Devices and Runners
Pair your computers and your phone. Desktop devices run bots; every device reads and writes chats.
Every computer or phone you pair is a Device. A Device with a desktop OS (macOS, Linux, or Windows) is also a Runner: bots can be assigned to it. Phones and tablets hold your keys and your chats, and never run bots.
| Runner (macOS, Linux, Windows) | Phone or tablet | |
|---|---|---|
| Read and write chats | Yes | Yes |
| Create bots and pair devices | Yes | Yes |
| Run bots, plugins, and routines | Yes | No |
Pair a device
Pairing needs a relay that both devices can reach. Set it in Settings › Advanced › Relay URL first.
Show a pairing code
On a device that is already set up, choose File › Pair a Device… (⇧⌘P), Pair a Device… from the titlebar's Create button, or Pair a Device at the foot of the device pop-up in Settings. Lorca shows a QR code and a pairing string, good for ten minutes.
Enter it on the new device
In the desktop app, choose Pair during onboarding and paste the string. On a phone, scan the QR code. On a computer with only the CLI:
lorca pair 'lorca://pair?…'Wait for the sync
The new device receives your account key, then your bots, provider credentials, and chats. A Runner is ready for bots as soon as the credentials arrive.
Cancel on the pairing sheet retires the code at once.
Manage devices
Settings › Devices shows each device's role, when it was last seen, and its machine key. Settings › Bots and Settings › Plugins show what the device picked in the toolbar has.
Unpair a device
Any Device can unpair any other, so you can remove a lost computer from your phone. The unpaired Device is refused by the relay for good, and the next time it runs it deletes its keys, credentials, and chats. Pairing it again gives it a new key.
To sign a device out yourself, unpair it from its own Devices pane.
Restore on another computer
Choose Restore during desktop-app onboarding, or run lorca identity restore <phrase> on a CLI-only computer. Lorca rebuilds your keys and pulls your account from the relay. Bots that ran on the old computer need a new Runner; their memory and working files stayed on the old disk.