Install KolHive

Which way to start

You can install the desktop app from the download page for Mac, Windows, or Linux, or open web.kolhive.com in a browser with nothing to install.

Install on a Mac

Only on Mac

The Mac app is a notarized direct download from KolHive, not from the Mac App Store. It gives you the full KolHive desktop on your Mac.

1. Open the download page in your browser and download the Mac DMG file.
2. Open the downloaded DMG file from your Downloads folder.
3. Drag KolHive into your Applications folder.
4. Open KolHive from your Applications folder.
5. Sign in with your KOL account, or create a new one on the sign-in screen.

You should now see your KolHive desktop on your Mac.

Install on Windows

Only on Windows

Windows users install KolHive from a direct EXE installer rather than the Microsoft Store. The installer is signed with a timestamped ITANU Authenticode signature so Windows can verify its publisher.

1. Open the download page and download the Windows EXE installer.
2. Run the installer file from your Downloads folder and follow the prompts on screen.
3. Open KolHive and sign in with your KOL account.

You should now see your KolHive desktop open on Windows.

Install on Linux

Only on Linux

For Linux, KolHive provides a direct .deb download. Other Linux package formats are not offered.

1. Open the download page and download the .deb package.
2. Install the .deb file with your system package manager.
3. Open KolHive from your applications menu and sign in with your KOL account.

You should now see your KolHive desktop on your Linux machine.

Open KolHive in a browser

Only on the web

If you are using a computer you cannot install software on, such as a shared workstation in Toronto or a locked-down office laptop, you can run KolHive in a web browser.

1. Open your web browser and go to web.kolhive.com.
2. Choose your sign-in method on the login screen.
3. Enter your KOL account details to open your workspace.

You should now see your KolHive desktop inside your browser tab.

Sign in with your KOL account

One free KOL account signs in to KolHive, KolChat, and KolWrite. You can sign in with an email address and password, a Google account, or Sign in with Apple on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Each device keeps its own copy of your workspace and syncs changes in the background. When Maya Chen signs in on her home Mac in Chicago after working on her office Windows PC, her cloud drive files and apps arrive on the second computer. Because the desktop opens from the local copy on the device, it does not wait on a server to start.

Use KolHive on a phone or tablet

The iPhone, iPad and Android apps are not in the App Store or on Google Play yet. Until those store apps are available, open web.kolhive.com in the browser on your phone or tablet and sign in with your KOL account.