Install and quickstart

What you need

Mac	macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon
Cable	A USB cable for the first connection of each iPhone or iPad. After that, Silan finds the device over Wi-Fi too (Developer way).
For an iPhone or iPad	Camera and Bluetooth permission for Silan on the Mac. Silan asks for both during setup.
For the Developer way	Xcode on the Mac and an Apple account. See Devices.
For Android	The Android platform tools on the Mac. Silan does not ship them. Install them with brew install android-platform-tools.
For the agent	An AI provider. Silan’s chat uses a provider you sign in to, or you skip it and use your own AI app through MCP.

Silan runs on a Mac today. Linux: coming.

Install

1. Download Silan from getsilan.app and open the disk image.
2. Drag Silan to Applications and open it.
3. Silan installs its engine as a login item, so the engine starts with your Mac and keeps your devices ready.

Silan updates itself from inside the app. Silan › Check for Updates… fetches the newest release.

Set up Silan

The first time Silan opens, a setup window walks you through the steps your answers need. It takes about 5 minutes.

1. Welcome. Pick Just me to use your own devices, or a team way to hold devices for your team. The team ways ask for your team’s server first (Teams and self-hosted relay).
2. What will Silan control? Tick iPhone or iPad, Android, simulators and emulators. More than one is fine. Setup shows only the steps those answers need.
3. Mac permissions. Only for an iPhone or iPad. Press Allow on the Camera row and the Bluetooth row. Notifications are optional.
4. Your phones. Plug a phone in with the cable. It appears in the list. Press Set up and follow the steps below.
5. Safety. One switch: Ask me before paying, sending, posting or deleting. Leave it on. The Stop Everything keys are Control Option Command Period.
6. Agent provider. Pick the provider Silan’s own chat uses, or press Skip for now.
7. Your AI tools. Optional. Connect Claude Code, the Claude app, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode so they can use your devices (Use Silan from your agent).
8. Try a first task. Run a task on your phone, on a simulator Silan makes, or paste the words into your own AI app.

Connect the first device on a cable

Plug the iPhone or iPad in. In setup’s Your phones, or later in Add a device, press Set up next to it. Silan asks how it should control the device.

Simple way (no Xcode)

About 2 minutes. Silan acts as a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse; the picture comes over the cable. Taps go through a pointer, so small buttons can be missed.

1. Trust this Mac. Tap Trust on the phone when iOS asks.
2. See the screen. Silan starts the live picture over the cable.
3. Pair over Bluetooth. Accept the pairing on the phone.
4. Turn on the pointer. Silan shows where the switch is on the phone.

Press Add. The phone reads Ready · can tap and type.

Developer way (for app testers)

Needs Xcode on the Mac and an Apple account. Exact taps and the full element list, and the device works over Wi-Fi after the first cable link.

1. Trust this Mac.
2. Turn on Developer Mode on the phone (Settings › Privacy & Security).
3. Choose your Apple account. Pick the team that signs Silan’s helper.
4. Install Silan’s helper. About 1 minute.
5. Allow UI Automation when the phone asks.

Press Add. The phone reads Ready · can tap and type.

You can change the way later in Settings › Devices & Drivers.

Run a first task

1. Open the phone in Silan. The live picture fills the window.
2. In the chat panel, type a task in plain words, for example Open Clock and start the stopwatch.
3. Press Return. The agent plans, then acts on the phone. Each step shows in the chat with a picture.
4. If the task needs something risky, a card asks you first. Answer Allow or Don’t allow.
5. To stop every agent on every device at once, press Control Option Command Period, or the Stop Everything button.

The task’s steps, pictures and the agent’s answer stay in All chats on the Mac.

Use your own AI app instead

In Settings › Connections, press Connect next to Claude Code, the Claude app, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode. Silan writes itself into that app’s MCP settings. Start the app again, then ask it to list your devices. The first time it calls a tool, Silan asks you whether that app may use your devices.

For any other MCP client, copy The setup text for other apps from the same page. Details and the tool list are in Use Silan from your agent.