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Mac app MCP server

The Desk Genie Mac app runs a local MCP server named desk-genie. Claude and other local agents use it to make your character speak and animate on your Mac, and to read the information you choose to share. It runs on your computer and uses your own provider keys.

Two Desk Genie servers

The hosted MCP server is a different server named desk-genie-hosted. It talks to characters on the Desk Genie service and needs an access token, not the Mac app. Use either one, or both in the same client. Tools from each appear under their own server name.

Using the Mac app with your tester account and no provider keys follows in a later release.

What it does

Capability Detail
Speak and animate Your character speaks a reply or plays an animation while Claude works.
Share information Claude reads a character's bio, speaking style and a note you write. Every item starts unchecked for each client.
Reviewed notes You send Claude a note from Desk Genie after reviewing it. Notes and future conversation text each have their own checkbox per client.
Reactions (optional) Silent attention, completion and failure animations from Claude Code. They never speak a tool result or open the microphone.

Before you start

  1. Install and open the Desk Genie Mac app.
  2. In Desk Genie, open Settings, then Apps and connections, then Agent connections, and turn on Connect to Claude.

Install

claude plugin marketplace add https://stage.app.deskgenie.studio/developers/plugins/marketplace.json
claude plugin install desk-genie@desk-genie

Start a new conversation and run /mcp. The server desk-genie should show as connected. The same steps are on the Claude Code page, which also covers the hosted plugin.

  1. Open the Claude Code page and choose Install Mac app.
  2. VS Code opens Claude Code's install dialog. Confirm the install.
  3. Start a new conversation and check that desk-genie is connected.

If the button does nothing, run the two commands from the Claude Code tab in VS Code's terminal.

Follow the Claude Desktop guide. It has the downloads, the SHA-256 check, the install steps for the Mac app extension, the optional skill, warnings and fixes for download problems. To share character information, see Share information with a client. The optional skill, desk-genie-skill.zip, is on the Claude Desktop page; Claude Desktop takes it through its own skill or custom plugin upload.

Companion behavior

The current plugin gives Claude the character's tools and the information you share. It does not yet set how often the character animates or speaks while Claude works.

An earlier companion prototype, desk-genie-companion, defined that behavior as four modes: off, ambient, milestone and narrator. Milestone was the default. Claude animated once per turn, spoke only when a task finished, failed or needed you, kept speech under 40 words and never spoke a secret aloud. You switched modes in plain language, such as "Genie, go quiet". The modes, an animation map and per-session speech limits follow in a later release. Until then, do not install the prototype next to the current plugin: both would try to steer the same character.

Share information with a client

  1. In Desk Genie, choose the character and open Share character information.
  2. Write the bio, speaking style and any note you want to share, then save. These are separate from the character's private prompt.
  3. Under Agent connections, name the client, choose the fields it may read and create a connection key.
  4. Paste the one-time key into the client's sensitive key option. Use a different key for each client, and never put a key in a prompt or a file.

Removing the client in Desk Genie stops future reads. Information the client already read can stay in its conversation.

Reviewed notes

  1. Type the exact note in Desk Genie, choose its recipient and choose Send reviewed note.
  2. Or say "Tell Claude" followed by a note. Desk Genie opens a review where you choose the recipient, share, edit or cancel.

Claude collects notes by reading the inbox and then acknowledges what it used. Future transcripts need their own grant, are not available in Kids mode, and exclude screen turns and temporary conversations.

Reactions (optional)

  1. Install the hooks plugin: claude plugin install desk-genie-hooks@desk-genie.
  2. Turn on Enable silent reactions in the plugin's options.
  3. In Desk Genie, allow silent reactions for the paired client.

Reviewed notes on prompt submit are a separate option, Add reviewed notes on prompt submit, and need the inbox grant.

Update, remove and recover

  • Update by replacing the installed extension or plugin. Do not install a second copy, and check /mcp again.
  • Remove the hooks plugin first to stop its callbacks. Then uninstall the main plugin or extension in Claude and remove its paired row in Desk Genie.
  • If you installed the plugin earlier from the preview archive (desk-genie@desk-genie-local), keep that one or switch to this one, but not both.
  • If Claude cannot find the app, open the installed app, turn on Connect to Claude and start a new Claude conversation.
  • If a character shows the wrong version, select the character in Desk Genie and let Claude discover its resources again.

The extension and plugin archives are an unsigned preview. The connection stays on your Mac. Desk Genie cannot protect shared information from malware already running as your Mac user account.