The Automations Wall
A big screen shows today’s Upcoming, Running now and Completed automations. Step up to the tablet to take a closer look at any run.
An AI agent for Mac that works across your projects
ShiftHands turns your Apple-silicon Mac into a workspace for AI agents. Organise agents by project, give them work, schedule tasks and follow their progress from your Mac or phone browser. The agents run on your Mac, which needs to stay on with ShiftHands open.
What can an AI agent do on your Mac?
An agent in ShiftHands is a chat with a job. You tell it what you want in plain words, and it works on your Mac using the model and tools you set up for it. Here is the kind of work people hand over.
Work with files on your Mac
Agents read and write files in their working folders, so a site builder can edit a project and share a localhost preview you open inside ShiftHands.
Keep project work organised
Research, inbox and code work each live in their own project and agent, with their own chat history, so nothing gets tangled.
Use the tools you configure
An agent works with the model and connections you choose for it, such as a Claude account via Claude Code or an API key.
Run scheduled jobs
Daily inbox triage, a weekly competitor check or an hourly uptime sweep, each reporting back in the agent’s chat.
Handle browser tasks
With Ego Lite installed, agents can browse, click and fill in forms while you watch, and hand you the browser for a sign-in.
Agents do the work their model, tools and settings allow. ShiftHands is not a built-in image, video or slide studio.
See it working
See your Mac agents working
Click through the real app: project chats, live agent status, automations that report back, and a browser you can take over. Everything here runs on your Mac while you watch from the app or a browser.
Recorded in the ShiftHands demo workspace.
Virtual Environment
Your AI team, in a 3D office.
Every ShiftHands plan, Free included, comes with the Virtual Environment: a 3D office in the app where your agents work at their desks, grouped by project. Walk over, pull up a chair, and watch your crew get it done.
Your boss desk
Sit down to see every project and every agent at a glance, and chat with anyone without leaving your chair.
Watch your agents work
Every agent has a desk in its project area. Agents running an automation head to the Automations room. Walk up to any agent and chat.
- Free and Pro
- No extra AI usage for the 3D view
- Mac app and web, including phone browsers
Rendered in the ShiftHands demo workspace with made-up names. Open the Virtual Environment from the sidebar or from Chief of Staff in the app. Agents still run on your Mac and use your connected AI accounts.
Projects and teams
Manage different AI agents in one workspace
Group agents into projects the way you already think about your work. Each one keeps its own chat, history and model, so a research agent and an inbox agent never share a thread.
Building a company with a small team? Our AI agents for startups guide shows how to organise research, product, content and recurring work into a team of agents you supervise from your Mac or phone.
- Every agent shows Working, Needs you or Idle at a glance.
- Unread replies and running automations are counted per project.
- Pick each agent’s model, permissions and helpers from the chips under the message box.
- Hand one agent a big job and it splits the work across named helpers that run in parallel.
- The Helpers panel shows what each helper is doing, how long it has worked, Stop and its result.
Example of a larger agent team in the ShiftHands demo workspace. Free supports subagent teams of up to 2; larger teams require Pro and remain subject to AI-provider limits and your Mac’s capacity.
Scheduled work
Run scheduled tasks and review the results
Tell an agent to do something every morning or every hour, and your Mac runs it on time. The automations view lists what is coming up, what is running and what has finished.
Want to automate recurring work? Our guide to scheduling AI agent tasks covers daily and weekly jobs, result cards, plan limits and what happens when your Mac sleeps.
Upcoming3
- Uptime checkSite MonitorRunning
- Support queue sweepSupport Inbox12:45 PM
- Ad spend pacing checkAds Manager1:15 PM
Completed4
- Expense receipts syncBookkeeper · 11:32 AMDone
- Outreach follow-upsOutreach Assistant · 10:07 AMNeeds review
- Backup checkSite Monitor · 9:31 AMDone
- Weekly SEO reportSEO Assistant · 8:39 AMDone
Examples from the ShiftHands demo workspace.
- Each finished run posts a result card in the agent’s chat, marked Done or Needs review.
- Running automations that use a browser have Watch live.
- The Free plan includes 2 daily automations. Flexible schedules, such as every hour, are part of Pro.
- Your Mac must be on and awake with ShiftHands open. Scheduled work missed while it slept runs when it wakes.
Phone access
Supervise agents from your phone
Open ShiftHands in your phone’s browser to see what your Mac’s agents are doing. There is nothing to install. ShiftHands is not a native phone app, and the work still runs on your Mac.
- See every agent’s status and read its latest replies.
- Chat with any agent and follow its live steps.
- Answer flagged commands with Allow once or Deny.
- Get a notification when an agent needs you, and one reminder after 15 minutes.
Want status, replies and approvals on one screen? See the ShiftHands AI agent dashboard.
Typing away on your task. The chat shows each step as it happens.
Waiting on an approval or a quick hand in the browser.
Resting until the next message or scheduled automation.
Browser and approvals
Browser automation and command approvals
With Ego Lite installed, agents work in their own browsers on your Mac. Watch them live, take control when a site wants a human, then hand control back.
Some commands are flagged for your decision, depending on each agent’s settings. Not every file change or send is gated, so check the settings for agents that can send or publish.
- One line on what a flagged command does and why the agent is asking.
- A Low, Medium or High risk level, with the real command always shown.
- Allow once or Deny. Typing “yes” in chat never counts as approval.
