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OpenClaw.app bundles a private Node runtime and matching OpenClaw package for its app-owned node worker helper. Rebuilding or replacing the app replaces that helper too, including rebuilds with the same public version. The helper runs from the signed bundle, so moving the app or removing its build checkout does not change which worker it uses. The Gateway remains external. The app uses an external openclaw CLI to manage a per-user launchd service, or attaches to an already-running Gateway. It does not start the Gateway inside its private worker runtime. Packaging the worker never installs, updates, or restarts a Gateway service. The private worker validates core and node configuration through a read-only bootstrap, without Gateway-wide Doctor preflight or channel-schema validation. Node plugins still validate their own settings before publishing commands, and the node runtime owns its MCP clients. Node startup retains the Doctor-owned device-auth, device-identity, and exec-approval migrations; this is not a promise that all worker startup is read-only. Public node run, Gateway, and Doctor retain their existing startup policies. When the native app creates identity, device-auth, or approval tables before the worker starts, node startup completes that recognized version-zero database through the canonical initializer before plugins read their state. Existing native rows are preserved. This does not migrate an already-versioned shared Gateway database or adopt unknown or occupied bootstrap state.

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Automatic setup

On a fresh Mac, choose This Mac during onboarding. The app runs its signed, bundled installer script before the Gateway wizard: it installs a user-space Node runtime and the matching openclaw CLI under ~/.openclaw, then installs and starts the per-user launchd service. This path needs no Terminal, Homebrew, or administrator access. The installer uses a private temporary directory for downloads and build tools. If the app’s inherited temporary directory is inaccessible, setup automatically uses a private directory under /tmp and removes it when the installer exits. This also avoids macOS temporary-directory permission errors without installing the CLI as root. Gateway setup still needs an internet connection to download its separate runtime and matching OpenClaw package. The bundled installer owns that setup; the private worker is not a replacement for a CLI or Gateway installation. Remote connections and attachment to an independently managed local Gateway skip this installation. Attach-only mode never prompts for a CLI to run the app’s node. Pausing preserves who manages the Gateway, even when stopping an app-managed service removes its LaunchAgent record. If an independent endpoint is no longer available on reattachment, local setup becomes available again. An unreadable service ownership record blocks automatic installation instead of being treated as a missing service; check the LaunchAgent and retry.

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Manual recovery

Read the version to install from the app: choose About OpenClaw in the menu bar, or run openclaw-mac status --json, which reports the app version and build. For a manual install, use Node 26 (recommended) or another supported release: Node 24.16+ or Node 26.1+. Install openclaw globally: The command below is for npm 12 or npm 11.16+. On npm 11.15 and earlier, omit --allow-scripts=openclaw.
Use Retry setup after a failed automatic setup. If that still fails, install the CLI manually with the command above, then choose Check again in onboarding.

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Launchd (Gateway as LaunchAgent)

Label: ai.openclaw.gateway (default profile), or ai.openclaw.<profile> for a named profile. Plist location (per-user): ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist (or ai.openclaw.<profile>.plist). The macOS app owns LaunchAgent install/update for the default profile in Local mode. The CLI can also install it directly: openclaw gateway install (named profiles are selected via the OPENCLAW_PROFILE env var). Behavior:
  • “OpenClaw Active” enables/disables the LaunchAgent.
  • Quitting the app does not stop the Gateway (launchd keeps it alive).
  • If a Gateway is already running on the configured port, the app attaches to it instead of starting a new one.
  • Other listeners are left running. Resolve port conflicts through the process or service that owns them; automatic cleanup only reaps recorded orphaned SSH tunnels.
  • If service inspection is inconclusive, the app defers installation and uses its existing readiness checks. A service confirmed absent can still be installed.
Use the CLI for lifecycle checks and recovery:
When Also run a Gateway on this Mac is enabled with a remote primary, the managed launch agent includes --allow-unconfigured so it can run while gateway.mode remains remote. Switching the primary to local removes that argument. See local hosting alongside a remote primary. Launchd provides auto-start at login, crash restarts, and one predictable log location without tying the Gateway lifetime to the app process.

