# Remote machines

> Work with agents on another computer or a Vato Connect machine from Vato Desktop, and add projects on that machine.

From Vato Desktop, you can chat with agents on your other machines: another computer running Vato Desktop, or a server running Vato Connect. The files stay on that machine; you drive the conversation from here.

## Before you start

The other machine must be:

- Signed in with the **same Vato account** as this computer.
- Online: Vato Desktop open on it, or Vato Connect installed and signed in. See [Install Vato Connect](install-vato-connect.md).

## Open Remote conversations

Choose one of:

- On the home screen, click **Remote conversations**.
- In the conversation sidebar, open the machine menu (**Choose a computer**) and pick the machine.

The machine menu lists **This computer** and your other machines, each marked **Online** or **Offline**. If it shows **No other computer is connected to this account.**, open Vato or start Connect on the other machine.

> [!TIP]
> To give remote machines their own entry in the sidebar, open **Settings → Appearance → Remote in the sidebar** and choose **Separate entry** instead of **Dropdown**.

## Start a conversation on the remote machine

1. Select the machine.
2. Click **New Agent**. Vato lists the projects of that machine, most recent first.
3. Pick a project and write your request, like in any [conversation](../agents/first-conversation.md).

## Add a project on the remote machine

To work on a folder the remote machine hasn't opened yet:

1. Click the folder button at the top of the sidebar (**Add a project on this machine**), or choose **New project** in the project list.
2. Vato opens **Open a project on *machine***, a folder browser of the remote machine:
   - **Favorites** gives quick access to the home folder and common folders such as Documents or Desktop.
   - Use **Back**, **Forward** and the path bar to move around, and **Search** to filter.
   - Git repositories are marked **Git repository** in the **Kind** column.
3. Select a folder and click **Open**.

The project opens in the background on the remote machine, and Vato creates a conversation in it.

What the browser can and can't show:

- Only folders inside the machine's home folder. The home folder itself can't become a project: Vato asks you to **Pick a folder inside your home folder.**
- Only folders. File names and hidden folders are never shared.
- At most the first 500 folders of a location.

The browsing is end-to-end encrypted and only answers desktops signed in to your own account, never a teammate's.

> [!NOTE]
> If Vato shows **Can't browse *machine***, the machine doesn't support folder browsing yet. Update Vato on it and click **Try again**. A Vato Connect machine works on the folder it was started with, for example with `vato ide serve --workspace <folder>`.

## Which account runs the agent on a Connect machine

On a workspace hosted by Vato Connect, new conversations use a Claude or Codex account from **your Vato Desktop**. The agent runs on your account while the files stay on the remote machine.

Choose an explicit account for these conversations. Vato can't use **Current CLI login** with a Connect machine. If no account is available, add one in **Settings → Providers**.

## SSH connections

The **SSH connection** entry on the home screen isn't available yet. To work on a server today, install Vato Connect on it and use it as a remote machine.

## Related pages

- [Control your machines from a terminal](vato-ide-cli.md)
- [Follow conversations from your phone](../mobile/companion-app.md)

Source: https://vatoide.com/docs/connect/remote-machines