Watch a bot's screen
Open a bot and choose the computer button at the top right of the conversation. Select the screen preview to open the bot's screen full size. After you've opened it once, the preview refreshes every few seconds while the panel is open.
The full-size view is live, so you can click and type in it. Avoid doing so while the bot is mid-task, or you'll get in each other's way.
Take over when the bot needs you
Some steps need a person. When that happens, the bot posts a card in the chat asking you to take over (Take over the computer on desktop).
- Choose Take over to open the bot's screen.
- Complete the step.
- Choose I'm done, continue to hand control back. Choose Skip this step if you can't or don't want to do it.
On iPhone, the card is titled Your help is needed and offers Take over and Skip. Tap Done when you've finished. To step in at other times, open the bot's screen and choose Take control from the ⋯ menu.
Sign in to websites
Bots' browsers share sign-ins, so once you sign in to a site on one bot's screen, all your bots are signed in. Sign-ins that the site remembers last across restarts.
There are two ways to sign a bot in:
- Type it yourself. Take over the bot's screen and sign in to the site directly. Never paste a password into the chat.
- Use saved logins. Add the 1Password plugin with a read-only service account token. The bot looks up the matching login with the 1Password CLI and types it into the site. Values it reads appear in the conversation.
Some sites block automated browsers or ask for extra verification. If that happens, take over to finish the step, or ask the bot to find another way.
Use your own computer
The desktop app can connect your own computer to OpenTeam, so bots can work with local files and tools. The app makes an outgoing connection, so you don't need to open any ports.
With your permission, a bot can:
- Run commands on your computer (macOS and Linux only)
- Read files on your computer
- Copy files between your computer and its
/workspace - On a Mac: read your contacts, read and send Messages, and import your Chrome sign-ins into its browser
Bots don't get a view of your screen or control of your mouse and keyboard. They work through commands and files.
Bots execute commands, transfers, and available native tools directly on enrolled computers. To stop access, disable the computer under Settings → Computer → Computers or close the desktop app.
Your computer may ask you to grant OpenTeam permissions, such as access to Contacts. To read Messages, turn on Full Disk Access for OpenTeam in System Settings → Privacy & Security; macOS doesn't ask for this one.
Keep the desktop app open while a bot works on your computer. When you give a task, say which computer you mean, because the bot's Linux computer and your own computer have different files.
If the screen won't load
Check that the server is running with openteam status. If the preview says Computer setup needs attention, choose Retry setup. For work on your own computer, check that the desktop app is open and connected. See troubleshooting.