Where do my ShiftHands agents run?

On one Mac with the ShiftHands app open: your agent host. Chats, automations and browser work run there. Every other Mac, browser and phone can watch and chat.

Should my agents run on a laptop or a Mac mini?

A laptop works while it's open and awake. A Mac that stays on, like a Mac mini or Mac Studio, keeps automations running on time even when your laptop is closed.

What moves when I switch Macs?

Projects, agents, instructions, models, automations, settings and your plan move with your account. Sign-ins stay on the Mac where you made them: Claude Code and Codex, API keys, Ego Lite browser sign-ins and local models.

Does ShiftHands run on Windows?

Not yet. ShiftHands runs on a Mac with Apple silicon today. Windows is on the way, and you can get notified from the download page.

ShiftHands Help

Where your agents run

Your crew works on one Mac with ShiftHands open. Everything else, like your other Macs, any browser and your phone, can watch and chat.

One Mac runs your crew

We call it your agent host. Chats, automations, browser work and agent teams all run there, using the AI subscriptions you signed in to on that Mac.

The Mac needs to be on, awake and signed in, with ShiftHands open. It can sit in the menu bar.
Anything you send while it’s off waits until it’s back.
You need a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 13 or later.

Laptop or Mac mini?

A MacBook

Great for trying things out. Your crew works while the lid is open and the Mac is awake. ShiftHands keeps it awake while agents work.

When it sleeps, your crew pauses. Scheduled work that was missed runs when it wakes.

A Mac that stays on

A Mac mini or Mac Studio at home or at work. Your automations run on time, even at night and while your laptop is closed.

Any Mac that can stay plugged in works, including an older one with Apple silicon. No screen needed once it’s set up.

To set up a Mac that stays on: plug it in, sign in to macOS, install ShiftHands and enter the 6-digit code from your other Mac. Turning on Screen Sharing (System Settings → General → Sharing) lets you reach it from your laptop later.

Switching Macs

Open Settings → Your Macs on the new Mac and choose Make this the host. Agents that are working finish their current step first.

Comes along

Projects, agents and their instructions
Models and automations
Settings and your plan

Stays on the old Mac

Claude Code and Codex sign-ins
API keys (DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi, Qwen)
Ego Lite browser sign-ins
Local models

Sign-ins stay on the Mac where you made them, so you sign in again once on the new Mac. ShiftHands shows a short checklist for it.

Several Macs

Sign in on as many as you like (up to 10). One of them runs your crew. The others watch and chat, and each can take over with one tap. Your phone and any browser work the same way, with nothing to install.

Windows

ShiftHands runs on a Mac today. Windows is on the way. Get notified and we’ll email you when it’s ready.

Still stuck? In the app, open Settings → Help and send us a note.