Edge Memory Protocol

Inspiration

AI assistants constantly forget user preferences and context between sessions and apps, forcing users to repeat themselves. We wanted to create a standard that lets AI memory persist locally and be shared across applications, similar to how OAuth standardized authentication.

What it does

Edge Memory Protocol is an open standard (v1.0 spec) that defines how mobile apps can store and share AI memory locally using a JSONL file format. The reference implementation includes a React Native SDK and demo chat app that automatically extracts and uses memories (preferences, facts, conversations) entirely on-device with Cactus SDK.

How we built it

We designed the protocol specification first (JSONL format, schema, locking mechanism), then built a React Native SDK with Expo platform handlers for iOS/Android file access. The demo app integrates Qwen 3 via Cactus SDK for local inference and automatic memory extraction from conversations.

Challenges we ran into

File-based locking proved complex on mobile - we debugged race conditions, stale locks, and platform-specific file deletion quirks. Managing concurrent writes while maintaining data integrity required implementing proper lock detection and cleanup mechanisms.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We shipped a complete protocol specification with a working reference implementation that proves AI memory can be standardized on mobile. The entire system runs offline with zero cloud dependency while maintaining sub-10ms memory read performance.

What we learned

Building infrastructure is harder than building apps - creating a reusable protocol requires thinking beyond one use case. Edge computing isn't just about running models locally; it's about rethinking entire architectures (storage, concurrency, privacy) for on-device operation.

What's next for Edge Memory Protocol

Implement true cross-app memory sharing using shared folders with proper permission models. Add embedding-based semantic search and explore integration with other edge AI frameworks beyond Cactus.

Built With

• cactus
• eas
• expo.io
• javascript
• jsonl
• reactnative
• typescript