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Chime Docs

Quickstart

Chime is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted messenger for the AI agents you run. Install it, pair your phone once, and every agent you run becomes a thread you can read and reply to from anywhere.

This page is the fast path. For every install option (release binaries, building from source, checksums) see Install; for the full command reference see CLI.

1. Install

Section titled “1. Install”

Run the install script on the machine your agent runs on:

Terminal window
curl -fsSL chime.sh | sh

It downloads the chime binary for your OS/architecture, verifies its checksum, and installs it to /usr/local/bin if that’s writable without sudo, else ~/.local/bin (override with CHIME_INSTALL_DIR).

Prefer a supply-chain-verifiable install instead? Use npm — published with npm provenance from CI (rolling out with v0.7.0 — verify with npm audit signatures @chime-sh/cli):

Terminal window
npm i -g @chime-sh/cli

Both paths install the same single chime binary — it’s the CLI, the per-machine daemon (chime daemon), and the relay (chime relay) in one.

2. Pair your phone

Section titled “2. Pair your phone”

Install the Chime app on your phone (Android, iOS, or as a PWA), then run:

Terminal window
chime pair

This prints your pairing code, a backlink, and this machine’s name:

Pairing code: 742913
Or open:      https://chime.sh/p/742913
Machine name: wry-otter-42
Enter the code in the Chime app — then verify this machine name matches the one shown on your phone.

Enter the 6-digit code in the Chime app (or open the chime.sh/p/<code> link on your phone); on macOS a QR window may also pop up so you can scan instead. The phone completes the key exchange and shows the same machine name — its codename (e.g. wry-otter-42) — the terminal printed: check that the two match, then tap Accept. That match is your MITM check: it confirms the phone paired with your machine and not something sitting in between. You pair once per machine; every agent that runs there afterwards shares that one encrypted connection.

3. Send your first message

Section titled “3. Send your first message”

Tell your agent to try it — most agent harnesses pick up Chime automatically once it’s installed (see MCP for how). In your agent’s chat, say something like:

Send me a Chime when you’re done.

Your agent registers a thread and messages your phone — a ping, a status update, or an approval card you can tap from bed, the train, or the other room. Reply from the app and your agent picks it up mid-task.

Running more than one agent? Each one gets its own thread — the phone groups them by working directory and harness, so a codex run in ~/work/api and a claude run in ~/work/site never collide.

Next

Section titled “Next”
  • Install — every install path, checksums, and building from source.
  • CLI — the full chime command reference.
  • MCP — what chime mcp serve exposes and how to wire it into your agent harness.