HivemindOS manual

Getting Started

HivemindOS gives you an AI assistant that works across your apps and computers. This page covers your first ten minutes: install the app, run a first task, find your results, and pick what to explore next.

Install and set up

  1. Install the HivemindOS desktop app and open it. The desktop app is the recommended way to use HivemindOS on your own computer.
  2. Choose Set up this computer. Optional extras, such as linking other machines or web research, can wait.
  3. Keep the setup window open until the completion screen says HivemindOS is ready.

You can choose Not now to set up later. See Desktop App for what setup includes.

Run your first task

  1. A new installation opens on Home with an assistant ready. You do not need to choose a model or create an agent first.
  2. Pick a suggestion, such as Summarize a file, Make a document, Research a question, or Create a website, or write your own request. Add any files it needs, then press Start.
  3. Keep replying in the same conversation to refine the result. Your assistant may ask a question, show progress, or ask permission before it acts.

Each conversation has a mode. Auto is a good default:

  • Auto follows your request and your existing permissions.
  • Chat discusses or researches without making changes.
  • Do completes a task using your apps and files.
  • Create makes something you can preview and revise.

Changing modes keeps the same conversation. Do, Create, and Auto still follow your permission settings.

Find your results

  • Home shows your daily brief below the composer. Needs you lists what is waiting for your reply or review. Recent reopens conversations along with what each one produced.
  • Work holds tasks you want to assign, track through stages, or review.
  • Brain holds knowledge your agents can reuse.
  • Alerts collects questions, approvals, and other items that need your attention.
  • My Hive shows your computers and the agents on them. On a new setup, its need you counter usually means a setup step is waiting. Select it and follow the guided fix.

Your wallet

A new installation prepares an empty wallet and links it to your assistant. Agent wallet in Home’s daily brief shows its balance and whether spending is on. Spending starts off. Adding funds and allowing spending are separate choices. See Wallets and spending controls.

Make it yours

  • Select your assistant’s name at the top of Home to change it.
  • In a conversation, open Advanced to choose a model and other detailed controls. Select Keep visible to keep them open across restarts.
  • Under Settings → Appearance → Starting page, choose Home, My Hive, or Where I left off.

Get help

  • The ? button at the bottom of the sidebar opens Help: what the current screen is for, a getting-started checklist, a glossary, and keyboard shortcuts. The tour there is optional.
  • Explain this screen in Help asks your hive to describe what you are looking at.
  • For a specific problem, see Troubleshooting.

Next steps

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