Quickstart

Get started with webAI and walk through onboarding.

Choose how to run webAI

webAI is available as a native desktop app or directly in your browser. Both give you access to local AI, collaboration, and the full app suite — but the desktop version unlocks additional capabilities.

Desktop app (recommended)

The desktop app is a native Tauri shell that provides the richest experience.

1. Download the installer

   Head to the webAI download page and download the DMG file for macOS. Open the DMG and drag webAI into your Applications folder, then launch it.

2. Sign in with Auth0

   When webAI opens for the first time, you’ll see an Auth0 sign-in screen.

   • New user — click Sign Up and register with your email and a password, or continue with a social provider like Google or GitHub.
   • Returning user — enter your credentials and click Log In.

   Once signed in, your session persists locally so you won’t need to log in again unless you explicitly sign out.

The desktop app includes everything in the browser version plus:

• Additional AI backends — Apple MLX and llama.cpp alongside WebGPU
• Local file indexing — let the AI search files on your device
• Native window management — multiple windows, embedded browser webviews
• Local device discovery — find other webAI devices on your network automatically

Browser app

No install required — run webAI directly in Chrome or any browser with WebGPU support.

1. Open webAI in your browser

   Navigate to app.webai.com in Chrome (or another WebGPU-compatible browser).

2. Sign in with Auth0

   You’ll be prompted with an Auth0 sign-in screen.

   • New user — click Sign Up and register with your email and a password, or continue with a social provider like Google or GitHub.
   • Returning user — enter your credentials and click Log In.

   Once signed in, your session persists in the browser so you won’t need to log in again unless you explicitly sign out.

The browser version runs the Apogee Shell and Oasis AI engine directly in your browser tab. AI inference uses WebGPU. You get the full collaboration suite, apps, and AI — but native-only features like MLX inference, file indexing, and device discovery are not available.

Your Auth0 account is used for identity and licensing only. Your conversations, files, and AI data are never sent to Auth0 or any external server — everything stays on your device.

Onboarding

When you open webAI for the first time, a short onboarding flow helps you set up your identity, preferences, and local AI. Each step is optional — you can skip ahead and configure everything later in Settings.

1. Set your name

   Enter your display name and a device name. Your display name is used in greetings throughout the app and is visible to others when you join a space. The device name helps you identify this machine if you use webAI on multiple devices. Both are stored locally.

2. Add a profile picture

   Drag and drop or select an image to use as your profile picture. It appears in your sidebar, settings, and is shared with others when you collaborate in spaces. The image is stored locally on your device.

3. Enable weather greetings

   Toggle this on to get a weather-aware greeting when you open the app — something like “Good morning, John — Austin is clear at 72°F.”

   This uses your browser’s location services to fetch current conditions. Your coordinates are rounded and stored locally; they’re only sent to a weather service to retrieve the forecast. You can turn this off at any time in Settings.

4. Enable face presence

   Toggle this on to let the app detect whether you’re at your desk using your camera. It uses on-device face detection — no video or images are stored or transmitted.

   The app tracks a simple status: present, away, or more than one person. You can use this to automatically hide your screen content when you step away or when someone else is nearby.

   Private mode

   Content hides when others are detected near your screen.

   Open mode

   Content stays visible regardless of who is nearby.

5. Set up local AI

   Download a small AI model (~500MB) directly to your device so you can use Oasis without an internet connection or API keys. Once downloaded, the app runs a quick test to confirm everything works.

   You can also optionally enable:

   • Local file indexing — so the AI can search your files
   • Website snapshots — so you can save and read pages offline

   Everything stays on your machine. You can skip this step and set up the AI later from Settings.

After completing onboarding, you’ll land on the home screen — your central hub for search, spaces, apps, and more.

Returning users

When you open webAI after your first session, the home screen greets you with a Recents section showing your recently used apps and spaces. Click any item to jump right back in. Spaces you’ve hosted or joined are saved so you can rejoin with one click if they’re still active.

What’s next

Once you’re set up, here are the most common things to try:

Explore spaces

Collaborate in real time with shared documents, whiteboards, and voice.

Start a conversation with Oasis

Chat with your on-device AI — private, offline, and customizable.

Create or join a space

Collaborate in real time with shared documents, whiteboards, and voice chat.

Build a custom app

Upload an HTML file and it becomes an app in your launcher.