- Take control to sign in or type, then tap Return to agent and the task carries on.
- Watch it liveA live view of the agent’s browser beside the chat, with the site it’s on. Running automations have Watch live too.
- One tab per browserWhen helpers browse too, each browser gets its own tab, so you can switch between them.
- Take controlType into the page, use the address bar, sign in. The agent waits.
- Return to agentOne tap hands control back and the task carries on. When the agent is done with the browser, you see a short summary.
Browser control uses Ego Lite, a free, separate agent browser from Citro Labs with its own terms. It is macOS only for now. Get Ego Lite.
Which Macs can run ShiftHands agents?
Any Mac with Apple silicon that meets the basics can host your agents. For details, see where ShiftHands agents run.
Apple silicon, M1 or newer
With 8 GB of RAM or more. Intel Macs can’t host agents yet.
macOS 13 or later
Ventura or any newer version of macOS.
MacBook
Good for trying things out. Agents work while the Mac is awake; when it sleeps, they pause.
Mac mini or Mac Studio
A Mac that stays plugged in runs automations on time, even at night.
Not Windows, for hosting
The web app works in any browser to monitor and chat, but agents need an Apple-silicon Mac.
Setting up a dedicated computer? Follow our Mac mini AI agent setup guide.
Set up an AI agent on your Mac
It takes a few minutes, on the Mac that will run your agents.
1. Download and install
Get the Apple-silicon app from the download page and drag ShiftHands into Applications.
2. Sign in
Create your free account, or sign in with the 6-digit code from a Mac you already use.
3. Connect a model
Connect Claude or ChatGPT, or add an API key for DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi or Qwen.
4. Create a project and an agent
Name the project, add an agent and pick its model from the chips under the message box.
5. Give it a task
Type what you want done. The chat shows each step as the agent works.
Local agents, cloud AI models and your data
ShiftHands runs agents on your Mac, but not everything happens there. Here is where each part goes.
Agent work runs on your Mac
Agents, their tools, browser work and schedules run in the ShiftHands Mac app on the Mac you own.
Chats and sign-ins stay on your Mac
Chats, agent memory, working files and your Claude Code and Codex sign-ins are kept there. API keys go in the macOS Keychain.
Account and workspace setup is on our servers
Your email, projects, agents, automations, settings and connected Macs are stored by ShiftHands so every device shows the same workspace.
Browser and phone traffic passes through a relay
It carries live traffic between your browser and your Mac over an encrypted connection and does not save it.
Messages sent while your Mac is off wait for it
They are held on our servers and deleted once your Mac picks them up.
Model requests go to your AI provider
Claude, ChatGPT and API-key providers handle those requests under their own terms. ShiftHands does not run the model locally.
ShiftHands Free and Pro
Start free on the Mac you have. Full plan details are on ShiftHands pricing.
Free, $0
25 agent messages a day, 1 project, 3 agents, 2 daily automations and subagent teams of up to 2.
Pro, $49.99 a month or $499 a year
No plan-level caps on projects, agents or automations, and flexible schedules such as every hour. Fair-use caps still apply.
On every plan
Your AI provider’s usage limits and your Mac’s memory and processing capacity set the practical ceiling.
Is ShiftHands the right Mac AI agent for you?
It suits people who want several agents working on their own Mac and a simple way to keep an eye on them.
ShiftHands fits if
- You have an Apple-silicon Mac and want agents to work on it.
- You run several kinds of work and want each in its own project.
- You want scheduled jobs that report back with a result.
- You want to check in and approve flagged commands from your phone.
- You already pay for Claude, ChatGPT or an API key and want to use it.
Look elsewhere if
- You need fully offline, local model inference.
- You need agents running with no computer of yours switched on.
- You use Windows or an Intel Mac as your only computer.
- You want a built-in image, video or slide creation studio.
- You need a fully self-hosted or open-source stack.
Frequently asked questions
Which Macs can run ShiftHands?
Any Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 13 or later and 8 GB of RAM or more. See where ShiftHands agents run.
How do I install ShiftHands?
Download the app from the download page, drag it into Applications, then sign in and connect a model.
Can I use a Mac mini?
Yes. A Mac mini that stays plugged in makes a good always-available host. The Mac mini setup guide linked above covers it step by step.
Can I use the AI accounts I already have?
Yes. Sign in with a Claude account via Claude Code or a ChatGPT account via Codex, or add an API key for DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi or Qwen.
Does ShiftHands run AI models locally?
No. Agents run on your Mac, but model requests go to the provider you connect, under its terms.
Can I check on my agents from my phone?
Yes, in your phone’s browser. You can see status, chat and approve flagged commands. It is not a native phone app.
Do agents work when my Mac is off?
No. Your Mac must be on, awake and signed in with ShiftHands open. Messages you send while it is off wait until it is back.
Does every action need my approval?
No. Only commands flagged under an agent’s settings ask you to Allow once or Deny. Not every file change or send is gated.
What does the Free plan include?
25 agent messages a day, 1 project, 3 agents and 2 daily automations. Pro is $49.99 a month or $499 a year.
Put AI agents to work on your Mac
Download the Mac app, connect an AI account you already have, and start on the Free plan.
Check your Mac first: where ShiftHands agents run.
Screens come from the ShiftHands demo workspace with made-up names. Product names belong to their owners. Requirements, features and prices were checked on October 22, 2026 and can change.