ThinkOS
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Get started with ThinkOS

Install ThinkOS, connect the AI you already use, and hand your Chief Think Agent its first job. You don’t need an account to begin.

About 10 minutes Mac, Windows, or Linux Public beta

STEP 1

Download and install

Get the installer for your computer from the Downloads page. It picks the right build for your system automatically.

Mac

ThinkOS needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 12 Monterey or later. Intel Macs aren’t supported yet.

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
  2. Drag ThinkOS into your Applications folder.
  3. Open ThinkOS from Applications.

Windows

ThinkOS runs on Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11, on both x64 and ARM computers.

  1. Run the downloaded .exe installer.
  2. If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning, choose More info, then Run anyway.
  3. Follow the installer, then open ThinkOS from the Start menu.

Linux

ThinkOS ships as an AppImage for x64 and ARM64. Make it executable, then run it:

chmod +x ThinkOS-*.AppImage
./ThinkOS-*.AppImage

TipOn x64, keep running ThinkOS from the AppImage file itself. That’s how it updates itself later. On ARM64, automatic updates aren’t available yet, so download new versions from the Downloads page.

STEP 2

Choose your AI

ThinkOS runs on your own AI account, so the first screen asks you to Pick the AI you already use. ThinkOS checks your computer for tools that are already installed and suggests the best fit.

  • OpenAI / ChatGPT: sign in with your ChatGPT subscription.
  • Anthropic / Claude: sign in with your Claude subscription.
  • Venice: add your Venice API key.
  • Ollama: download a model and run it privately on your computer.

Under More options you’ll also find Grok, Cursor Agent, and OpenAI or Claude API keys. Pick one and follow the button, for example Sign in & continue or Save key & continue. ThinkOS checks that it works before moving on.

Good to knowYou can add more models later, including OpenCode and Google Gemini, in Settings → Models. With your own subscription or API key, your prompts go straight from your computer to that provider. ThinkOS credits go through ThinkOS.

STEP 3

Set up Work Memory

Next, ThinkOS creates your Work Memory: a folder of plain files on your computer where your agents keep what they learn. By default it lives in Documents/ThinkOS. Select Continue to create it.

On a Mac, macOS asks whether ThinkOS may use your Documents folder. Allow it so ThinkOS can save your memory.

TipYou can move Work Memory later in Settings → Brain → Location. Because it’s plain Markdown, you can open, search, and back it up with the tools you already use.

STEP 4

Meet your Chief Think Agent

ThinkOS starts your Chief Think Agent, the first agent you meet, and creates a Sphere called Personal for it to work in. You land right in your first conversation with it.

Your Chief Think Agent introduces itself and asks for one thing to handle. Try something real, like:

  • “Keep my inbox triaged each morning.”
  • “Plan the launch of our beta.”
  • “Organize the family’s calendar for the school year.”

To rename your Chief Think Agent or change its look, click its avatar.

STEP 5

Create a Sphere

A Sphere is an area of your work or life: a company, a client, a project, your household. Each one keeps its own conversations, content, and context, so your agents always work with the right background.

  1. Select New (+) and choose Sphere.
  2. Give it a name, like “Acme Studio” or “Household,” and select Create Sphere.

The same New (+) menu also creates channels, threads, and tasks. Each new Sphere comes with its own Sphere Agent. Your Chief Think Agent looks after anything without an active agent of its own, and when you hand it something ongoing, it can create the Sphere for you.

STEP 6

Connect your tools

Agents do their best work with your real context. Connect the apps you use every day, like Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Slack, or Linear.

  1. Open Settings → Integrations and select Add integration.
  2. Your Chief Think Agent opens a conversation and walks you through connecting the account, app, command-line tool, or MCP server you want.
  3. For Google, sign in in your browser. When you see “Your Google account is ready in ThinkOS,” close the tab and return to the app.

Your credentialsAccount credentials are stored in your system’s secure storage, never in chat. You can revoke access anytime from Settings → Integrations.

STEP 7

Decide what agents can do alone

Every conversation has a security level that controls when agents check with you. New conversations start on Ask for approval.

LevelWhat it means
Ask for approvalAgents ask before using the internet, editing files, or controlling apps.
Approve for me (with guardrails)Agents only ask for actions ThinkOS detects as potentially unsafe.
Full accessUnrestricted access to the internet, apps, and files on this computer.

Change the level for a single conversation from the message box. Set your default with Default permission level in Settings → Profile, or give a Sphere its own default in Settings → Spheres. Anything waiting on you shows up in Activity.

STEP 8

Sign in and pair your phone

A ThinkOS account adds encrypted sync across your devices and lets you pair the iPhone and iPad app.

Phone pairing is part of the Plus and Team plans. For now it’s open on every plan.

Sign in on your computer

  1. Open the account menu and choose Sign in (called Connect to Sync in some versions), or go to Settings → Devices and select Connect this desktop. Your browser opens, and ThinkOS shows a code.
  2. In the browser, enter your email to get a magic link and six-digit code, or sign in with a passkey.
  3. Check that the code matches the one in ThinkOS, then select Connect this device.
  4. Return to ThinkOS, which now shows that this desktop is connected.

Pair your iPhone or iPad

  1. Install the app from TestFlight and open it.
  2. On your computer, open Settings → Devices and select Host this computer.
  3. On your phone, choose Pair with desktop app, then scan the QR code or paste the pairing code from your computer.

Good to knowYour computer stays home base: it keeps your memory and runs your agents. Your phone connects to it, so you can follow work and answer approvals from anywhere. Android is in early testing.

STEP 9

Stay up to date

On Mac, Windows, and Linux x64, ThinkOS checks for updates about every three hours while it’s open. When one is ready, it installs the next time you quit, or right away if you select Download and install.

You can see your version and check manually in Settings → Updates. On Linux ARM64, get new versions from the Downloads page. See what changed in the changelog.

STEP 10

Get help

If something isn’t working, start with Troubleshooting. To contact us, follow the Support guide: it shows how to export diagnostics without sharing your private memory or files. You can also ask the team and other users on Discord.

Read the FAQ Explore what ThinkOS can do