Install the desktop app

The desktop app is the quickest way to run Otto. You don't need Node.js, Docker or developer tools.

Before you start, have a model connection ready: an OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenRouter API key, or a ChatGPT plan. Your provider bills you for use.

flowchart LR
  dl[Download<br/>the installer] --> open[Open and<br/>approve it]
  open --> prep[Otto prepares<br/>its computer]:::accent
  prep --> ob[Onboarding]
  ob --> chat([Start chatting]):::go

Install Otto

Mac
Windows

You need macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. The app and its runtime are about 2.6 GB to download.

Open the releases page and find the newest Otto release. Download Otto-arm64.dmg for Apple silicon or Otto-x64.dmg for Intel.
Open the DMG, drag Otto to Applications and open it from there.
If macOS blocks the first launch, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and select Open Anyway. Preview builds aren't notarized by Apple yet.
On Set up your computer, choose whether to turn on Open at login and Desktop notifications, then select Open Otto. If macOS asks for your keychain password, approve it. Otto keeps your saved keys in Keychain.
Keep your internet connection on while Otto prepares its workspace and browser. The first launch takes a few minutes.
Follow the onboarding to connect a model and try a first task. See Your first conversation.

Install from Terminal instead

On an Apple silicon Mac, you can install the latest release with one command. Quit Otto first, then paste this into Terminal:

(
  installer="$(mktemp)" || exit
  trap 'rm -f "$installer"' EXIT
  curl -q --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://internal.users.n8n.cloud/webhook/otto/install -o "$installer" && /bin/sh "$installer"
)

Run it as your normal user, without sudo. It verifies the download, installs to /Applications/Otto.app and keeps your existing data. You don't need a GitHub account.

Preview You need Windows 11 x64, WSL 2 with hardware virtualization, and at least 20 GB of free disk space.

Open the releases page and find the newest Otto release. Download Otto-Setup-x64.exe and Otto-Runtime-win32-x64.tar.gz into the same folder. Keep the runtime file compressed.
Run Otto-Setup-x64.exe. The preview isn't signed, so Windows can show a publisher warning. The installer adds Otto to the Start menu.
If Otto says WSL is missing, select Install WSL, approve the administrator request and restart your PC. Then open Otto again.
On Set up your computer, choose whether to turn on Open at login and Desktop notifications, then select Open Otto.
Wait while Otto prepares its workspace and browser. The first launch takes a few minutes.
Follow the onboarding to connect a model and try a first task. See Your first conversation.

Keep Otto running

Closing the window keeps Otto running in the menu bar on a Mac, or the tray on Windows. Quit Otto stops Otto and its private computer.

Otto is	What runs
Open, or closed to the menu bar or tray	Chat, channels, schedules and background checks
Quit, or your computer is asleep	Nothing, until Otto is open and awake again

If you rely on scheduled tasks, turn on Open at login in Settings → General.

On an Apple silicon Mac, Otto updates itself. It checks after it starts, every six hours while it's open and after your Mac wakes. To check now, select Check for Updates… in the Otto menu or the menu bar icon.

When an update is ready, choose Restart to install it or Later to keep working. If Otto is in the middle of a task, it asks before restarting, and you can ask it to continue afterwards.

On an Intel Mac, automatic updates aren't available yet. Quit Otto, then install the new DMG over the old app. Your data stays.

Where your data lives

Everything Otto stores stays on your computer. Requests go to the model provider and apps you choose, and usage analytics leave only if you turn on Share usage data. Otto starts with a fresh profile and doesn't import data from a source install.

	Mac	Windows
App data and settings	`~/Library/Application Support/Otto/profiles/local`	`%APPDATA%\Otto\profiles\local`
Private computer	`~/.otto-desktop/<profile id>`	A WSL distribution named `Otto-<profile id>`
Saved keys	Encrypted with the macOS key store	Encrypted with Windows DPAPI

Troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
macOS blocks the first launch	Select Open Anyway in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Setup stops with an error	Select Try again. If it fails again, send the error with Send feedback… from the menu bar or tray icon.
Otto asks for a runtime file	Select Choose runtime file and pick the `Otto-Runtime-…` file from the same release.
A scheduled task didn't run	Check that Otto was open and your computer was awake at that time.