Desktop Client Installation

Download

Grab the latest release for your platform:

First Launch

When you open the desktop app for the first time, the onboarding wizard will guide you through setup:

Requirements

All Platforms

• The PocketPaw Python backend must be running on localhost:8888 (the app can install it for you)
• An LLM provider API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) or Ollama for local inference

Windows

• Windows 10 or later
• WebView2 runtime (included in Windows 10 1803+ and Windows 11)

macOS

• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later

Linux

• WebKitGTK 4.1+
• libappindicator3 (for system tray support)

Manual Backend Setup

If you prefer to install the backend separately:

# Install via pip
pip install pocketpaw

# Or use uv
uv pip install pocketpaw

# Start the backend
pocketpaw

The desktop app will automatically detect the running backend on localhost:8888.

Running the API Server

For headless operation (no web dashboard), use the serve command:

pocketpaw serve

This starts the REST API and WebSocket server without serving the web dashboard frontend. The desktop client connects to it the same way. See the API Server guide for details.

Auto-Updates

The desktop app checks for updates automatically via GitHub releases. When an update is available, you’ll see a notification with the option to download and install it.

Uninstalling

Windows

Use “Add or Remove Programs” in Windows Settings, or run the uninstaller from the Start Menu.

macOS

Drag PocketPaw from Applications to the Trash.

Linux

Delete the AppImage file. Remove ~/.local/share/com.pocketpaw.app/ for app data.