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

# Watch an agent's computer

> Watch an agent's screen as it works, and take control when it needs a person.

An agent that runs in the isolated box can have a computer of its own: a
browser that keeps its sign-ins between cases, or a full desktop. You can watch
its screen live and take control of it, for example to sign in somewhere the
agent cannot, then hand it back.

For how the stream travels and who can see it, see
[The live view: watching and taking control](/trust/where-things-run#the-live-view-watching-and-taking-control).

<Note>
  The live view is not included in the Free plan. See [Plans](/setup/plans).
</Note>

## Before you start

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="The agent's runner in the box" icon="box">
    The computer lives in the isolated box on your Mac. An agent whose runner
    runs directly on the Mac has none.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Its Computer turned on" icon="desktop">
    On the agent's **Tools** tab, **Computer** at **Read only** (it opens pages
    and looks) or **Read and change** (it also clicks, types and uploads).
    Off, you can still watch its screen, but the agent never uses it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="A department lead or above, to watch" icon="eye">
    Watching needs the department lead role or higher.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Permission, to take control" icon="hand-pointer">
    Owners and admins can take control. Another member needs that permission
    from an admin; ask [support](mailto:support@agentick.xyz) to grant it, as
    it is not yet in the dashboard.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Watch

Open the live view from either place:

* **From a case**: on the case page, **Computer → Watch live**.
* **From the agent**: its **Computer** tab, **Open the live view**.

Then press **Watch live**. Nothing streams until you do. A banner says you are
watching, and the view is on your workspace's audit log.

**Stop watching** ends it. A view left in a background tab stops after a
minute, unless you hold control.

## Take control and hand back

1. Press **Take control**. The view says **You're in control** once the
   computer has handed it to you; until then your keys go nowhere.
2. Click and type in the view. While you hold control the agent cannot use
   its computer; it is told a person is using it.
3. Press **Hand back**. The computer is the agent's again.

If someone else is in control, the view names them. Owners and admins can
**Take over** or **Revoke** their control.

When an agent asks a person to use its computer (to sign in, say), the case
shows the request with **Open its computer**. Take control, do what it asked,
and **Hand back**: that answers the request, and the agent picks the work back
up.

## Settings for the workspace

* **Let the person in control paste text** into the agent's computer. Nothing
  is ever copied from the computer to anyone watching.
* **Record the agent's computer.** Off by default. When on, the agent (if its
  Computer is at **Read and change**), or a person in a live view opened from a
  case, can record the screen as it is, nothing hidden, and the recording is
  saved to the case's files for 30 days.

Each applies to live views opened after the change. To switch the live view off
for the whole workspace, or to allow direct peer-to-peer connections instead
of the relay, ask [support](mailto:support@agentick.xyz): neither is in the
dashboard yet.

## If it doesn't connect

* **"The agent's computer is offline right now."** Its Mac is asleep, or the
  Agentick app has stopped the box. See [Sleep](/setup/runner#sleep).
* **The view takes a while, then shows a warning banner.** A network on the
  way blocks the encrypted relay, so the view fell back to a relay through
  Agentick's servers, which can see the screen and what you type while it is
  open. It works the same. To avoid it, allow outbound UDP and TCP on port 3478,
  and TCP on 5349, to `turn.cloudflare.com`, from the agent's Mac and from your
  own network.
* **"Live view of agents' computers is switched off in this workspace."** An
  admin's choice; ask them.


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