MacClaw

MacClaw is the native macOS app experience built on top of OpenClaw. The goal is simple: give users OpenClaw power without a heavy CLI-first setup.

Official site: https://macclaw.app

Local-first macOS AI assistant for secure chat-driven automations, built on OpenClaw.

Recommended GitHub Metadata

• Repository name: macclaw
• Description: Local-first macOS AI assistant for secure chat-driven automations, built on OpenClaw.

What This Repository Contains

This directory contains the Electron desktop app shell (simpleclaw) for MacClaw, including:

• Auth and onboarding flows for model providers
• Gateway lifecycle controls (start/stop/status/logs)
• Chat and channel setup UI (including Telegram and WhatsApp workflows)
• Desktop packaging/signing scripts for macOS

It is the app layer around OpenClaw runtime capabilities.

Product Positioning

Based on macclaw.app, MacClaw is positioned as:

• A local-first personal AI assistant on your Mac
• A remote-operable assistant via chat surfaces (for example iMessage/WhatsApp/Slack)
• A security-conscious layer with explicit boundaries and approvals

In plain terms: message your assistant from your phone, and your Mac can execute work for you.

Core Capabilities (From macclaw.app)

• File workflows: search, summarize, and use files from allowed folders
• Browser workflows: automate websites with your real browser session
• Chat workflows: receive commands and send replies via connected channels
• Email workflows: summarize, draft, and optionally auto-reply with approval rules

Quick Start (For Users)

1. Install MacClaw from https://macclaw.app
2. Connect at least one AI provider (for example Claude/OpenAI/Gemini)
3. Connect your preferred chat surface
4. Define allowed folders and safety settings
5. Start with low-risk tasks, then expand automations gradually

Security Principles

The product messaging emphasizes:

• File access boundaries (allow/block lists)
• URL blocking for disallowed domains
• Sensitive-content filtering before model calls
• Optional command approval before execution
• Local execution model with user-owned API keys

Note: Users should still treat financial, legal, and other critical actions as human-reviewed tasks.

MacClaw vs OpenClaw CLI

MacClaw and OpenClaw CLI share the same foundation, but target different operators:

Area	MacClaw App	OpenClaw CLI
Primary UX	Desktop app	Terminal + config files
Setup style	Guided app flow	Manual/CLI-driven
Typical user	End users, operators who prefer UI	Power users and infra-heavy workflows
Update flow	App-style updates	npm/git/runtime update flow

Current Status

As of February 23, 2026, macclaw.app presents MacClaw as a limited beta for macOS 15+.

Local Development

Prerequisites:

• Node.js 22+
• pnpm

Install and run:

pnpm install
pnpm dev

Build:

pnpm build

Create packaged app artifacts:

pnpm dist:unsigned

Signed/notarized packaging paths:

pnpm dist:app
pnpm dist

Scripts You Will Use Most

• pnpm dev: renderer + main + Electron local dev loop
• pnpm build: resources + main + renderer build
• pnpm dist:unsigned: unsigned package output
• pnpm dist:app: sign/notarize app bundle path
• pnpm dist: full signed packaging flow
• pnpm release:check: pre-release validation checks

Related Links

• MacClaw website: https://macclaw.app
• OpenClaw repository: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
• OpenClaw docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0-only). See LICENSE.