Install
Download DeskMate, open it the first time, and grant the system permissions it asks for.
DeskMate runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer, on Apple silicon (M1 and later). It lives in the menu bar and has no Dock icon.
Download and install
- Download the latest
DeskMate-*.dmgfrom the Releases page. - Open the disk image and drag DeskMate into Applications.
- Open DeskMate from Applications. The first time, macOS will refuse (see below).
The first launch also downloads the local models (about 250 MB for speech recognition, plus 590 MB for the default memory search model). You can start typing to your character while they download; voice input and memory search switch on by themselves when they are done.
Opening an app macOS doesn’t recognize
DeskMate is signed with its own certificate and is not notarized by Apple, because that costs a paid developer account and the project doesn’t have one (why). macOS therefore says it can’t verify the app. This is expected. Allow it once:
- Try to open DeskMate, then dismiss the warning.
- Open System Settings › Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section.
- Next to “DeskMate was blocked”, click Open Anyway and confirm with your password.
On macOS 14 you can instead right-click DeskMate in Applications, choose Open, and confirm.
You only do this once. The same certificate signs every release, so updates open without another warning.
System permissions
macOS asks for each permission the first time it is needed. DeskMate works without any of them; each one only turns on a feature.
| Permission | What it is for | Where it is asked |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Talking to your character by voice. Audio is turned into text on your Mac and never leaves it. | Onboarding, or the Microphone item in the menu bar |
| Screen Recording | Reading which app and window title you are in, and, when your character looks, capturing that one window so a vision model can describe it. | Onboarding, or Media › Read the Screen |
| Accessibility | Computer use: reading and operating the apps you have approved, without moving your mouse. | Tools › Computer |
| Automation | Reading the page open in your browser, when your character works in it. | The first time a task uses a browser |
You can review or revoke any of them in System Settings › Privacy & Security. Details on what each one touches are in Privacy.
Updating
Once a day DeskMate asks GitHub for its newest version. When there is one, a menu item appears in the menu bar and Settings › Updates shows the release notes and a download button. To update, download the new disk image, quit DeskMate, and drag the new app into Applications to replace the old one. Your characters, memories and settings stay where they are, and the system permissions remain granted.
Turn the check off in Settings › Updates if you prefer; you can still use Check Now.
Uninstalling
Quit DeskMate and move it from Applications to the Trash.
This deletes your data
To remove everything it stored, also delete ~/Library/Application Support/DeskMate: this is where your settings (including API keys), characters, memories and the downloaded models live.
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