  • Set priorities, due dates, time blocks, and energy levels
  • Add steps/substeps to goals
  • Set up recurring habits with frequency and window settings
  • Move, reschedule, or cancel items
  • Query your schedule ("what do I have due this week?")

What it can't do (yet)

Claude writes to your .ot files, which Elysium reads on its next import cycle. Real-time sync and push notifications aren't part of BYOAI — that's what Elysium AI handles natively.

Any questions? Ask in the community forum.