Devices

Decide when you need another Otto

Use another Otto when the device itself needs to be separate—not simply because you have another role, project, or task. One Otto can host several focused agents, each with its own instructions, app access, files, automations, and spending controls. Start there unless you have a clear physical, network, capacity, ownership, or data boundary.

What another Otto changes

Each Otto is its own workspace. Agents, automations, connected accounts, files, browser sessions, approvals, and activity belong to the device where you create them. Adding a second Otto to your account lets you manage both devices, but it does not copy or synchronize that work between them.

That separation can be useful when you need to:

  • keep work in different physical locations or on different networks;
  • give a household, team, or business operation its own device boundary;
  • keep sensitive files, browser sessions, or connected accounts on a particular device;
  • give consistently concurrent work more device capacity; or
  • operate an independent setup with its own agents and responsibilities.

A second Otto is not a shared pool that automatically coordinates agents across devices. Decide what belongs on each device before you add it.

Use another agent instead when

Stay on one Otto and create a focused agent when the difference is mainly the role or workflow. A new agent is usually the better choice when you need:

  • different instructions, personality, or conversation context;
  • a separate set of connected apps or files;
  • a different automation schedule or reporting destination; or
  • a different approval boundary for actions such as sending, publishing, purchasing, or changing records.

For example, keep a research agent and an operations agent on one Otto when both can use the same device and network. This keeps the work easy to review without duplicating setup. See Build an agent team on one Otto.

Check the boundary before adding a device

Write down the answer to each question before you start setup:

  1. What work belongs there? Name the agents, automations, files, and connected accounts that should live on the new Otto.
  2. Why must it be separate? Identify the physical location, network, capacity, ownership, or data boundary that one Otto cannot provide.
  3. Who manages it? Decide which account or people should be able to manage the device and review its activity.
  4. What access is required? Plan app connections and approvals separately; adding a device does not grant access to outside apps.
  5. How will you report across the boundary? Choose where each agent's results should appear. Do not assume an agent on one Otto can see another Otto's files or activity.

Start with the smallest useful boundary. A device that owns fewer agents and connections is easier to understand, secure, and troubleshoot.

Add and prepare the second Otto

When the boundary is clear:

  1. Set up and pair the new Otto to the account. Follow Set up your Otto.
  2. Give it a clear name based on its location or purpose.
  3. Open Devices, select the new Otto, and confirm that it is online.
  4. Create or configure the agents and automations that belong there.
  5. Connect only the apps and accounts that this device needs. Review their access and approval requirements before asking an agent to act.
  6. Add the files and standing context required for those roles, then run a small, low-risk task before relying on recurring work.

For the device workflow, see Add another Otto and switch between devices.

Costs, limits, and access

A second device does not merge spending limits, app access, or approval rules with the first one. Review the settings for the agent, automation, and connected app on the Otto where that work will run. A spending limit controls usage; it does not authorize an app action or bypass an approval.

Keep the boundary conservative at first. Read-only access and a small test run make it easier to confirm that the right device, account, files, and result destination are being used.

If you are unsure

Do not add a device just to solve an unclear task, an over-broad agent, or a workflow that has not been tested. First narrow the instructions, create a separate agent if the role needs its own context, or review the connection and approval settings. Add another Otto after you can explain what must be separate and why.

If you already added a device and cannot find the expected work, check which Otto is selected in Devices. Switching devices changes what you are viewing; it does not move or duplicate anything. For an offline or unavailable device, see Troubleshooting.

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