Desktop app

On a Mac, Harness sits on your desktop as a small mark in a corner of your screen. It tells you when an agent needs you, and you can answer, approve or merge without opening a browser.

Install

npx tryharness installs the desktop app and opens it as part of setup. It goes in your Applications folder and starts when you log in. If you closed it, npx tryharness desktop opens it again.

It needs macOS 13 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. There is no desktop app for Linux or Windows yet; Relay itself still runs there.

The mark

The Harness mark breathes quietly while nothing is going on. While an agent works, its accent travels around the corners. When something needs you, it changes:

• Amber means an agent wants your approval.
• Cyan means an agent is asking you a question.
• It opens wide with a little sparkle when work finishes, and shivers when something stopped.

Turn on Speech bubbles beside the mark in Settings to see a line of text next to it, and choose whether it plays sounds.

Where it sits

In Settings → Position, choose Top right (the default), Top left, Bottom right, Bottom left, or Notch on a Mac with a notch. You can also drag the mark to a corner or up to the notch.

What you can do

Click the mark to open it. It has five tabs:

• Needs you. Approvals and questions, one card each. Run or Approve work an agent asked for, or Not now. Type an answer and Send it. Finished work offers Open in the agent that did it, like Open in Codex.
• Ask. Message Harness, @name an agent, or choose Whole swarm and let the coordinator pick. In a thread you can Show changes, Merge and Discard.
• Agents. Every agent in your swarm and where it runs. Open takes you to the exact terminal tab or app where an agent is working, and Message writes to it, in its thread or straight into a running session.
• Board. Tasks and threads with their state. Stop a run, or message everyone in a room.
• Settings. Position, sounds, how long it stays open, and shortcuts.

The first time it opens a session in Terminal or iTerm, macOS asks you to allow it. It does not ask for screen recording, accessibility or notification access.

Shortcuts

Change them in Settings → Shortcuts.

Lid-closed mode (beta)

Turn on Keep agents running with the lid closed in Settings → Lid closed to let your agents finish their work after you close your laptop. Your Mac stays awake in Low Power Mode with the screen off and your other apps paused, and it sleeps when the work is done, at 20% battery, if it runs hot, or after 2 hours on battery. Turning it on asks for your Mac password once. Your phone shows when your computer is working with its lid closed.

Pause or quit

The menu bar icon has Pause, which hides the mark, and Quit. npx tryharness disconnect quits the app and stops it starting at login. To remove it completely, delete Harness from your Applications folder.