Nous Research has released Hermes Desktop, an open-source desktop agent designed to operate across a wide range of communication and productivity platforms. The project is positioned as a cross-platform assistant that can work through chat services, browse the web, and carry out automated tasks from a desktop environment.

The software is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Nous Research says macOS users need version 12 or later, Windows users can install it on Windows 10 or 11, and Linux users can set it up from the terminal. The company is distributing installers for Mac and Windows, while Linux support is offered through command-line installation.

According to the product materials, Hermes Desktop is built around the idea of a single agent that can persist across different surfaces. It is intended to connect with messaging and workplace tools including Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email, and the command line, with more platforms expected over time. Nous Research describes this as giving the agent one memory across multiple channels.

A key feature of the system is persistent memory. The company says Hermes Desktop can learn from projects over time, generate skills automatically, and retain information about how it handled earlier problems. That capability is meant to reduce repetitive setup and allow the agent to carry context from one interaction to the next.

The release also emphasizes automation. Hermes Desktop can be instructed in natural language to schedule reports, backups, and briefings, then run those tasks unattended through its gateway. Nous Research says this design is intended to keep automation focused and reliable once tasks are set in motion.

Another part of the platform is delegation. Hermes Desktop includes isolated subagents that operate with their own conversations, terminals, and Python RPC scripts. The company presents this as a way to scale up work without adding context overhead to the main agent. In practice, it appears aimed at letting users split complex jobs into smaller tasks handled in parallel.

Beyond messaging and scheduling, the platform also supports web-oriented capabilities. Nous Research says Hermes Desktop can perform web search, browser automation, vision-based tasks, image generation, text-to-speech, and multi-model reasoning. That puts it in the category of general-purpose desktop assistants that can combine language, browsing, and media tools in a single workflow.

The project includes an experimentation layer focused on sandboxing. Nous Research says Hermes Desktop can run in five different environments: local, Docker, SSH, Singularity, and Modal. The company says these backends are paired with container hardening and namespace isolation, suggesting an emphasis on keeping agent execution separated from the main system.

Hermes Desktop arrives amid growing interest in agents that can move beyond chat and into broader computer use. The combination of open-source distribution, multi-platform support, and built-in automation may make it appealing to developers and power users who want more control than a typical consumer assistant offers.

Nous Research has not framed the release as a finished endpoint, but rather as a preview of a larger agent platform. The product page labels the desktop app as a feature preview and points to a growing list of supported services. For now, Hermes Desktop appears aimed at users who want an agent that can remember, delegate, and act across multiple digital environments from a single desktop interface.