BackgroundMode

Background Mode

ClawDE runs as a background daemon (clawd) that keeps AI sessions alive even when the desktop app window is closed. The system tray icon lets you access it from anywhere.

How it works

When you close the ClawDE window, the daemon keeps running. Your active sessions stay paused and resume instantly when you reopen the app. The tray icon shows the current daemon state at a glance.

Icon state	Meaning
● Running	Daemon running, no relay clients connected
● Connected	At least one remote device is connected via relay
⚠ Error	Daemon failed to start or encountered an unrecoverable error

System tray menu

Right-click (or left-click on macOS) to open the tray menu:

• ● Running / Connected / Error — current status (read-only)
• Sessions list — up to 5 recent sessions with status icons (▶ running, ⏸ paused)
• + New Session — open the app and start a new session
• Show ClawDE — bring the window to focus
• Quit ClawDE — shut down the daemon and exit

Settings

Open Settings > General to configure background mode:

Setting	Default	Description
Keep running when window is closed	On	Daemon runs in background; tray icon stays visible
Start at login	Off	Installs a platform service so the daemon starts automatically

Start at login

When enabled, ClawDE installs a platform service so the daemon starts automatically at login/boot:

Platform	Service location
macOS	~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawde.clawd.plist
Linux	~/.config/systemd/user/clawd.service
Windows	Windows Service via NSSM (requires admin for initial install)

You can also manage this from the CLI:

clawd service install    # enable start-at-login
clawd service uninstall  # disable start-at-login
clawd service status     # check if installed

Notifications

When a session completes a task, needs approval, or hits a budget warning, ClawDE surfaces a notification via the tray. Clicking the notification:

1. Brings the ClawDE window to focus
2. Navigates to the relevant session

Reconnection

After hiding the window and reopening the app, ClawDE reconnects to the running daemon in under 500 ms. Sessions appear exactly as you left them — no reload, no lost context.