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GROK BOT / fix-grok-bot-cant-reach-computer

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

fix-grok-bot-cant-reach-computer

Use this when Grok Bot shows a blank window, a black screen, or “Can’t reach your computer.” Grok Bot runs work on a persistent cloud computer. The desktop or mobile 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 clients (official FAQ / get-started / overview):

  • Desktop: macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows (x64 and Arm64), Linux (x64 and Arm64 — .deb, .rpm, or AppImage)
  • Mobile: iPhone on iOS 18 or later; iPad on iPadOS 18 or later (iOS companion); Android 9 or later

Install desktop builds from x.ai/bot (Linux also under More downloads). Android: Install Grok Bot on Android. Linux RPM 403s: Install Grok Bot on Linux.

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 phone 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.

Windows looping reconnection when phone works

Staff on looping reconnection (deanrie, Sep 11, 2026): the Agent Computer is healthy and phone replies work, so do not Reset, Recover, or Update Agent Computer for this pattern — Reset can cause data loss. The fault sits between the Windows Grok Bot app and network or security software.

  1. Quit Grok Bot from the system tray, then end any leftover process in Task Manager.
  2. Allow Grok Bot for Private and Public profiles in Windows Firewall. Do the same in any third-party antivirus firewall. If Kaspersky is the suspect: When Kaspersky blocks Windows Agent Computer. When Cursor/curl.exe work but Grok Bot does not, open https://api2.cursor.sh in the browser and check the certificate Issued by. A Kaspersky root means Encrypted connections scanning is MITMing HTTPS — disable that scan for Grok Bot or trust the app for encrypted traffic (deanrie on the same thread).
  3. In PowerShell or Command Prompt, run curl.exe -sI https://api2.cursor.sh and note the first status line.
  4. Restart the Grok Bot app and wait about two minutes.
  5. If it keeps reconnecting: join a phone hotspot, turn Wi-Fi off on the PC, fully quit the app, restart it, and wait about two minutes.

Still stuck on the hotspot: attach %APPDATA%\Grok Bot\desktop-structured-log-spill.v1.json for staff. Also note any VPN, proxy, or DNS filter in play (AdGuard, Cloudflare WARP, Pi-hole, corporate proxy).

Platforms and sign-in

  1. Confirm you are on a supported client (macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone iOS 18+, iPad iPadOS 18+, or Android 9+) with an eligible plan: every paid individual Cursor plan or the Cursor Teams plan, or an individual SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, or SuperGrok Heavy subscription linked to your Cursor account (docs.x.ai/grok-bot/get-started, checked 2026-09-25).
  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.

Related

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.
  • Resetting the Agent Computer when phone already works — staff say the cloud side is fine; fix the Windows network/security path first.
  • 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.