OpenClaw Windows Hub (Companion App): Setup Guide

What Windows Hub Is

Windows Hub is the openclaw/openclaw-windows-node project on GitHub, a native WinUI 3 tray app. The OpenClaw docs recommend it for most Windows users. It gives you:

• A setup wizard that installs a private OpenClaw gateway on your PC, or connects to one you already run
• A tray icon showing gateway, session, usage, channel and node status
• Built-in chat and Quick Send, opened from anywhere with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C
• Node mode, which lets your agent use capabilities of this PC that you switch on
• A Command Center with diagnostics and copyable repair commands
• Automatic updates from GitHub Releases

Prefer a terminal? The OpenClaw on Windows guide covers the PowerShell installer, WSL2 and Docker.

Requirements

• Windows 10 20H2 or later, or Windows 11, on an x64 or ARM64 PC
• WebView2 Runtime, already installed on Windows 11 and most up-to-date Windows 10 PCs
• No existing gateway needed. The setup wizard can create one for you. If you already run OpenClaw, on this PC or on a server, you can connect to that instead.

Install

1. Download OpenClawCompanion-Setup-x64.exe for most PCs, or OpenClawCompanion-Setup-arm64.exe for Snapdragon and other ARM64 laptops. A SHA-256 checksum file is published alongside them.
2. Run the installer. It does not need administrator rights. Windows may show a SmartScreen prompt: choose More info, then Run anyway.
3. Launch OpenClaw Companion from the Start menu. The installer also adds shortcuts for Gateway Setup, Settings and Chat.

First Launch: Set Up a Gateway

The setup wizard opens when the app has no saved gateway:

1. Choose Install a local gateway (WSL). This creates a separate, locked-down WSL distro called OpenClawGateway just for OpenClaw. It does not change any Ubuntu distro you already have.
2. Pick a capability profile. The wizard shows what it will install before anything runs.
3. When the gateway is installed, choose Start OpenClaw onboard to pick your AI provider, model and key.

Already running OpenClaw? Choose Connect to an existing gateway instead. It works with a gateway on this PC, in WSL, or on a remote server.

Tray Icon

• Green: connected to the gateway
• Amber: connecting or reconnecting
• Red: an error
• Grey: disconnected

Left-click the icon for the quick menu, and right-click for more options.

Node Mode: Let the Agent Use This PC

Node mode registers your PC with the gateway as a node, so the agent can use the capabilities you allow, such as running commands or showing notifications. It is set up in the app, with no config files to edit:

1. Open Companion Settings from the tray menu.
2. In Connection, connect to your gateway and approve any pairing request.
3. In Sandbox, choose how programs run by the agent are contained.
4. In Permissions, turn on Node mode and pick the capabilities to offer.
5. Open Command Center to confirm the node is connected.

Keep camera, microphone, screen recording and command execution off unless you need them.

Troubleshooting

The tray icon is grey or red

Open Command Center. It explains what is failing and gives a repair command you can copy. You can also re-run the setup wizard from the tray menu.

Quick Send does not open

Another app may already use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C. Close it and try again, or open Quick Send from the tray menu.

Finding the logs

The app log is at %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenClawTray\openclaw-tray.log, and settings live in %APPDATA%\OpenClawTray\.

Uninstalling

Uninstall OpenClaw Companion from Settings, Apps. You will be asked whether to remove the local WSL gateway as well. Delete %APPDATA%\OpenClawTray\ for a fully clean removal.

Skip the Setup: Use OpenClaw Launch