Install Machine Code
What you need, how to download and install Machine Code on Windows or Mac, how to sign in, and how updates work.
Before you start
You need:
-
A Machine account. Accounts are created on the Machine web app. If you don't have one, sign up on the web first.
-
A supported computer:
System Supported Windows Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (x64) Mac macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel -
Git. Machine Code works on git repositories. Install git if your computer doesn't have it.
Linux isn't offered yet.
Download
Go to the download page and open the Code tab. Pick the row for your computer:
| System | File |
|---|---|
| Windows | Machine-Code-Setup-<version>-x64.exe |
| Mac with Apple silicon (M1 and later) | Machine-Code-<version>-arm64.dmg |
| Mac with Intel | Machine-Code-<version>-x64.dmg |
Not sure which Mac you have? Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. If it says Chip: Apple M…, take Apple silicon.
Install
Open the installer
Double-click Machine-Code-Setup-<version>-x64.exe in your Downloads
folder.
Get past the safety check
The Windows installer isn't code-signed yet, so Windows shows a blue box: Windows protected your PC. Click More info, then Run anyway. You only see this the first time; updates install without it.
Let it install
The installer runs by itself, just for your user account, with no administrator prompt. Machine Code opens when it's done, and you'll find it in the Start menu.
Sign in
When the app opens, you see Sign in to Machine Code.
Enter your email
Type the email of your Machine account and click Send code.
Enter the code
Machine emails you a 6-digit code. It works once and expires in an hour. Type it into Code from the email and click Sign in. If it didn't arrive, click Send a new code.
Prefer a password? Click Sign in with a password instead and use your Machine email and password.
Once you're in, Machine Code uses your Machine project: its models, credits, connectors, and secrets. To use a different project, open the account menu at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Switch project.
Sign out is in the same menu. It removes this computer's project key, and Machine Code stops using your account until you sign in again.
Updates
Machine Code updates itself from Machine's signed update feed.
- When an update is ready, the sidebar shows Update available. Click Download, then Restart to update. Machine Code closes and reopens by itself.
- Nothing downloads until you choose to, and nothing installs until you restart. A downloaded update also installs when you quit.
- To check now, open Settings › About and click Check next to App updates. Otherwise the app checks every few hours.
- Release channel in the same place switches between Stable and Beta. Beta gets updates sooner.
- What's new (in Settings › About, and in the help menu) shows the notes for every version.
Every update is checked against Machine's signature before it's installed. An update that doesn't match is refused.
Uninstall
Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Machine Code, click …, and choose Uninstall.
Uninstalling doesn't touch your code. Your repositories, branches, and worktrees stay on disk, and anything you ran in Machine Cloud stays in your Machine project.
Common questions
Is Machine Code free? The app is free. Agent work on Machine models is paid from your Machine balance, the same as everywhere else in Machine. Work on your own Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor plan bills that plan instead.
Can I use Machine Code and Machine Desktop together? Yes. They're separate apps that share your Machine account. Install both if you want both.