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Unexpected repeated restarts

Run these commands if the Gateway repeatedly restarts after an update:
On macOS, both commands report foreign loaded jobs in the ai.openclaw.* namespace, including jobs submitted without a plist. The report shows each label, program, KeepAlive flag, and detected openclaw gateway restart, start, or stop invocation. Plain-text status shows the list as a warning when at least one job has KeepAlive or a verified lifecycle invocation. Otherwise, the list appears informationally under “Other OpenClaw launchd jobs (macOS)”. Status JSON includes all these jobs under service.foreignLaunchdJobs. For warnings, recent external forced restarts in the lifecycle log provide a possible correlation; the count alone does not identify which job caused a restart. After three external forced restarts within ten minutes, the managed Gateway logs an actionable warning naming likely KeepAlive jobs when available. It does not suppress an operator’s restart command. To remove confirmed stray Gateway lifecycle jobs and verify recovery:
Doctor removes a foreign job only when its literal, straight-line script or direct arguments invoke an absolute OpenClaw path with a Gateway lifecycle subcommand. Shell jobs must also have no launchd environment entries that alter shell execution. Everything outside this contract is reported and left unchanged. This is command-metadata verification; it does not probe binary executability, interpreter availability, or quarantine state. Doctor preserves managed LaunchAgents, unrelated labels, and jobs whose purpose cannot be established, and names every removal even in noninteractive runs. Service repair remains disabled for an isolated install identity, external supervision, or an update in progress. Never use launchctl submit or an ad-hoc KeepAlive job for updates or Gateway lifecycle commands. Such a job can repeatedly run openclaw gateway restart whenever its script exits, as described in #114967. Use the managed update workflow and its suspension fence, then verify status and health.

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Attach-only development

When another process already owns the local Gateway, run the development app without installing or changing its LaunchAgent:
Launching the app directly with --attach-only or --no-launchd has the same effect. The override persists in ~/.openclaw/disable-launchagent; remove that file to restore app-managed launchd behavior. Named profiles still require the listener to belong to that profile’s Gateway service. Attach-only mode does not permit attaching another process or profile. If a port ownership conflict occurs, automatic recovery preserves the failure instead of repeatedly reopening the dashboard. Resolve the conflict, then relaunch the app. Logging:
  • launchd stdout: ~/Library/Logs/openclaw/gateway.log (profiles use gateway-<profile>.log)
  • launchd stderr: merged into the same gateway.log file, so startup failures that happen before the logger starts are still recorded
  • If the host loops with repeated EADDRINUSE or fast restarts, check for duplicate ai.openclaw.gateway / ai.openclaw.node LaunchAgents and the launchd-marker workaround in Gateway troubleshooting.

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Version compatibility

The private worker must match the app’s build provenance, not merely its version number. A missing or incompatible worker payload produces a visible worker error; rebuild or reinstall the app. Changing CLI channels or updating a global CLI does not repair this private payload. Unbundled Swift development builds can use the checkout’s freshness-aware source runner instead. For an app-owned local Gateway, the macOS app checks the external CLI against its install policy. Onboarding runs managed setup when that CLI is missing or incompatible. An attached Gateway uses connection and health checks instead of local CLI installation diagnostics. Use Retry setup after a failed managed installation, or open Connection… → Connection from the menu bar and choose Recheck after repairing it. The Connection window remains available when the Dashboard cannot reach the Gateway.

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State directory on macOS

Keep OpenClaw state on a local, non-synced disk. Avoid iCloud Drive and other cloud-synced folders; sync latency and file locks can affect sessions, credentials, and Gateway state. Set OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR to a local path only when you need an override. openclaw doctor warns about common cloud-synced state paths and recommends moving back to local storage. See environment variables and Doctor.

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Debug app connectivity

Inspect the running app with the bundled macOS CLI:
The app’s CLI installer links openclaw-mac beside its profile-managed openclaw command. You can also run /Applications/OpenClaw.app/Contents/MacOS/openclaw-mac directly. See remote control for primary set, saved-Gateway commands, profiles, and credential input. For standalone Gateway WebSocket handshake and discovery probes from a source checkout, the existing debug commands remain available:
connect accepts --url, --token, --timeout, --probe, and --json (plus client-identity overrides; run with --help for the full list). discover accepts --timeout, --json, and --include-local. Compare discovery output with openclaw gateway discover --json when you need to separate CLI discovery from app-side connection issues.

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Smoke check

Then: