Desktop Features
System tray, auto updates, browser capabilities, and other desktop-exclusive features
The Agent Z desktop app offers several exclusive capabilities compared to the web version, making your experience more convenient.
System Tray
When you close the window, Agent Z does not quit — it minimizes to the system tray (macOS menu bar / Windows taskbar notification area).
- Click the tray icon — Reopen the main window
- Right-click the tray icon — Check for updates / Quit the application
Auto Updates
Agent Z automatically checks for and downloads new versions:
- Silent updates — After downloading in the background, a dialog prompts you to update; you can choose “Later”
- Forced updates — Critical updates require immediate installation and cannot be skipped
You can also manually check in Settings > About > Check for updates.
Launch at Startup
Enable Launch at Startup in Settings > General to have Agent Z start automatically after your computer boots and run in the background. This ensures scheduled tasks are not missed because you forgot to open the app.
Desktop Notifications
When a task finishes executing, Agent Z sends a system notification to remind you to check the results. Control this in Settings > General > Desktop Notifications.
Browser Capabilities
The desktop version includes a built-in browser engine, enabling the AI assistant to:
- Open web pages and extract information
- Take screenshots of web pages
- Fill out forms and click buttons
- Switch between multiple tabs
These operations are fully transparent to you — during a conversation, you can see the browser screen the AI is operating in the right-side panel.
File Operations
- Drag and drop files — Drag files directly into the conversation input box to send them to the AI for analysis
- File preview — Click files produced by the AI to preview them in-app, with support for editing and saving
- Open workspace — The folder icon in the right-side panel opens the workspace in Finder/File Explorer with one click
Desktop vs. Web Comparison
| Capability | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled task execution | Yes | No |
| Desktop notifications | Yes | No |
| Browser MCP | Yes | No |
| Auto-refresh metrics | Yes | No |
| Launch at startup | Yes | No |
| File drag and drop | Yes | Yes |
| AI conversations | Yes | Yes |
If you need scheduled tasks and the Operations Dashboard, the desktop version is recommended.