Grok Bot Windows: Install And Set Up The App In 7 Steps (2026)

Grok Bot Windows setup takes seven moves: pick x64 or Arm64, grab the Setup .exe, install it per user, sign in, lock down local commands, tune the Windows settings and plan your updates.

xAI's Get Started guide lists Windows on both x64 and Arm64 as supported desktop platforms.

Your PC is the control panel; the Bots themselves work on a hosted cloud computer.

Every menu name below matches the docs and the Grok Bot changelog, so you can follow along click for click.

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What the Windows app runs, and what stays in the cloud

The deployment page calls the desktop and phone apps clients for chat, review and approvals.

The work itself happens on one hosted computer per member, and that computer runs Linux in the cloud.

So a Windows laptop never needs to stay awake for a Bot to finish a job.

It also means your Windows files, PowerShell and installed programs are off limits until you switch on local execution.

Keep that split in mind, because half the settings below exist to control it.

Check your plan and privacy mode first

Plan. Premium, Super and Ultra on The X Subscription include Grok Bot; Plus doesn't, per Grok Bot on The X Subscription.
Privacy mode. Grok Bot needs cloud data storage, so an account on Privacy Mode (Legacy) gets asked to switch to Privacy Mode before it starts.
Device policy. Members can install the app without IT unless your company's device policies block it.

Clear those three and the first launch goes straight to the welcome screen.

Step 1: Match the installer to your processor

xAI ships two Windows builds: one for x64 PCs and one for Arm64 PCs.

Open Settings, then System, then About, and read System type.

An x64-based processor takes the x64 build, and an ARM-based processor takes the Arm64 build.

Both builds come as a Setup .exe, and the deployment FAQ confirms there's no MSI.

Step 2: Download from one of three official routes

The dashboard. On the Grok Bot page of the Cursor dashboard, the Download Grok Bot row installs the app or copies a link you can share.
x.ai/bot. The Get Started guide also points to x.ai/bot for the desktop download.
The download page. cursor.com/download/bot lists the current installer for every platform and format.

No dashboard access? Ask your admin for the shared download link.

Skip mirror sites and random download portals; these three routes are the only ones the docs name.

Step 3: Run the Setup .exe as yourself, not as admin

The installer installs per user, into your profile under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs.

That means no machine-wide install and no admin prompt is needed for a normal user install.

For a silent install, the documented switch is Grok_Bot_{version}_Setup.exe /S.

If you script it, run it in the user's context, because the docs say not to deploy it as SYSTEM.

Installing as SYSTEM would put the app in the wrong profile, so the person at the keyboard wouldn't get it.

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Step 4: Sign in and set up your first Bot

Choose Sign in on the welcome screen and finish in your browser.

Grok Bot uses your Cursor account, and there's no separate Grok Bot login.

Company SSO works through your normal sign-in flow.

A seat on a self-serve Grok Business plan uses Sign in with Grok in the browser instead.

A SuperGrok or X Premium+ subscription gets linked from Settings → Usage & Billing → Get Access with Grok on desktop.

After a short intro, the app creates a first Bot called Grok Bot and opens its chat.

Give it one job in its first message and ask it to remember how to work; the guide says a focused Bot builds more useful context than a catch-all helper.

Step 5: Decide what a Bot may run on your PC

Open Settings → Computer → Your computer and find Execution on this computer.

The options are Ask every time, Always allow and Never allow.

The default is Ask every time, and the approvals and security docs point you to Never allow for any setup where Bots have no job on your local drive.

I'd set Never allow on day one and loosen it only for a named job.

Watch the first command prompt carefully: Always allow and Never on that card set the policy for every Bot, while Allow once and Deny once only answer that one request.

If your team admin set a stricter cap, the team's setting wins and Always allow is greyed out.

Step 6: Tune the Windows-only settings

Hardware acceleration

Changelog v0.67.0 (2 Oct 2026) turned Use hardware acceleration on by default for Windows, matching the Mac.

The settings page says to turn it off if the window flickers or stays blank, then choose Restart Now.

Microphone

Under System, pick System Default or a specific headset so dictation hears the right input.

Hardware security keys

Use hardware security keys, under Settings → General → Security Key, is on by default on Windows, and every use asks you to approve it.

That matters because the Bot's computer can't use Windows Hello or the passkeys stored on your laptop, per the troubleshooting guide.

Route traffic through this computer

Turn on Route traffic through this computer only when a site must see your own IP address.

Only one of your computers can route at a time, and an Enterprise admin can lock the switch off.

Step 7: Pin your version and learn how updates land

Settings → Updates shows the installed version, with Check for Updates and Restart to Update.

Out of the box, the Automatic Updates switch starts in the on position.

With it on, a downloaded update installs while you're away: screen locked or screensaver running, the PC idle for at least 10 minutes, and Grok Bot not busy.

Changelog v0.59.0 adds the Windows twist: a downloaded update installs when you quit the app.

You can switch Automatic Updates off, but no device policy, installer option or dashboard setting stops a Windows install from checking and offering updates.

To see exactly what you run, open the account menu, choose Support, then About, and use Copy version info.

