# Notifications

Get told when a bot finishes, has a question, needs approval, or hits an error. Turn notifications on or off per bot, set quiet hours, and other ways the app gets your attention.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/settings/notifications

You don't have to watch a bot work. Send your request, get on with something
else, and Machine Desktop tells you when the bot needs you.

## When you're notified

| Notification | When |
|---|---|
| **Scout finished** | A bot finished its reply. The notification shows the start of it. |
| **Scout has a question** | A bot is waiting for you to [answer a question](/docs/desktop/models/questions-and-runs). |
| **Scout: Run a command?** | A bot is waiting for your [approval](/docs/desktop/models/approvals). The title names the action, like *Send email with Gmail?*. |
| **Scout hit an error** | Something went wrong. |

- **Click a notification** to go straight to that bot and thread.
- Notifications are **grouped per bot**.
- You **aren't** notified about the thread you're looking at, while Machine
  Desktop is in front.

## Turn notifications on or off for a bot

![A bot's Alerts section with the Notifications switch](/images/docs/desktop/alerts.webp)

1. Open the bot's settings (click its name in the chat header).
2. Go to **Alerts**.
3. Switch **Notifications** on or off: *"Get notified when this agent
   finishes or needs input"*.

This setting is kept on Machine, so it's the same on all your devices.

## Quiet hours

To keep your evenings free of pop-ups, open **Settings → General → Quiet
hours**, switch it on, and set the times, for example **22:00** to **08:00**.

During quiet hours, bots keep working, but Machine Desktop shows no
notification pop-ups. Everything waits in the app: check **Active Threads**
or the [Today](/docs/desktop/bots/today) page when you're back.

Quiet hours apply to this computer only. See [General
settings](/docs/desktop/settings/general#quiet-hours).

## Make sure notifications can appear

Notifications only arrive **while Machine Desktop is running**. Closing the
window doesn't quit the app on Windows or Mac, so you'll still be
notified. Quitting it does stop notifications. See [The app
window](/docs/desktop/get-started/app-window).

Your computer must also allow them:

- **Windows:** **Settings → System → Notifications**, and make sure Machine
  Desktop is allowed. Check **Do not disturb** is off.
- **Mac:** **System Settings → Notifications → Machine Desktop**, and allow
  notifications. Check **Focus** isn't hiding them.

## Other signals

| Signal | Where |
|---|---|
| **Reply sound** | A soft pop when a bot finishes. **Settings → General → Reply sound**. |
| **Dock badge** (Mac) | A number on the Dock icon for bots and group chats with unread messages. |
| **Status dots** | Each bot's dot in the sidebar: blue while working, red if the last run failed. See [The sidebar](/docs/desktop/bots/sidebar). |
| **Active Threads** | The list at the top of the sidebar: what needs you, then every thread that's working. |
| **Automations dot** | A red dot on **Tools → Automations** when a routine's last run failed. Opening the run doesn't clear it; it goes away once that routine runs again without failing. |

## On your phone

The [mobile apps](/docs/desktop/mobile) let you check on bots and answer them
from your phone. On a phone, turn notifications on in **Settings → General →
Notifications** to hear when a bot finishes while the app is closed.