Install an AI app and connect it to Addness

You use Addness together with your AI (Claude Code or Codex). When you sign up, your goal page has a goal called "Set up Addness". Press "Ask AI" on the "1. Connect your AI to Addness" row, and the AI app on your computer opens. The AI then works through the steps in order, from connecting to Addness to deciding today's to-dos.

This article is for people who haven't installed an AI app yet. It walks you through installing Claude Code or Codex and opening the AI with your first "Ask AI". You don't need any technical knowledge, and you don't need to type any commands. It takes about 30 minutes from installing the app to finishing the setup.

People who joined an organization by invitation also have the same "Set up Addness" on their goal page. The steps are the same.

What you need

• A computer (Mac, or Windows 10 or 11). You do the setup on a computer. If you signed up in the Addness mobile app, sign in to the same account in a browser on your computer too
• An Addness account. If you've finished signing up, you already have one
• One AI account. Get one of the following, depending on the AI you use

Either AI takes you to the same point. If your company specifies which AI or account to use, follow that. If you're not sure, Claude Code is fine.

Install Claude Code

Claude Code is the "Code" tab in the Claude app. Install the Claude app and sign in with your Claude account.

Mac

1. Open Claude's download page and download the Mac version (it works on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs)
2. Open the downloaded file and drag the Claude icon to the "Applications" folder
3. Launch Claude from "Applications" and sign in with your Claude account

Windows

1. Open Claude's download page and download the Windows version
2. Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions
3. Launch Claude and sign in with your Claude account

Once you're signed in to the Claude app and can see the "Code" tab at the top of the screen, you're ready. Keep the Claude app open and go on to Open the AI with "Ask AI".

Install Codex

Codex is OpenAI's AI app. Install the Codex app and sign in with your ChatGPT account.

Mac

1. Download the Codex app for Mac (this is OpenAI's official download file. It runs on Macs with Apple silicon)
2. Open the downloaded file and drag the Codex icon to the "Applications" folder
3. Launch Codex from "Applications" and sign in with your ChatGPT account

Windows

1. Open the Codex page on the Microsoft Store and press "Get" to install it (this is OpenAI's official page. The app name is shown as "Codex" or "ChatGPT")
2. Launch the installed app and sign in with your ChatGPT account

Once the Codex app opens and you're signed in with your ChatGPT account, you're ready. Keep the Codex app open and go on to Open the AI with "Ask AI".

Open the AI with "Ask AI"

1. Open Addness in a browser on your computer, and open the goal page from "Goals" in the sidebar
2. Find the "1. Connect your AI to Addness" row under "Set up Addness". On the day you sign up, it's in today's to-dos. From the next day on, it's in "All your goals" below
3. Press ✦ ("Ask AI") on the right of the row. Three options appear: "Copy instruction", "Open in Claude Code" and "Open in Codex"
4. Press "Open in Claude Code" or "Open in Codex", depending on the AI app you installed. If the browser asks whether to open the app, choose to open it
5. The AI app opens with the instruction already filled in. Send the instruction without changing it

The AI takes it from there

Once you send it, the AI works through the steps in order. All you do is press "Allow" in the browser and talk with the AI.

• Allow the connection to Addness: When the AI connects to Addness, a "Connect to Addness MCP" screen opens in the browser. Sign in with your Addness account and press "Allow". You don't need to tell the AI your ID or password
• Reopen the AI app: After connecting, the AI may tell you "Please quit this app and open it again." Quit the AI app, open it again, pick the same conversation and send "continue". Closing the window doesn't quit the app, so quit it the way the AI explains
• The next rows: The AI works through "2. Connect your work tools" to "4. Decide today's to-dos" in order. When you connect your work tools (email, calendar, chat, documents and so on), you also allow them in the browser. Besides the connected tools, the AI also reads the folders, documents and past AI conversations on your computer to get the full picture of your work. It only reads all of these. It doesn't send or change anything. If there's anything you don't want it to read, tell the AI before it starts
• When it's done: The AI marks each finished row as complete. When all 4 rows are done, the AI completes "Set up Addness" too, and what to do today is lined up in today's to-dos on your goal page

If you close the AI app partway through, press the AI mark to the left of "Ask AI" on the row to go back to the same conversation (→ Goals Page "How to read a row"). People who finished signing up in the Addness mobile app also have a 5th row, "5. Ask your AI from your phone". The AI guides you through the 5th row in the same way.

If it doesn't work

• The AI app doesn't open when you press "Open in Claude Code" or "Open in Codex": Check that the AI app is installed and that you're signed in. If it's installed but still doesn't open, press "Copy instruction", paste the instruction into the AI app's input box and send it
• The "Allow" screen doesn't appear, or a different browser opened: Sign in to Addness in the browser that opened, then press "Allow" again. If it stops in Safari, make Chrome your default browser and open it again
• Connecting to Addness stopped partway: "If it stops partway" in MCP Integration has steps for Claude Code and Codex. Show the steps to the AI, or continue on your own
• The steps don't get you any further: Attach a screenshot of the screen where it stopped and contact us from "Questions about Addness" on the help home page

To connect an AI other than Claude Code or Codex (such as Cursor or Claude Desktop) to Addness, see MCP Integration.

This article is based on the screens as of September 26, 2026.