Moltbot on macOS VMs (Sandboxing)

Scope

Use this page when:

• You want Moltbot isolated from your main macOS environment
• You want iMessage integration (BlueBubbles) in a sandbox
• You want a resettable macOS environment you can clone
• You want to compare local vs hosted macOS VM options

Recommended default (most users)

• Small Linux VPS for an always-on Gateway and low cost. See VPS hosting.
• Dedicated hardware (Mac mini or Linux box) if you want full control and a residential IP for browser automation. Many sites block data center IPs, so local browsing often works better.
• Hybrid: keep the Gateway on a cheap VPS, and connect your Mac as a node when you need browser/UI automation. See Nodes and Gateway remote.

Use a macOS VM when you specifically need macOS-only capabilities (iMessage/BlueBubbles) or want strict isolation from your daily Mac.

macOS VM options

Local VM on your Apple Silicon Mac (Lume)

Run Moltbot in a sandboxed macOS VM on your existing Apple Silicon Mac using Lume.

This gives you:

• Full macOS environment in isolation (your host stays clean)
• iMessage support via BlueBubbles (impossible on Linux/Windows)
• Instant reset by cloning VMs
• No extra hardware or cloud costs

Hosted Mac providers (cloud)

If you want macOS in the cloud, hosted Mac providers work too:

• MacStadium (hosted Macs)
• Other hosted Mac vendors also work; follow their VM + SSH docs

Once you have SSH access to a macOS VM, continue at step 6 below.

Quick path (Lume, experienced users)

1. Install Lume
2. lume create moltbot --os macos --ipsw latest
3. Complete Setup Assistant, enable Remote Login (SSH)
4. lume run moltbot --no-display
5. SSH in, install Moltbot, configure channels
6. Done

What you need (Lume)

• Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3/M4)
• macOS Sequoia or later on the host
• ~60 GB free disk space per VM
• ~20 minutes

1) Install Lume

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trycua/cua/main/libs/lume/scripts/install.sh)"

If ~/.local/bin isn’t in your PATH:

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc

Verify:

lume --version

Docs: Lume Installation

2) Create the macOS VM

lume create moltbot --os macos --ipsw latest

This downloads macOS and creates the VM. A VNC window opens automatically.

Note: The download can take a while depending on your connection.

3) Complete Setup Assistant

In the VNC window:

1. Select language and region
2. Skip Apple ID (or sign in if you want iMessage later)
3. Create a user account (remember the username and password)
4. Skip all optional features

After setup completes, enable SSH:

1. Open System Settings → General → Sharing
2. Enable “Remote Login”

4) Get the VM’s IP address

lume get moltbot

Look for the IP address (usually 192.168.64.x).

5) SSH into the VM

ssh [email protected]

Replace youruser with the account you created, and the IP with your VM’s IP.

6) Install Moltbot

Inside the VM:

npm install -g moltbot@latest
moltbot onboard --install-daemon

Follow the onboarding prompts to set up your model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.).

7) Configure channels

Edit the config file:

nano ~/.moltbot/moltbot.json

Add your channels:

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
      "allowFrom": ["+15551234567"]
    },
    "telegram": {
      "botToken": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Then login to WhatsApp (scan QR):

moltbot channels login

8) Run the VM headlessly

Stop the VM and restart without display:

lume stop moltbot
lume run moltbot --no-display

The VM runs in the background. Moltbot’s daemon keeps the gateway running.

To check status:

ssh [email protected] "moltbot status"

Bonus: iMessage integration

This is the killer feature of running on macOS. Use BlueBubbles to add iMessage to Moltbot.

Inside the VM:

1. Download BlueBubbles from bluebubbles.app
2. Sign in with your Apple ID
3. Enable the Web API and set a password
4. Point BlueBubbles webhooks at your gateway (example: https://your-gateway-host:3000/bluebubbles-webhook?password=<password>)

Add to your Moltbot config:

{
  "channels": {
    "bluebubbles": {
      "serverUrl": "http://localhost:1234",
      "password": "your-api-password",
      "webhookPath": "/bluebubbles-webhook"
    }
  }
}

Restart the gateway. Now your agent can send and receive iMessages.

Full setup details: BlueBubbles channel

Save a golden image

Before customizing further, snapshot your clean state:

lume stop moltbot
lume clone moltbot moltbot-golden

Reset anytime:

lume stop moltbot && lume delete moltbot
lume clone moltbot-golden moltbot
lume run moltbot --no-display

Running 24/7

Keep the VM running by:

• Keeping your Mac plugged in
• Disabling sleep in System Settings → Energy Saver
• Using caffeinate if needed

For true always-on, consider a dedicated Mac mini or a small VPS. See VPS hosting.

Troubleshooting

Related docs

• VPS hosting
• Nodes
• Gateway remote
• BlueBubbles channel
• Lume Quickstart
• Lume CLI Reference
• Unattended VM Setup (advanced)
• Docker Sandboxing (alternative isolation approach)