Desktop App
The DotAgents desktop app is the full-featured agent orchestration platform — voice-first, tool-rich, and built for power users.
Overview
Built with Electron, React, and Rust, the desktop app provides:
- Voice-first interface — Hold to speak, release to act
- Multi-agent system — Specialized agents with distinct skills and tools
- MCP tool execution — Connect to any tool via the Model Context Protocol
- Real-time progress — Watch agents think and act step by step
- Cross-platform — macOS (full support), Windows, and Linux
- Remote server — Optional local HTTP API for mobile pairing, operator dashboards, and automation
Platform Support
| Feature | macOS | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice recording | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice transcription (STT) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text-to-speech (TTS) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MCP tool execution | Yes | Limited | Limited |
| Keyboard hotkeys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text injection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Agent delegation (ACP) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| System tray | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interface
Sessions View
The main interface displays your conversation sessions in a grid or kanban layout. Each session shows:
- Conversation thread with the agent
- Tool execution steps with real-time progress
- Token usage and performance metrics
- Agent identification (which agent handled the request)
Panel Mode
DotAgents can run as a compact floating panel — a small window that stays on top of other applications. This mode provides quick access to voice recording and agent interaction without switching windows.
Settings
The settings interface has dedicated sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| General | AI provider selection, TTS/STT settings, theme |
| Providers | API key management for OpenAI, Groq, Gemini |
| Models | Model selection and custom base URLs |
| Capabilities | MCP server management, tool enable/disable |
| Agents | Agent profile creation and management |
| Loops | Recurring automated task scheduling |
| Discord | Discord bot integration, access lists, and default agent routing |
| WhatsApp integration settings | |
| Remote Server | Mobile QR pairing, API key, port/bind address, and tunnel controls |
Key Features
Agent Selection
Switch between agents using the agent selector dropdown in the main interface. Each agent has its own:
- System prompt and operating style
- Enabled tools and MCP servers
- Skills and knowledge
- Model configuration (can override the global model)
Real-Time Progress
When an agent executes tools, you see live progress:
- Thinking — The agent is reasoning about the task
- Tool Call — Shows which tool is being called and with what parameters
- Executing — Real-time status of tool execution
- Result — Tool output displayed inline
- Continuing — Agent processes the result and decides next steps
Conversation History
All conversations are persisted locally and searchable:
- Full message history with tool calls and results
- Session metadata (agent used, duration, token count)
- Export and review past interactions
- Continue previous conversations
Tool Approval
For sensitive operations, DotAgents can prompt for user approval before executing tools. Configure approval policies per-agent or per-tool in the capabilities settings.
MCP Elicitation
DotAgents supports the MCP 2025 elicitation protocol — when an MCP server needs additional input from you during tool execution, a dialog appears for you to provide it.
Agent Bundles
Export and import complete agent configurations:
- Export — Package an agent's profile, skills, and config into a shareable bundle
- Import — Load a bundle to recreate an agent on your machine
- Share agents with teammates or the community
Remote Server and Mobile Pairing
Enable Settings > Remote Server when you want DotAgents mobile, operator dashboards, or OpenAI-compatible clients to use your desktop runtime. The desktop app generates a bearer token and QR code for mobile pairing, and can optionally expose the server through a Cloudflare Tunnel.
Messaging Integrations
Discord and WhatsApp let trusted messages reach the desktop agent runtime:
- Discord — DMs, mentions, and configured guild/channel traffic can run a selected agent profile. Operator slash commands are separately allowlisted.
- WhatsApp — MCP-backed messaging tools can send, read, and auto-reply to WhatsApp messages through the WhatsApp package.
Loops (Recurring Tasks)
Set up tasks that run on a schedule:
- Define a prompt and interval (e.g., "Check my email every 10 minutes")
- Select which agent handles the loop
- Monitor loop execution history
- Pause and resume loops
Themes
DotAgents supports both dark and light themes with consistent design tokens across all UI components.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Hold Ctrl | Voice recording (macOS/Linux) |
Hold Ctrl+/ | Voice recording (Windows) |
Fn | Toggle dictation on/off |
Hold Ctrl+Alt | Agent mode (with skills and tools) |
Ctrl+T / Ctrl+Shift+T (Win) | Text input |
Ctrl+Shift+Escape | Emergency stop (kill all agents) |
Data Storage
All data is stored locally on your machine:
| Data | Location (macOS) |
|---|---|
| Config | ~/Library/Application Support/DotAgents/ |
| Conversations | ~/.dotagents/conversations/ |
| Recordings | ~/.dotagents/recordings/ |
| Agent Config | ~/.agents/ |
Next Steps
- Voice Interface — Master the voice controls
- MCP Tools — Connect tools and services
- Agent Profiles — Create specialized agents
- Remote Server & Pairing — Connect mobile and remote clients
- Discord Integration — Connect a Discord bot to trusted agents
- Keyboard Shortcuts — Full shortcut reference