Install Machine Desktop
What you need, how to download and install Machine Desktop on Windows or Mac, and how to uninstall it.
Before you start
You need three things:
-
A Machine account. Accounts are created on the Machine web app, not in the desktop app. If you don't have one yet, sign up on the web first. It takes about a minute.
-
A supported computer:
System Supported Windows Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit Mac macOS 12 Monterey or later, on Apple silicon (M1 and later) or Intel -
An internet connection. Your bots run on Machine's computers in the cloud, so the app needs to be online to work.
You don't need to be an administrator on your computer. On Windows, the app installs just for you.
Download
Go to the download page. It detects your system and shows the right button: Download for Windows or Download for macOS.
The file you get:
| System | File |
|---|---|
| Windows | Machine-Desktop-Setup-<version>.exe |
| Mac | Machine-Desktop-<version>-universal.dmg |
The Mac file is universal: the same download works on every Mac.
Also on the download page
Under the desktop app, the download page has three more cards:
| Card | What it is |
|---|---|
| Chrome extension | Optional. Google Chrome, Chrome Web Store · free. Click Add to Chrome to install it, so bots can work in your own Chrome tabs. It needs Machine Desktop. See Chrome extension. |
| Mobile app | Android from Google Play, and iPhone and iPad from the TestFlight beta. See Machine Mobile. |
| Command line | The install command for the Machine CLI, one for macOS & Linux and one for Windows, each with a copy button. See CLI. |
Microsoft Store copies
Machine Desktop is also packaged for the Microsoft Store, as Machine AI. If your copy came from the Store, the Store keeps it up to date, not the app's own updater. Everything else works the same.
Install
Open the installer
Open your Downloads folder and double-click
Machine-Desktop-Setup-<version>.exe.
Get past the safety check, if you see one
If a blue box says Windows protected your PC, click More info, then Run anyway. Windows shows this for apps it hasn't seen often yet.
Let it install
The installer runs by itself. You don't need to choose a folder or click through any screens. When it's done, Machine Desktop opens.
You'll find a Machine shortcut in the Start menu.
Next: sign in
When the app opens, you'll see Sign in to Machine Desktop. Continue to Sign in.
Install on more computers
You can install Machine Desktop on as many computers as you like and sign in to each. Your bots, threads, and automations are the same everywhere, because they live on Machine.
Machine Desktop also keeps your group chats, teams, and sidebar choices (like pinned and archived bots, bot colors, titles, and thread folders) in step across your computers and the Machine phone app. A new computer picks them up a moment after you sign in. A few things stay on each computer: app settings such as the look and the welcome tour, and custom avatar pictures.
Uninstall
- Quit Machine Desktop: right-click its icon in the system tray (near the clock) and choose Quit.
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
- Find Machine Desktop (it may be listed as Machine), click …, and choose Uninstall.
Local app data is kept, so if you reinstall later, the app remembers your preferences.
Uninstalling never deletes your work
Your bots, threads, and files live on Machine, not on your computer. Uninstalling the app doesn't touch them. Sign in again, here, on the web, or on your phone, and everything is still there.
Common questions
Is Machine Desktop free? The app is free to download. Work your bots do is paid from your Machine balance. See Usage and billing.
Can I use it without installing anything? Yes. The Machine web app does most of the same things in a browser. Machine Desktop adds things a browser can't, like letting bots work on your own computer.
Does it work on a Chromebook, or on Windows on ARM? Only the systems listed above are supported.