Motes by Orbit

Little agents
that orbit you.

Personal helpers you can text, call and count on. Free and private, on your own computer.

Download Watch the film

Free for Mac, Windows and Linux.

Watch the launch film. 55 seconds, sound on.

Meet the motes

Make as many as you like.

Each mote has its own name, look and personality, and a job it’s great at.

  • Nova plans your week.

    Gym moved to Thursday, 6 PM.

  • Pip keeps you moving.

    10,000 steps today. Legend.

  • Sage helps you study.

    Flashcards are ready for tomorrow.

  • Penny watches your budget.

    You’re $40 under budget this week.

  • Biscuit handles dinner.

    Lemony spinach frittata tonight?

  • Luna winds you down.

    Your wind-down playlist is ready.

Chat

Just text.

Like texting a friend who actually gets things done.

  • React with a tap

    Give a thumbs up, and your mote reacts right back.

  • Reply to any message

    Quote what you mean, and it knows exactly what you’re talking about.

  • A nudge when it’s time

    Notifications for reminders, finished work and questions only you can answer.

Calls

Rather talk? Call it.

Each mote has its own voice. After you hang up, it remembers the call and gets going on anything it promised.

Your voice stays on your computer.

Call with Sage

4 min · Today 6:10 PM

I saved the three verbs you missed. Quiz on Thursday?

Fast or Think

Quick answers. Or careful ones.

Replies come right away. For plans and tricky questions, switch to Think and your mote works it through first.

NovaReplies right away

Rain tomorrow?

Light rain after 3 PM. Take an umbrella if you’re out late.

Each mote remembers your choice. Calls always stay fast.

Always on

It keeps going, even while you sleep.

Big asks become projects that run in the background while you carry on. Your mote reports back when they’re done, and asks before anything important.

Routines

Say it once, and it runs like clockwork.

Reminders

Right on time, as a friendly nudge.

Research and browsing

It has its own browser, and digs in while you do other things.

It asks first

Before it sends, buys or deletes anything. You make the rules.

Private and free

Private. And free.

Your motes think with a brain that runs right on your computer. Your chats never leave it, and there’s nothing to pay.

  • A brain on your computer

    It runs through Ollama, a free app. Motes walks you through getting it, then downloads the right brain for you.

  • Chats that stay yours

    Your conversations, and everything your motes remember, stay on your computer.

  • Nothing to pay

    The app is free, and so is the brain. No subscription, and no fees per message.

A brain for every computer.

Motes picks the one that fits your computer, and you can switch any time. Smaller brains are quicker. Bigger ones are smarter.

  1. TinyFor older computers1 GB
  2. SmallFor computers without a graphics chip2.7 GB
  3. LightFor 8 GB of memory3.4 GB
  4. BalancedFor 16 GB or more6.6 GB
  5. PowerfulFor Macs with Apple silicon and 32 GB16 GB

Download sizes. You only need one.

Coming soon

Take your motes with you.

An app for iPhone and Android is on its way. It syncs with your account, so your motes are never far away.

Go on, say hi.

Motes is free for Mac, Windows and Linux.

Download for Mac Download for Windows Download for Linux

  • Mac

    macOS 12 or later. One app for Apple silicon and Intel.

  • Windows

    Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.

  • Linux

    x64, as an AppImage.

8 GB of memory recommended. Older computers can use a smaller brain.

Opening it the first time

Motes is new, and it isn’t signed with paid certificates yet. So the first time you open it, your computer asks you to confirm.

Mac

Open Motes. If macOS says it can’t verify the app, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. Then confirm.

Windows

If a blue SmartScreen window appears, click More info, then Run anyway.

Linux

Make the AppImage executable: right-click it, choose Properties and turn on Allow executing (or run chmod +x on it). Then open it.

Good questions.

Is Motes free?

Yes. The app is free, and so is the brain your motes think with. There’s no subscription and nothing to pay per message.

Where do my chats go?

Nowhere. Your chats, your calls and everything your motes remember stay on your computer, and the brain runs there too.

The one exception is the optional Claude boost (see below). If you turn it on for a mote, that mote can send its work to Claude.

What computer do I need?

A Mac with macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon or Intel), a PC with Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or a Linux PC (x64).

We recommend 8 GB of memory. Older computers can use a smaller brain, which is simpler but quick. The brain needs some free space too: from 1 GB for Tiny to 16 GB for Powerful.

What’s Ollama, and why do I need it?

Ollama is a free app that runs your motes’ brain on your own computer. It’s what lets Motes work without sending your chats anywhere.

You don’t have to set it up yourself. Motes walks you through getting it, then downloads the brain that suits your computer.

Why does my computer warn me when I open it?

Motes is new, and it isn’t signed with paid certificates yet, so your computer asks you to confirm the first time. You only do this once.

  • Mac: open Motes. If macOS says it can’t verify the app, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. Then confirm.
  • Windows: if SmartScreen appears, click More info, then Run anyway.
  • Linux: make the AppImage executable (right-click, Properties, Allow executing, or chmod +x), then open it.
Can I use Claude?

Yes, if you like. With your own Claude key, a mote can get a boost from Claude for bigger jobs, within a monthly budget you set. Everything else stays on your computer.

Is there a phone app?

It’s coming soon, for iPhone and Android. It syncs with your account, so your motes can come along wherever you go.

How many motes can I have?

As many as you like. Each one gets its own chat, look, personality and job.