Frequently asked questions
The ones that come up most. If your question is not here, just ask.
What kind of Mac do I need?
macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. There is one installer for Apple silicon and one for Intel — pick the one matching your chip.
Nothing has to be installed or configured on the servers; plain SSH is enough.
The app will not open after installing. What now?
The installer is signed and notarised by Apple, so a double-click just works — you should never see "cannot verify the developer".
If it genuinely will not open, the download was most likely cut short and the file is incomplete. Download it again.
Is it really free? Is there a paid tier or a feature limit?
It is free. No sign-up, no subscription, no trial period, and no feature locked behind a payment.
There is no paid version, and none is planned.
Where are my passwords and keys kept? Are they uploaded?
Passwords, private keys and passphrases live in the macOS Keychain, encrypted by the system. Connection details and shortcuts are files on your own Mac, readable only by you.
Nothing is uploaded. The app never goes online by itself: no account, no analytics, no background update checks. It only connects to the servers, bastion and WebDAV backup you set up yourself.
What is stored where, item by item →
How do I know when there is a new version?
The app does not check for updates in the background, because it sends us no requests at all. Check the changelog page when you want to know.
Updating means downloading the new installer and replacing the app in Applications. Your connections and settings stay put.
How is this different from iTerm2 or the built-in Terminal?
They start from a different place. iTerm2 and Terminal perfect the local terminal; which server you SSH into is your own business.
MyShell is aimed at running a fleet: connections saved and grouped, one authentication reused by every tab you open afterwards, session tabs down the side so names stay readable, the load of every machine on one screen, and bastion machines synced in for you. There is a local terminal too (⌘L), but it is not the point.
For customising a local terminal, iTerm2 is far ahead. Running both side by side is perfectly reasonable.
Is there a Windows or Linux version?
macOS only, and no other platform is planned for now.
Does it work with a bastion host?
It works with JumpServer. Enter your account once and the machines granted to you sync into Connections, ready to open with a click — each connection fetches fresh login details, so there is nothing to copy from the web page.
If your company signs in by QR code or SSO, or sends 2FA codes by SMS or e-mail, account sign-in will not work; you can paste the login block instead.
My servers use one-time passwords or two-factor auth. Is that painful?
No. Once the first login succeeds the connection is held open, and every tab, file panel and load view on that machine runs over it. You are not asked for another code.
Can it transfer files?
Yes. The SFTP panel sits next to the terminal and uses the connection you already authenticated, so there is no second login.
How do I move my connections to a new Mac?
Settings can back up connections, credentials and shortcuts to a local folder or WebDAV on a schedule. Install on the new Mac and restore once.
Is letting an AI assistant reach my servers safe?
The feature is off by default. Once on, the API listens on the loopback address only — nothing on your network or the internet can reach it; every request needs a key; and any request carrying a browser origin is refused outright.
The point is that it never gets your credentials: opening a channel only accepts the id of a connection you already saved, a request smuggling a password or key is rejected, and no secret is ever returned. What it can do is run commands over channels you already authenticated — that is both its power and the limit of its risk, so leave it off when you are not using it.