The Windows shortcuts I'd learn first

The chat and collaboration docs list the desktop shortcuts; on Windows you use Ctrl wherever a Mac uses Cmd.

Action	Windows shortcut
Search palette	`Ctrl+K`
New Bot	`Ctrl+N`
Dictate into the composer	`Ctrl+D` while the prompt is focused
Send from anywhere	`Ctrl+Enter`
Conversation details	`Ctrl+Alt+B`
Open Settings	`Ctrl+,`
Show every shortcut	`Ctrl+/`
Fullscreen	`F11`

Ctrl+D dictation dates back to changelog v0.20.0, which says you can press or hold it.

Windows fixes worth knowing from the changelog

v0.71.2 (14 Oct 2026): Bot replies and questions pop up on the Windows PC you're working at, and your phone stays quiet.
0.75.2 and later: a 1Password app already on the PC gets spotted, and the Bot offers to hook it up.
0.70.2 and later: pasting text copied from a list keeps it inline, and copied chat text keeps non-English characters and curly quotes.
0.70.2 and later: reopening the app while it's quitting reopens it after the quit finishes.
v0.31.0: image thumbnails show on Windows.

If one of these doesn't match what you see, check your version in About before you report it.

Connect 1Password the Windows way

The computer and apps docs say the integration needs 1Password 8.12.42 or later and works with personal and Family accounts.

Choose Connect apps and open 1Password under Password Managers.
Choose Connect 1Password on your PC.
Sign in to 1Password in the browser that opens and approve Grok Bot.

When a Bot needs a login, a Review in 1Password card opens the desktop app, and you pick the exact logins to share.

Your Bots never see the values, and 1Password doesn't fill payment cards.

The integration is rolling out gradually, so don't panic if the option isn't on your account yet.

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Push it to a fleet with Intune or Configuration Manager

Each Windows architecture has a JSON release feed: https://api2.cursor.sh/updates/api/download/stable/win32-x64-user/sand for x64 and win32-arm64-user for Arm64.

The downloadUrl field gives you the Setup .exe, and version names the current release.

Versioned URLs follow this pattern:

https://downloads.cursor.com/grokbot/stable/win32-x64/{version}/Grok_Bot_{version}_Setup.exe
https://downloads.cursor.com/grokbot/stable/win32-arm64/{version}/Grok_Bot_{version}_Setup.exe

Store the tested .exe in your own software repository and deploy from that copy.

If your tool insists on a package format, wrap the .exe in it; the docs say there's no MSI.

Allow cursor.com, downloads.cursor.com and the domains on the proxies page, including *.*.cursorvm.com, and exempt them from TLS inspection before you push.

On Entra ID, the identity and access page has you target Linux and exclude Windows and macOS in the extra Conditional Access policy, because the Bot's browser signs in from the cloud Linux machine.

Pilot on a few devices first, then push to everyone who has access.

When the Windows app misbehaves, work in this order

Hangs on launch: fully quit and relaunch; if it hangs every time, contact support with your platform and version.
Flicker or blank window: switch off Use hardware acceleration and restart.
Update required screen: choose Update, wait, then Restart to update; your Bots keep running in the cloud meanwhile.
Download fails: choose Try again or Download the latest version and run the installer yourself.
A site keeps asking for login: take over the computer, sign in, finish two-factor, then tell the Bot to continue.

One more rule: files that live only on your Windows machine aren't covered by the Bot computer's recovery, so keep your own backups.

Already on a Mac too?

The Mac build has its own installer and menu names, so I wrote a separate Grok Bot Mac setup guide.

Your Bots, chats and memory follow your account, so a Windows desktop and a MacBook see the same Bot list.

Manage devices under Settings → Computer lists every computer and phone, and each desktop keeps its own execution setting.

If you want the trainings that tie these apps into one Agent OS, the AI Profit Boardroom walks you through it.

What to do in your first hour

Check System type and download the matching Setup .exe.
Install it per user and sign in with your Cursor account.
Set Execution on this computer to Never allow.
Give the first Bot one job and one document to summarise.
Open Settings → Updates and decide whether Automatic Updates stays on.
Press Ctrl+/ and learn three shortcuts.

Run that list once and you'll have a working, locked-down setup before lunch.

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FAQ: Grok Bot Windows

Is Grok Bot available for Windows on Arm?

Yes. xAI publishes a Windows Arm64 Setup .exe alongside the x64 one, and both are listed on cursor.com/download/bot.

Where does the Grok Bot Windows installer put the app?

It installs per user, into the profile under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs. Deploy it in user context, not as SYSTEM.

Is there an MSI for Grok Bot?

No. Windows gets a Setup .exe only. Wrap it in your management tool's package format if the tool requires one.

Can I stop Grok Bot updating itself on Windows?

You can turn off Automatic Updates so updates wait for Restart to Update, but the app still checks for and offers new versions. A downloaded update also installs when you quit.

What is the dictation shortcut on Windows?

Ctrl+D while the prompt is focused. The changelog says you can press or hold it.

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I'm Julian Goldie, an SEO entrepreneur, author and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.

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Get the right Setup .exe on your PC, set Never allow before your first task, and book a free SEO strategy session if you want help choosing the first jobs for grok bot windows.