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Getting started

Install bigbud on your machine, set up your AI providers, launch the app, and start your first session. No terminal needed — everything works from the app.

1. Download and install

bigbud runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Download the latest version — The installer will walk you through setup in a few clicks.

2. Set up your AI providers

bigbud works with the AI providers you already use. If you don't have an account yet, download and sign up for one or more of these providers:

• Claude — Download the desktop app, sign in, and subscribe if needed
• Codex — Install the CLI and sign in with your account
• GitHub Copilot — Install the extension and sign in with your GitHub account
• OpenCode — Install the CLI and authenticate

Once you have your provider accounts ready:

1. Open bigbud — it will automatically detect installed providers on your machine
2. bigbud performs a handshake with each provider, verifying your subscription
3. Your available models from each provider appear in the provider picker

You can connect multiple providers and switch between them as needed. bigbud shows you which models are available from each subscription, so you always know what you have access to.

3. Launch the app

Open bigbud from your applications folder (or start menu on Windows). You'll see your workspace — a clean window with a sidebar on the left, the main area in the center, and tools on the right.

4. Start a thread

Press Cmd + N (macOS) or Ctrl + N (Windows/Linux) to start a new thread. Type your question or task in the input at the bottom and press enter. bigbud will respond using your connected provider.

You can switch providers mid-thread using the provider picker at the top of the input area. Threads are organized in the sidebar — rename them, switch between them, or archive them as you go.

5. Explore your workspace

bigbud brings everything into one window. Here are the key areas to know:

Left side panel — your navigation hub. Browse your Projects, jump back into recent Chats, trigger Automations, and pin Favorite threads for quick access.

Chat — the main area where you talk to your AI providers. Type a question, paste code, or describe what you need. The provider responds inline, and the conversation stays in the thread.

Right side panel — Use the right panel to view and work with your own files, write notes, browse the web, and more without leaving your chat. Press Cmd + T (macOS) or Ctrl + T (Windows/Linux) to open the panel switcher and choose from:

• Files — Browse and open project files (including inline video preview for .mp4, .webm, .mov, .avi)
• Notes — Write markdown notes
• Browser — Open a website alongside your workspace
• Terminal — Start an interactive shell
• Diff — View code changes side by side
• Kanban — Track work across columns
• Git — Inspect repo changes

Press Cmd + W / Ctrl + W to close the active right-panel tab.

Search — Find anything fast:

• Cmd + F / Ctrl + F — Search across your threads
• Cmd + P / Ctrl + P — Search files, folders, and commands

6. Keyboard shortcuts

7. Next steps

• Read the changelog — see what's new in each release
• Join the community — share feedback, ideas, and feature requests

Using bigbud

Orchestra

Use Orchestra when you want several AI agents to tackle different parts of the same job, either in parallel or as a sequenced handoff.

Writing notes like a Pro

Use notes to keep project context, drafts, and working memory close to your chats without jumping into a separate writing app.

Using bigbud's Kanban board

Use the Kanban board to turn loose ideas and agent work into visible tasks you can organize, revisit, and move through a workflow.

Thread-aware agents: drag & drop context into AI

Drag threads into context when you want an agent to understand prior decisions or related work without pasting long transcripts by hand.

Thread Reader Outline

Use the reader outline to jump through long conversations by user turn, keep your reading position, and return to the exact part of a thread that matters.

Advanced Features

Computer use: your agent, your extra hands

Your AI can now reach beyond the chat and work with your applications, your browser, and your desktop — clicking what you'd click, typing where you'd type, seeing what you see. Navigate a page, fill a form, write an email, book an appointment, check your calendar, open an app, grab a screenshot, run a diagnostic. All inside your session, all on your terms. Safety and security are built into the feature from the ground up — sensitive inputs are blocked before reaching the driver, and you control the limits in Settings → AI → Computer use.

Enable it in Settings → AI → Computer use and your agent becomes an extension of your workflow — macOS, Windows, or Linux.

Mobile Companion over Tailscale

Use Tailscale when your phone needs to reach the desktop backend away from the same local network.

1. Create a Tailscale account at tailscale.com and sign in with the same account on your laptop and phone.
2. Install Tailscale on the laptop running bigbud, then open Tailscale and confirm it says Connected.
3. Install Tailscale on your phone from the iOS App Store or Google Play, sign in to the same account, and confirm the phone is also Connected.
4. In the bigbud desktop app, open Settings → Mobile Remote Control and enable Tailscale Serve.
5. Copy or scan the mobile companion pairing link from that settings screen on your phone.
6. Keep the desktop app running. The phone connects through your private Tailnet, so prompts and responses can move between the mobile companion and the desktop session.

If the phone cannot connect, check that both devices are logged into the same Tailnet, Tailscale is connected on both devices, and Tailscale Serve is enabled in bigbud.