Fix Grok Bot “Can’t reach your computer” and blank or black screens

Grok Bot runs work on a persistent cloud computer. The desktop or iPhone app is how you watch and approve. A blank window, black screen, or “Can’t reach your computer” means the app cannot reach that cloud computer right now. Profiles and saved conversations are not necessarily gone.

Supported desktop apps are macOS and Windows. The companion app runs on iPhone (iOS 18+). Linux desktop, Android, and iPad are not supported at initial launch. Install on macOS, Windows, or iPhone.

Recover in this order

Official troubleshooting starts least destructive:

1. Choose Retry, or reopen the conversation.
2. Fully quit and restart the Grok Bot app.
3. From the unreachable-computer state, choose Recover computer or Recover Agent Computer when offered.
4. If recovery is missing, open Settings → Beta → Update Agent Computer, then wait for the replacement computer.
5. Use Reset Agent Computer only after recovery and update fail, and only if you accept losing recent unsynced work.

Recover and Update Agent Computer preserve durable files and logins. Reset Agent Computer restores the last saved snapshot and can drop recent or unsynced work.

Cloud work can continue even when the desktop or iPhone app is disconnected. Closing the laptop does not stop a background turn or routine.

"Please try again" with Starting desktop

Forum activity includes macOS 0.44.0 loops of Please try again on most messages, Starting desktop, and a Can't reach bots screen while Updates check fails (Please try again / Starting desktop / Can't reach). Stay on the official order above: Retry → restart app → Recover → Update Agent Computer → Reset last. Check for a Grok Bot app update under Settings → Beta → Check for Updates when the Updates check itself fails.

Setup that never finishes

Initial setup and an image update can take several minutes. Keep the app open while Starting your computer or Updating your computer still advances.

If progress fails or freezes:

1. Retry from the error state.
2. Restart Grok Bot.
3. Check for a Grok Bot app update (Settings → Beta → Check for Updates).
4. Use Update Agent Computer if the computer stays unreachable.

The app update and the Agent Computer update are separate. Updating the desktop app does not reset the cloud computer.

Network checks when the cloud computer is healthy

When staff confirm the Agent Computer is fine on their side, the local network often cannot resolve or reach the host the app uses. Practical checks:

1. Open Grok Bot on a phone hotspot. If it loads there, the usual network is filtering the connection.
2. Temporarily disable VPN / Cloudflare WARP (or split-tunnel so it does not intercept Grok Bot traffic), then reopen the app.
3. As a test, switch DNS to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 and relaunch.
4. On a company network, ask IT to allow the Grok Bot / Cursor VM hostnames your install uses.

Platforms and sign-in

1. Confirm you are on macOS, Windows, or iPhone with an eligible plan (SuperGrok Plus, SuperGrok Heavy, Cursor Pro+, Cursor Ultra, or Cursor Teams Standard/Premium — see current access docs).
2. Finish Sign In with Cursor in the browser, then return to the app.
3. Legacy Privacy Mode blocks Grok Bot. Move the Cursor account to a supported data setting before setup can complete.

Pitfalls

• Every Bot on the account shares one cloud computer. A reachability error usually points at that shared computer or the network path to it.
• Local-computer execution is a separate permission under Settings → General → Agent → Execution on Local Computer. Cloud-computer failures are unrelated to that toggle.
• Before support: collect Grok Bot version, OS, exact error text, Bot name, time zone, and any request/conversation id. Do not paste passwords or one-time codes into chat.