Dottie Desktop is a free AI agent for macOS that doesn’t just answer questions — it controls your Mac. With 134 built-in tools, voice control, and support for 3,800+ local models, Dottie sends emails, manages files, controls apps, and automates workflows through natural conversation.

What Makes Dottie Different

Most AI assistants live in a chat window. You type, they respond, and you copy-paste the output somewhere useful. Dottie skips the middleman. When you ask Dottie to rename a batch of files, it renames them. When you ask it to open an app and configure a setting, it does it.

This is possible because Dottie uses tool calling — a technique where the AI model decides which system actions to take based on your request. Instead of generating text about how to do something, it generates the actual commands and executes them through 134 tools spanning email, calendar, notes, reminders, music, screen vision, Safari, app control, weather, sports, stocks, maps, photos, FaceTime, and image generation.

Voice-First Design

Dottie offers three voice modes (see the voice control guide for full setup):

• Push-to-Talk — Hold Fn, speak, release. Words appear at your cursor in any app.
• Chat — Click the mic to send voice messages to the AI with full agent capabilities.
• Wake Word — Say “Hey Dottie” from anywhere for hands-free operation.

Voice works especially well for quick tasks:

• “Open my last three screenshots”
• “What’s on my calendar today?”
• “Find that PDF I downloaded yesterday”
• “Send an email to John saying I’ll be late”

For setup instructions, recognition tips, and a full list of voice commands, see the voice control guide.

Local Models, Real Privacy

Dottie supports 3,800+ local models through MLX and Ollama. When running locally, all conversations, file analysis, screen context, and tool outputs stay on your machine — zero network traffic to AI providers. Apple Silicon Macs with 16GB+ RAM handle most models comfortably.

For users who want more capability, Dottie integrates with 6 cloud providers: xAI (Grok), OpenAI, Anthropic, Cerebras, and Ollama. You choose the tradeoff between privacy and power — and you can switch between local and cloud per-conversation. For a deep dive into every feature, tool category, and model option, see What Is Dottie Desktop?.

Sandbox Security

Every tool Dottie uses runs inside a sandbox with:

• Domain-gated networking — tools can only access domains you’ve approved
• Read-only filesystem defaults — write access requires explicit permission per directory
• Preset-based policies — choose from security profiles that match your risk tolerance
• 15 granular permissions — all default to off

These aren’t prompt-level restrictions that a clever input could bypass. They’re enforced at the system level by Dottie’s sandbox runtime.

Developer Platform

Dottie includes a developer platform with a JavaScript SDK, per-app permissions, free local LLM access for apps, and a curated App Store with review, distribution, and payments. Build AI-powered Mac apps with HTML and JS — no native code required. 12 sample apps are included to get started.

Get Started

Dottie Desktop is available now for macOS 15.4+ with Apple Silicon. Download it for free at dottie.ai and start automating your workflow in minutes. No subscription, no usage limits, no premium tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dottie Desktop?

Dottie Desktop is a free AI agent for macOS that controls your Mac through voice and text. Unlike chatbots that generate text about actions, Dottie executes them through 134 native system tools covering files, apps, email, calendar, screen vision, and more.

Is Dottie Desktop actually free?

Yes. Dottie is free with no subscription, no usage limits, and no premium tier. You can use local models at zero cost, or plug in your own API keys for xAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, or Cerebras.

How is Dottie different from ChatGPT or Claude on Mac?

ChatGPT and Claude are chat windows — you ask questions, they answer in text. Dottie is an agent — you ask for an action, and it performs it using 134 system tools. It also supports local models and voice-first interaction, which neither ChatGPT Desktop nor Claude Desktop offer natively.

What Mac do I need to run Dottie?

Dottie requires macOS 15.4 or later on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). For local models, 16GB+ RAM is recommended. Cloud providers work on any supported Mac regardless of RAM.