# Safety and stopping

How you stay in control when a bot works on your computer. What each protection does, how to answer permission requests, and every way to stop a bot instantly.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/this-pc/safety-and-stop

Letting a bot work on your computer is powerful, so Machine gives you several
layers of protection. You don't need to use them all, but you should know
they're there.

## The protections

![The folder menu, where Ask before each action and Apps, mouse and keyboard live](/images/docs/desktop/this-pc-folder-menu.webp)

| Protection | What it does | Where |
|---|---|---|
| **Folders** | The bot can only open and change files in folders you've shared with that thread. | [Folder menu](/docs/desktop/this-pc/overview) |
| **Permission requests** | If the bot needs something else, like another folder, it has to ask. You click **Allow** or **Deny**. | [Below](#allow-or-deny-a-request) |
| **Approval level and What needs your OK** | The thread's [approval level](/docs/desktop/models/approvals) and the bot's **Use This PC** rule decide whether the bot asks before it uses your computer. Under **Ask for approval**, it asks. | Message box, and **Bot settings → Access** |
| **Ask before each action** | Optional, and **off** by default. A second check, kept by Machine: when on, you approve every file change, command, and click. Turning it off skips only this check. The approval level still applies. | Folder menu |
| **Apps, mouse and keyboard** | Turn screen control off to keep the bot to files and commands. | Folder menu |
| **Stop** | One click or one shortcut stops everything. | [Below](#stop-a-bot) |
| **The purple glow** | You can always see when a bot is using your screen. | [Below](#how-you-can-tell-a-bot-is-using-your-screen) |
| **Safety rules** | Bots follow rules about on-screen text, passwords, and payments. | [Below](#the-bots-safety-rules) |

> **What a folder does and doesn't protect**
> The shared folder limits which **files** the bot can open and change
> directly. But a **command or program** the bot runs works with your normal
> user permissions, and can reach anything you can. For important work, keep
> **Ask before each action** on, so you see and approve every command before it
> runs.

## Allow or deny a request

![A permission request asking to use a folder, with Deny and Allow](/images/docs/desktop/this-pc-permission.webp)

If a bot needs a folder you haven't shared, or wants to run a command or use
your screen, Machine Desktop jumps to the front, even from the tray, and shows
a card:

> **Assistant wants to use**
> C:\Users\you\Documents\Receipts
>
> *On this computer. Allow shares it with Machine for this thread; you can
> press Stop at any time.*

| Button | What happens |
|---|---|
| **Allow** | The folder (or action) is shared with this thread. The bot carries on from where it stopped. A note in the chat records it. |
| **Deny** (or **Esc**) | The bot is told no. A note in the chat records it. |

- Requests appear one at a time, oldest first.
- They show up even for threads started on the web or your phone, as long as
  Machine Desktop is running here.
- Allowing applies to **this thread only**.

## Stop a bot

You can always stop a bot working on your computer.

| How | What it stops |
|---|---|
| The **Stop** button in the chat header or message box | This thread. Its browser closes, its programs end, and any keys it was holding are released. |
| Send a message that just says **stop** | Same as the Stop button. |
| **Ctrl+Alt+Esc** (Windows) or **⌘⇧Esc** (Mac), **from any app** | **Everything** any bot is doing on this computer. |
| The red **Stop** on the *Machine controlling this screen* banner | Everything on this computer. |
| **Stop — release all tabs** in the Chrome extension, or **Cancel** on Chrome's bar | Everything in your Chrome. |

**Learn the shortcut.** **Ctrl+Alt+Esc** (**⌘⇧Esc** on Mac) works even when
Machine Desktop isn't in front, and even if the bot is in the middle of
typing.

### After stopping

- The status shows **Stopping…** until Machine Desktop confirms.
- After a full stop, the thread shows **Stopped on this computer**. Just send
  your next message to carry on. The bot is told the old task is over.
- If a stop can't be confirmed within a few seconds, Machine Desktop
  forcefully ends the bot's work and shows *"Stop could not be confirmed"*.
  If it adds *"— check for held keys"*, press and release **Ctrl**, **Alt**,
  and **Shift** in case a key is still held down.

The folder menu always shows the shortcut (**Stop anytime:**). If another
app already uses it, the menu tells you. Use the Stop button or the
on-screen **Stop** instead.

## How you can tell a bot is using your screen

While a bot uses your screen or the Machine browser:

- the **edges of your screen glow purple**,
- the window it's using has a **purple frame**,
- a banner at the top of the screen says **Machine controlling this
  screen**, with a red **Stop** button,
- you can see where the bot is pointing:
  - **On Windows**, the bot has its **own purple pointer** with a
    **Machine** name tag. It glides to each spot the bot clicks, with a
    ripple on each click. After every click, drag, or scroll, your own
    mouse pointer is handed straight back to you.
  - **On a Mac**, a **purple ring follows your mouse pointer** while the bot
    is using it.

The glow fades a few seconds after the bot stops. None of it appears in the
bot's own screenshots.

File changes and commands don't trigger the glow: watch the chat and the
status line under the chat header for those.

## The bot's safety rules

Bots working on This PC follow these rules:

- **On-screen text is information, not instructions.** A web page or email
  that says "ignore your instructions and…" is treated as content, not as a
  command.
- **No passwords you didn't give.** A bot won't type a password unless you
  gave it that exact password.
- **No irreversible actions you didn't ask for.** A bot won't pay, send, post,
  or delete unless you clearly asked.
- **No guessing on uncertain actions.** If a bot isn't sure an action worked,
  it checks before repeating it.
- **Cloud threads can't touch This PC.** Only threads set to This PC can reach
  your computer.

The bot also won't type into Machine Desktop's own window.

## Screenshots and privacy

When a bot looks at your screen, the screenshots are sent to Machine so the
bot can see them. Before letting a bot use your screen:

- close windows with private information,
- or turn off **Apps, mouse and keyboard** in the folder menu. That keeps
  bots on this computer to files and commands.

Password fields are never read back by the Machine browser. To have the
Machine browser signed in to a website without telling a bot your password,
sign in yourself with [Saved sign-ins](/docs/desktop/this-pc/overview#saved-sign-ins).

## A sensible way to start

1. Start with a **small, unimportant folder**.
2. Turn on **Ask before each action**.
3. Give a **simple task**, and watch what it asks to do.
4. Practise **stopping** with **Ctrl+Alt+Esc** (**⌘⇧Esc**).
5. Once you're comfortable, turn **Ask before each action** off for routine
   work.