Your first ten minutes with Burrow
Burrow is a buddy that lives in your Mac's notch. It tells you when Claude Code needs you, hands you the answer buttons, and celebrates when a job is done. This page takes you from first launch to your first finished session.
You need a Mac on macOS 14 or later, and Claude Code installed. Burrow works with Claude Code sessions you start in Terminal or an editor, and with Codex. Sessions running inside the Claude desktop app show up too, but you answer those in the Claude app. You don't need to know any code. Where a step touches Terminal, we say so.
1. Open Burrow
Open Burrow from your Applications folder. The first time, the buddy plays a short hello in the notch and then shows Your notch just got a roommate.
Choose Set up. Choose Not now if you'd rather look around first. Nothing is lost. A small Setup card waits on the desk, and you can come back any time from the menu bar icon, then Settings…, then Connections, then Open Setup.
No notch on your Mac? Burrow draws its own little notch at the top of your main screen, so everything below works the same.
2. Turn on Claude Code alerts
The next screen says Connect what you use. The top row is Claude Code. It's the one most people came for.
- Choose Turn on. Burrow adds its hooks to Claude Code's settings file (
~/.claude/settings.json). It makes a backup first and leaves your own settings alone. A hook is a small message Claude Code sends to Burrow, on your own Mac, when something happens. - The row now says Waiting. That's normal. Burrow says On only after Claude has actually talked to it.
- If Claude Code isn't installed yet, Burrow says Last step: get Claude Code and offers a button to get it.
Everything else on this screen is under Optional:
- Usage shows your 5-hour and weekly usage in the notch. It adds a status line to Claude Code. The numbers arrive when you use Claude Code in Terminal, not the Claude app.
- Calendar shows meeting countdowns and a Join button. Choose Apple Calendar. Your Mac will ask for Calendar access.
- Open at login starts Burrow when you log in to your Mac.
- Codex appears only if Codex is on your Mac. See the Codex section below.
Choose Continue.
3. Try a test alert
The last screen says All connected. Nice. or, if something is still off, You're set. and lists what's left.
If Claude alerts are on, you'll see Send a test alert (Test alert on the Claude Code row). If Codex alerts are on, the Codex row has one too. It shows a pretend request, labelled Test, so you know what a real one looks like. Nothing is sent to Claude or Codex. Try Allow and Deny. Both just close the test.
The button only shows when Burrow is listening. If it's missing, see the fixes at the end.
4. Start a new Claude session
Hooks only reach Claude sessions that start after they go in. If Claude was already open, close that session and start a new one. Then ask it anything.
When Claude's first message reaches Burrow, the card says Connected, the buddy celebrates once, and the Claude Code row changes to On.
5. Take the tour (30 seconds)
Choose Start tour for a quick walk through the desk: the buddy, the cards, your usage and sessions, and the faces. Choose Not now to skip it. You can replay it any time from the menu bar icon, then Take the Tour.
6. Watch your first session
Hover over the notch to open the desk. Now give Claude a real job.
- Goggles on: Claude is working. The buddy works while Claude works.
- Wide eyes, and a card: Claude needs you. The card header names your project and what Claude wants, like my-project · wants to use Bash. Choose Allow, Deny or Open (to jump to the session). If Claude asks you to pick an option, pick it right in the notch. If a tool from a connected service (MCP) asks, the card says tool: name. Choose Show request, read it, then Allow.
- A smile and a celebration: the job is done. The notch shows a green check with the agent's name, and the session's row in the sessions list says Done. Choose Open on that row to go back to it.
Sessions running inside the Claude desktop app show in Burrow too (working, waiting, done). When one needs permission, Burrow shows a Waiting on you card with Open, and you answer in the Claude app.
If you're away, nothing gets lost. The session stays marked in the notch, so you see what needs you when you're back.
What you get: Lite, trial and Pro
- Your first 7 days include everything. They start the first time you open Burrow.
- After that, Lite is free. You keep the buddy Burrow, needs-you alerts with Allow, Deny and Open for every Claude and Codex session, answering Claude's questions, and two desk cards.
- Pro is a one-time purchase for up to 3 Macs. It brings back every desk card, the Tools card, Agent View and Desktop Buddy, with the whole crew as a bonus.
The Setup screen shows a short trial reminder while you're in the trial.
If you use Codex
Codex comes second. If it's on your Mac, you'll see a Codex row. Choose Turn on, then open Codex in Terminal, type /hooks and trust Burrow. The Codex app can't do this step, only the Codex command-line tool can. After that you answer Codex's permission asks in the notch. If Codex asks you to pick an option, you answer that in Codex. Until you trust it, the notch says Last step: trust Burrow in Codex and the Codex row in Settings says Type /hooks in Codex, then trust Burrow.
If something looks off
The row says Waiting and never turns On
Burrow hasn't heard from Claude yet.
- Start a new Claude Code session. Old ones don't have the hooks.
- Ask it anything.
- Still waiting? Open the menu bar icon, then Settings, then Connections, then AI, and read the line under Claude Code. It says what's wrong.
No Test alert button
The button shows only after you turn on Claude alerts, and only while Burrow is listening. If alerts are on, read the line under the row. If it says Not listening, something else on your Mac is using the port Burrow needs. Burrow retries on its own (after 1 second, then longer, up to a minute). If it doesn't clear, quit Burrow and open it again.
Burrow shows Waiting on you but no Allow
That card means a session in the Claude desktop app needs permission. Choose Open and answer in the Claude app. Allow and Deny in the notch are for Claude Code in Terminal or an editor, and for Codex.
Claude's hooks are switched off
Some Claude Code setups turn all hooks off, or allow only your organization's. Burrow reads this and says so on the row. It's a Claude Code setting, so it has to be changed there.
I can't see the notch
Hover the notch area to open the desk. Burrow also hides on purpose in full-screen apps, unless Claude needs you. You can turn that off under Settings, Notch, Hide in full screen. You can also hide Burrow yourself with Option-Command-B. Press it again to bring it back.
I want it gone
Open Settings, then Connections, then AI. Under Remove Burrow from your AI tools, choose Remove… next to Claude Code (and next to Codex if you use it). Your own settings stay and a backup is kept. Then drag Burrow to the Trash.
More help
Refunds, permissions and more answers are in the FAQ. Pro has a 14-day refund. Still stuck? Email support@meetburrow.com.