Viro for Mac

Viro is a Mac app. It has its own window and Dock icon, sends you notifications, and updates itself. It's free, it runs on macOS 12 or later on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and it's the same Viro as the web and the phone apps, signed in to the same account.

1. 1

   Download it

   Go to ai.viro.app/mac and select Get for Mac. On a Mac, the same button is on the home page. A file called Viro.dmg lands in your Downloads folder.
2. 2

   Open Viro.dmg

   Select Downloads in your Dock, or open the Downloads folder in Finder, and open Viro.dmg. A window with the Viro icon and an Applications folder appears.
3. 3

   Drag Viro into Applications

   Drag the Viro icon onto the Applications folder in that window. That's the whole install.
4. 4

   Open Viro

   Open it from your Applications folder, Launchpad, or Spotlight (press Cmd + Space and type Viro). The first time, macOS may ask you to confirm that you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. Select Open. You can then eject the Viro disk image and delete Viro.dmg.

Viro for Mac is signed and notarized by Apple, so Gatekeeper lets it open without any extra steps.

The same way as everywhere else. If you choose Continue with Google, Apple, or Microsoft, the sign-in page opens in your default browser, because those providers don't allow signing in inside an app window. The app waits with "Finish signing in in your browser"; once you've approved, the browser sends you straight back to Viro, signed in. Email and password sign-in happens inside the app.

You stay signed in after you quit the app, until you sign out.

• Viro runs in its own window, with no tabs and no address bar, and has its own icon in your Dock.
• It shows up when you switch apps, so Cmd + Tab reaches it.
• Viro's own menu bar and shortcuts: Cmd + N starts a new chat, Cmd + F searches your chats, Cmd + [ and Cmd + ] go back and forward, Cmd + Shift + S shows or hides the sidebar, Cmd + , opens Settings, and the Viro menu has Check for Updates and About Viro.
• Back and forward arrows next to the window's traffic lights, as in a browser.
• Notifications on your Mac, and the Mac's camera, microphone, and location when you let it.
• Links to other websites open in your default browser. Viro's own pages open in Viro.

Everything inside works exactly as it does on the web, and you always have the current version of Viro the moment it's released: the app shows the live Viro, not a copy.

Yes, on a Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence turned on. Pick Apple Intelligence in the model menu and the answer comes from your Mac itself: nothing goes to a server and it works offline. On an Intel Mac or an older macOS the row is greyed out with the reason. See Apple Intelligence in Viro.

Yes, while Viro is open. Turn them on in Settings → Notifications. The first time one arrives, macOS asks whether to allow notifications from Viro; you can change that later in System Settings → Notifications → Viro. Clicking a notification opens the chat it's about.

• Notifications don't arrive while Viro is quit. For those, use the Viro app on your phone.
• If a Focus or Do Not Disturb is on, macOS holds them, the same as any other app's.

Connecting an app works as on the web, except that the other app's permission page opens in your default browser. Approve it there; the browser then shows "You're connected" with an Open Viro button, and Viro shows the app as connected when you come back. See Integrations for what each connection does.

By itself. Viro checks for a new version when it opens and every few hours after that, downloads it in the background, and then offers to restart. If you choose Later, the update installs the next time you quit. To check right away, open the Viro menu and select Check for Updates.

App updates are rare, because almost everything new in Viro reaches the app the moment it reaches the web, with nothing to install.

You need to be online to send a message or get a reply, the same as on the web. If the connection drops, Viro shows an offline page and reconnects on its own as soon as it's back.

Quit Viro, then drag it from your Applications folder to the Trash. Removing the app doesn't touch your account or your chats. You can still use Viro at ai.viro.app, and you can install it again any time.

A Windows app is coming to the Microsoft Store. Until then you can install Viro from Edge or Chrome, which gives it its own window and Start menu entry, with no download or installer.

1. 1

   Open Viro in Edge or Chrome

   Go to ai.viro.app and sign in.
2. 2

   Select the install icon

   It appears at the right-hand end of the address bar and looks like a screen with a downward arrow. If you don't see it, open the browser menu (⋯ in Edge, ⋮ in Chrome) and look for Install.
3. 3

   Confirm

   Select Install. Viro opens in its own window and is added to your Start menu. To remove it later, go to edge://apps or open the ⋮ menu in the Viro window in Chrome and choose Uninstall.

Every way to get Viro is at ai.viro.app/download, and in the app's sidebar under Get the apps, where a QR code takes your phone straight to its store. Or go direct: Viro is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android.