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Connect ModelBrain to Claude Desktop

Nothing to configure by hand. ModelBrain writes its own entry into Claude Desktop's settings automatically every time it starts: there's no JSON to edit and no snippet to paste.

Steps
  1. Install ModelBrain if you haven't yet (macOS).
  2. Make sure ModelBrain is running. Its icon appears in the menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows) once it's open.
  3. Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Closing the window isn't enough; Claude Desktop keeps running in the background. On Windows: open the app's menu (☰) and choose File → Exit, or right-click the Claude icon in the system tray and choose Exit, then reopen it from the Start menu. On macOS: ⌘Q, or Claude → Quit Claude from the menu bar, then reopen from Spotlight or the Dock.
  4. That's it. Claude Desktop picks up ModelBrain's entry on that restart. No install step, no config file, no copy-paste.
Questions

Why does Claude Desktop need a full restart?

It only reads its MCP server list on startup. ModelBrain writes the entry the moment it launches, but Claude Desktop won't see it until it's relaunched. Closing just the window doesn't count; the app is still running underneath.

Do I need to edit claude_desktop_config.json myself?

No. ModelBrain writes and repairs that entry on its own. Editing it by hand is only useful for troubleshooting, and ModelBrain won't overwrite anything there that it doesn't recognize as its own entry.

How do I check it actually connected?

Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop and ask it to remember something, then ask for it back. If ModelBrain isn't connected, Claude won't have those tools available at all.

Not installed yet?

Start with the install guide.

Install on macOS →
Then

A 10-minute walkthrough: add a folder, ask something that needs two notes, see the citation.

Quickstart →