Tutors host Nearo sessions from the Nearo desktop app, and students on a Mac or Windows computer can use it too, although most students join from a web browser.

Downloading the Nearo app as a host

You download the Nearo app from the Nearo Dashboard after signing in to your account.

Open a web browser and go to the Nearo Dashboard.
Sign in to your Nearo account. The Welcome back card is in the middle of the page, with Email, Password and the Sign In button.
After signing in, you will see the Dashboard.
On the right side of the page, find the Download the Nearo App section. In a narrow browser window, it sits below My Roster.

Downloading the Nearo app as a guest

Guests can also join meetings from the Nearo desktop app, and they do not need a Nearo account to do it.

Go to the Nearo download page.
Download the app for your Mac or Windows computer.
Install it using the steps below for your operating system.
Open the app. On the first screen, Welcome to Nearo, click Join a Room (it is above "or" and Sign in) to join your host's Room.

💡 Guests joining this way skip the sign-in steps at the end of this article. For the full joining process, see Joining a Nearo Room as a guest.

Installing Nearo on macOS

Nearo automatically recommends the correct Mac download based on your computer.

In the macOS section, check which download is marked (Recommended) for your Mac: Intel Mac or Apple Silicon.
If you are not sure which to choose, open the Apple menu and select About This Mac to see your Mac model. Choose Apple Silicon if your Mac is from 2020 or newer, and Intel Mac if it is from 2019 or older.
Select the download button to download the installer file.
Once the download finishes, open the downloaded file.
A window will appear showing the Nearo app icon and the Applications folder.
Drag the Nearo app icon into the Applications folder.
After the copy completes, Nearo is installed on your Mac.
If any permission prompts appear — such as requests to access your microphone or camera — click Allow or OK to continue.

💡 You can open Nearo at any time from the Applications folder or by using Spotlight search.

🔔 If macOS shows a warning that the app is from an unidentified developer or blocks the installation, see What should I do if the Nearo app won't download or install?

Installing Nearo on Windows

Nearo supports Windows 7 or later and installs like a standard Windows application.

In the Windows section, select Download for Windows.
Open the downloaded installer file. If you are using Microsoft Edge, see Finding the installer in Microsoft Edge below for help locating and keeping the file.
If you see a security prompt asking if you want to allow this app to make changes, choose Yes.
If any permission prompts appear — such as requests to access your microphone or camera — click Allow or OK to continue.
Follow the installation window prompts to continue.
When the installer finishes, Nearo will be added to your computer.

🔔 Some Windows computers may show a security screen or block the installer. These are standard Windows security checks. For help getting past them, see What should I do if the Nearo app won't download or install?

Finding the installer in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge's download manager may require an extra step to keep the Nearo installer file before you can open it.

If a Download started window appears after clicking Download for Windows, close it.
Click the Downloads icon (the down arrow) in the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge.
Locate the file that begins with nearo_ and ends with .msi.
Click the three dots next to the file name.
Select Keep.
If Microsoft Edge displays a warning, click the down arrow next to Delete and select Keep anyway.
Wait for the download to finish, then click Open file to start the installer.

ℹ️ The wording of the download warning may vary slightly depending on your version of Microsoft Edge.

Signing in to the Nearo desktop app

Signing in to the Nearo desktop app uses your web browser, so you do not need to type your password in the app.

Open the Nearo desktop app. On the first screen, Welcome to Nearo, click Sign in (it is below Join a Room).
Click Sign in with your browser, the main button on the next screen. Your browser opens the Nearo Dashboard, where you sign in if you are not already signed in.
When your browser asks for permission to open Nearo, choose Open Nearo. Ticking Always allow means Nearo opens straight away next time.
Once the app opens, you can close the browser tab.

If the page says "Nearo didn't open," Nearo may not be installed on this computer yet, so use the download button on that page.

Updating the Nearo desktop app

Nearo tells you when a new version is ready, so you do not need to look for updates yourself.

When a new version is ready, an Update available card appears in the Nearo desktop app, at the top of the home screen. If the window is small, a one-line bar with an Update button appears instead.
Click Update, the full-width blue button on the card, to install the new version. Nearo restarts when the update is installed.
Click Later, the text button under Update, to hide the card until you next open Nearo. On the one-line bar, click the ✕ instead.
If you see "Update failed — please try again," click Update again.

Updating during a call

Nearo never interrupts a call with an update message. During a call, a small blue dot appears near the top right corner of the call window, just under the top edge.

Click the dot to update when the call ends. The dot turns green and Nearo confirms that it will update when the call ends.
When the call ends, Nearo installs the update and restarts by itself.

Guests who join from a browser may see the same card. Click Update and the page reloads.

Checking which version of Nearo you have

In the Nearo desktop app, as a host or a guest, you can see which version is installed on your computer.

Open the Nearo desktop app and sign in.
Click your picture at the bottom of the narrow strip down the left side of the main window.
Look at the end of the menu that opens. The last line, in small grey text, starts with "App version:" followed by your version number.

ℹ️ This menu is only there when you are signed in. If you are not signed in and an update is available, the blue Update available card appears when you open the app, so you can click Update to stay current.

If you experience issues downloading or installing the app, see What should I do if the Nearo app won't download or install?

Downloading, installing, and updating the Nearo app on Mac or Windows