> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Let your assistant work directly on your own machine

Out of the box, your assistant works on [its own
computer](/their-computer/overview), and the closest it gets to yours is
watching your screen share and talking you through the steps. **Linking your
computer** changes that: install a small companion app on your Mac, Windows,
or Ubuntu machine, link it to your assistant, and it can now see and operate
*your* computer directly — apps, files, and logged-in sessions.

Think of it as TeamViewer, but the remote operator is your assistant:

* *"Open the report on my laptop and fix the formatting."*
* *"My VPN app keeps failing — take a look at it."*
* *"Tidy up my Downloads folder."*
* *"Pull the contract from my Documents, update the dates, and email it
  out."*

## Trust first

This is the most powerful access you can grant an assistant, and the
Console says so plainly when you link:

> Linking a desktop lets this assistant see and control that machine — its
> apps, files, and logged-in sessions — during local desktop sessions.
> **Only link a computer you're comfortable giving full control of.**

The feature is built around that sentence. Everything is opt-in and
separately revocable, the assistant touches your machine **only when you
explicitly ask it to**, and [safety rules](/your-computer/control-and-safety)
govern every action. But the starting point is a machine you trust it with.

## What linking enables

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Direct control" icon="arrow-pointer" color="#2f9d97" href="/your-computer/control-and-safety">
    Your assistant operates your screen — opening apps, clicking, typing —
    when you ask it to work on your machine.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Your files" icon="folder-open" color="#cf9a3e" href="/your-computer/files-and-terminal">
    With the optional filesystem toggle, it reads files from your home
    folder on request and saves edited copies back — originals never
    overwritten.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Terminal & commands" icon="terminal" color="#c95f5a" href="/your-computer/files-and-terminal">
    It can run shell commands on your machine — strictly the ones you ask
    for.
  </Card>

  <Card title="All three platforms" icon="desktop" color="#6e4a86" href="/your-computer/setup">
    macOS, Windows, and Ubuntu — one small app, a few minutes of setup.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The three ways assistants relate to computers

It's worth keeping the full picture straight:

|                                                | What it is                                                                | Who controls it                                               |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [**Their computer**](/their-computer/overview) | The assistant's own Ubuntu/Windows desktop                                | The assistant — and you, during a Meet call                   |
| **Screen share**                               | You showing your screen on a [Unify Meet](/communication/unify-meet) call | Only you — the assistant sees and guides, never clicks        |
| **Your computer (linked)**                     | Your own machine with the companion app installed                         | The assistant, when you ask — with your consent enforced live |

The three compose naturally: if you're on a call sharing your screen, the
assistant follows along there; when there's no live share, it can work on
your linked machine directly — the full interplay is spelled out in
[How it works](/your-computer/how-it-works). In the assistant's own words:

> Yes — you've linked a desktop to me, so I can work directly on it. (When
> there's no active screen share I drive the linked machine; if you'd
> rather keep an eye on things live, just share your screen on a call.)

Ready to set it up? Head to [Installing &
linking](/your-computer/setup).