Install Iris on Windows

Checking for the latest build...

Please read this first. Windows is the newest version of Iris and the least tested. Many things that work on a Mac do not work on Windows yet (see the list below). Bugs you find here are very useful to us.

You need: Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.

Download #

  1. On your PC, open the welcome email from Iris Alpha and click the Windows download link. If the page asks you to sign in, type your email, then the 6-digit code we send you.

    Screenshot: welcome email with the Windows download linkScreenshot coming soon

  2. Your browser downloads Iris-Setup.exe. If the browser says the file is not commonly downloaded, choose Keep.

Run the installer #

  1. Open your Downloads folder and double-click Iris-Setup.exe.

  2. A blue box may appear: "Windows protected your PC". Click More info.

    Screenshot: the SmartScreen "Windows protected your PC" boxScreenshot coming soon

  3. Check that it names the app as Iris, then click Run anyway.

    Screenshot: SmartScreen after More info, with the Run anyway buttonScreenshot coming soon

  4. The installer runs on its own. It installs Iris for your Windows account, adds Iris to your Start menu and desktop, and opens Iris when it finishes.

Why Windows shows this warning #

SmartScreen warns about any app that Windows has not yet seen downloaded by many people. Iris is new and only a few testers have it, so Windows does not know it yet. The warning does not mean Windows found anything wrong with the file. It goes away for a new app once enough people have installed it.

Only click Run anyway for a file you downloaded from the link in your welcome email.

Sign in and set up #

  1. Type your email and click Send code. Type the 6-digit code from the email. There is no password. Use the same email you use on your phone.

  2. Follow the setup. It checks that Iris can hear you, then asks you to say her name a few times so she learns your voice.

  3. If Iris cannot hear you, open Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, and switch on Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone.

    Screenshot: Windows microphone privacy settingsScreenshot coming soon

What works on Windows today #

Works: talking to Iris and her answers, timers and alarms, her own music player, opening apps, opening a new terminal window, volume, brightness on laptops, locking the screen, battery, the clipboard.

Mac only for now: WhatsApp, Reminders, Calendar, email drafts, listing or switching browser tabs, switching terminal tabs, turning Wi-Fi on or off, dark mode, Do Not Disturb, and checking what Spotify or another app is playing.

If you ask for something that only works on a Mac, Iris should tell you so. If she says she did it but nothing happened, that is a bug worth reporting.

Updating on Windows #

Windows does not update Iris by itself yet. When Iris tells you a new version is out, download the new installer from the link in your welcome email and run it. See Updating.

If it doesn't work #

  1. There is no "Run anyway" button. Click More info first. If it is still missing, your PC may be managed by a school or company that blocks new apps. Try a personal PC.
  2. Windows Security removed the file. Write to support@irisforu.com with a screenshot of the message. Do not turn off your antivirus.
  3. Nothing happens after the installer. Look for Iris in the Start menu and open it from there.
  4. The sign-in code does not arrive. Check spam. Wait 30 seconds and ask for a new code. A code works for 10 minutes, and only the newest one works.
  5. Iris opens and closes straight away. That is a launch failure, and it counts as a real bug. Report it on the Report a bug page.
  6. Still stuck? Write to support@irisforu.com with your Windows version and a screenshot.