# Connect your AI

RADIQ plugs into AI apps through MCP, the open standard for giving an AI access to tools. Connect once and your AI can search your screen, meetings and memories whenever a question needs them.

## The easy way: from the RADIQ app

When you first set up RADIQ, it connects the AI apps it finds on your Mac by itself: **Claude Desktop**, **Codex**, **Cursor**, **Hermes**, **OpenClaw** and **Windsurf**. To connect one you installed later, or one you disconnected:

1.  Open RADIQ and go to **Connections**.
2.  In the **AI tools** card, click **Connect all**, or **Connect** next to a single app. RADIQ only lists apps it finds on your computer.
3.  **Quit and reopen that AI app** (fully quit, not just close the window). AI apps only load new connectors when they start.
4.  Ask: "What was I working on in the last hour?" Your AI should ask to use a RADIQ tool. Allow it.

Connecting adds a `radiq` entry to that app's MCP settings, with your local RADIQ key, and adds RADIQ's built-in skills where the app supports skills. It never touches your other connectors. **Disconnect** removes exactly what it added. Each time RADIQ starts, it updates your key in Claude Desktop, Cursor, OpenClaw and Windsurf if it has changed. For Codex and Hermes, disconnect and connect again after changing your key.

**Claude Code** isn't in the AI tools list. Connect it with one command: see [Claude Code](https://myradiq.com/docs/connect#claude-code).

## Which AI app to use

| You pay for | Use | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Claude Pro / Max / Team | **Claude Desktop** or **Claude Code** | Best experience. Add the [RADIQ skill](https://myradiq.com/docs/skill) too. Claude Code is connected by hand. |
| ChatGPT Plus / Pro / Team | **Codex** (app or CLI), signed in with your ChatGPT account | The ChatGPT chat app can't reach connectors running on your computer, so use Codex. |
| Cursor | **Cursor** | Handy while coding: "what did the error in my terminal say an hour ago?" |
| Your own agent | **Hermes** or **OpenClaw** | Runs with whichever model you configure. |
| Windsurf | **Windsurf** | MCP only (no skills). |

## App by app

### Claude Desktop

1.  Connect from RADIQ as above, then quit Claude (`⌘Q`) and reopen it.
2.  In a new chat, open the connectors/tools menu in the message box and check that **radiq** is listed and switched on.
3.  Upload the [RADIQ skill](https://myradiq.com/docs/skill#claude-desktop). Claude Desktop doesn't read skills from your disk, so this step is manual.

### Claude Code

1.  Install [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) if you don't have it.
2.  Copy your RADIQ key: in RADIQ open **Settings → Privacy**, and under **Require API Authentication** click the copy icon (**Copy key**).
3.  In Terminal, run this with your key in place of `paste-your-key`:
    
    ```
    claude mcp add radiq --scope user -e RADIQ_LOCAL_API_KEY=paste-your-key -- npx -y radiq-mcp@latest
    ```
    
4.  Start a new `claude` session and run `/mcp`. **radiq** should show as connected.

Add the [RADIQ skill](https://myradiq.com/docs/skill#folders) to `~/.claude/skills` as well. If you regenerate your RADIQ key later, run `claude mcp remove radiq --scope user` and add it again with the new key.

### ChatGPT plan: Codex

Install Codex and sign in with your ChatGPT account. Connect it from RADIQ (it writes `~/.codex/config.toml`), then start a new Codex session. Run `/mcp` in the CLI to confirm **radiq** is listed.

### Cursor

Connect from RADIQ, then reopen Cursor. Under **Cursor Settings → MCP**, **radiq** should show a green dot. Use it from Agent mode.

### Hermes and OpenClaw

Connect from RADIQ. It adds `radiq` under `mcp_servers` in `~/.hermes/config.yaml` (Hermes) or `mcpServers` in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` (OpenClaw), and installs skills to `~/.hermes/skills` or `~/.openclaw/skills`. Restart the agent afterwards.

## Connecting by hand

Use this only if the app's Connect button doesn't work for you, or for an MCP app RADIQ doesn't list. You need [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) installed and your RADIQ key: in RADIQ open **Settings → Privacy**, and under **Require API Authentication** click the copy icon (**Copy key**).

**JSON apps** (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, and most others): add this inside `"mcpServers"`.

```
"radiq": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "radiq-mcp@latest"],
  "env": { "RADIQ_LOCAL_API_KEY": "paste-your-key" }
}
```

Claude Desktop's file is `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`. Cursor's is `~/.cursor/mcp.json`.

**Claude Code**: see [Claude Code](https://myradiq.com/docs/connect#claude-code) above.

**Codex**: add to `~/.codex/config.toml`.

```
[mcp_servers.radiq]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "radiq-mcp@latest"]

[mcp_servers.radiq.env]
RADIQ_LOCAL_API_KEY = "paste-your-key"
```

**Hermes**: add to `~/.hermes/config.yaml`.

```
mcp_servers:
  radiq:
    command: "npx"
    args:
      - "-y"
      - "radiq-mcp@latest"
    env:
      RADIQ_LOCAL_API_KEY: "paste-your-key"
```

Your RADIQ key gives read access to everything RADIQ has recorded. Keep it in these local config files only, and never paste it into a chat.

## Check it works

Ask your AI to run RADIQ's **health check**:

> Use the radiq health-check tool and tell me if screen and audio capture are working.

If the tools are missing or the AI says RADIQ isn't running, see [Troubleshooting](https://myradiq.com/docs/troubleshooting).

---
Source: https://myradiq.com/docs/connect · Last updated 2026-10-25