Devices and the desktop client

In the web app alone, Alphie can chat, remember your preferences, and manage your agents and knowledge bases. Once you install the desktop client and stay signed in, Alphie can also use that computer within the limits you agree to: read and write files, run commands, use the clipboard, show system notifications and open apps.

Where do I download the desktop client?

There is a dedicated download page. After signing in to the Alphie web app, click Download in the navigation bar at the very top of the page.

On a phone or a narrow window: tap the menu button in the top-left corner and find Download in the lower part of the menu.
You need to be signed in to open the download page; otherwise you are sent back to the home page.

The download page detects your system and puts the matching card in the middle:

System	Requirement	How to download
macOS	macOS 11 or later	Click Download for macOS. It picks the right build for your chip; if it guesses wrong, use Or choose manually: under the card and click Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3 and later) or Intel
Windows	Windows 10 or later, 64-bit	Click Download for Windows to get the .exe installer; you can also pick the MSI package under the card
Linux	—	The card says Coming Soon; it can't be downloaded yet

Mac: open the downloaded package and drag Alphie into your Applications folder. If macOS blocks it the first time, allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Windows: double-click the downloaded installer and follow the steps.
Open Alphie and sign in with the same Alphie account you use on the web. The installer contains no account details; you only sign in inside the app.
After signing in you see the same interface as on the web, with the same chats, memory and agents.

If the app says Cannot reach Alphie servers when it opens, check your network and click Retry.

What does the client add over the web app?

What you can do	Web app only	Client installed and signed in
Chat, memory, agents, knowledge bases, tasks	Yes	Yes (same account, same content)
Read and write files on this computer	No	Yes (inside the folder you allow)
Run commands and Python scripts on this computer	No	Yes; the first time, a confirmation pops up on the computer
Read/write the clipboard, show system notifications	No	Yes
Open apps, automation (AppleScript on Mac, PowerShell on Windows), mouse and keyboard control	No	Yes; a confirmation pops up on the computer every time
Start a long-running program on your computer, or stop it	No	Yes; confirmed every time

While the client is running, you can use that computer from your other devices too. For example, with the client signed in on your laptop, you can ask Alphie from your phone's browser to "tidy up the spreadsheet on my desktop", and it will do it on the laptop.

Will Alphie ask before doing things on my computer?

Yes. It asks through a confirmation dialog on the computer where the client is installed:

Running commands or Python scripts: the first one after each connection asks you; once you agree, the same kind of action isn't asked again during that connection. When the client reconnects, it asks again.
Opening apps, AppleScript / PowerShell, mouse and keyboard control, starting or stopping background programs: asked every single time; nothing runs until you agree.
Reading and writing files: no dialog, but only inside the "sandbox" folder (see the next section).

If you don't want Alphie to use the computer any more, just quit the client (see "How do I fully quit the client?").

How do I limit which folder Alphie can read and write?

This can only be changed inside the desktop client. If you open this page in a normal browser you'll only see "—" and a short note.

In the desktop client, click Settings in the left sidebar → Security at the top → find the Permissions section.
Sandbox root on this device shows the folder Alphie can currently read and write. By default it's your home folder.
To narrow it down: set Sandbox Mode to Custom Paths, click Choose Folder…, pick a folder in the window that opens. It takes effect immediately.
To go back to the default: click Reset to Default.

How do I check that my computer is connected?

Settings in the left sidebar → Connections at the top → the Devices section lists every device on your account. A green dot after the name means online, with "Desktop client" and system details underneath; an offline device shows "last seen …".
File in the left sidebar → Nodes at the top: each device shows Online or Offline on the right. Click an online computer to browse its files right in the web page.
The easiest way: just ask Alphie in chat, "Is my computer connected?"

The Devices list is for checking status only; there is no button on the page to remove a desktop-client device.

I have several computers. Which one will Alphie use?

Only one online: that one is used automatically.
Several online, and you are chatting inside one of their clients: the one you're using.
Several online, and you are chatting on the web or on your phone: Alphie shows you buttons so you can pick which computer.
None online: Alphie reminds you to open the desktop client first.

Is the client still running after I close the window? How do I fully quit it?

Clicking the window's close button only hides the window; the client keeps running in the background and Alphie can still use the computer. A small Alphie icon stays in the Mac menu bar at the top of the screen, or in the bottom-right of the Windows taskbar. Left-click it to show or hide the window; right-click it for these options:

Show Alphie: open the window again
Reload (fetch latest): reload the interface
Check for Updates…: check for a new version
Hide Window: hide the window
Quit Alphie: quit completely. After quitting, Alphie can no longer use this computer

On a Mac you can also press Command + Q in the Alphie window to quit.

How do I update the client?

When a new version is available, Update available appears as the client opens. Click Update now to download and install it, or Later to skip for now. You can also right-click the Alphie icon in the menu bar / taskbar and choose Check for Updates… at any time.