OpenClaw is an AI assistant with hands. It lives in your chat apps, remembers what you tell it, runs tasks on your computer and works on a schedule without being asked. Here is every major feature in plain English, with real examples and honest limits.
29 chat channels
10 feature areas
Any hosted or local model
$0 software cost
Updated · Based on the official OpenClaw documentation.
In practice
A normal morning with OpenClaw
Most people start with small jobs: a daily briefing, inbox cleanup, reminders. Here's what that looks like in Telegram. Each reply uses a different feature.
1Automation sends a scheduled briefing
2Tools read email and calendar
3Memory recalls your preferences
4It asks before acting
OpenClawonline
1Good morning! 7:30 briefing: 22°C and sunny, 3 meetings today, and your flight to Colombo is on time.
Anything urgent in my inbox?
22 of 41 unread need you: the landlord's lease renewal and a contract from Priya. I've drafted replies to both.
Send the one to Priya. Keep it short like usual.
34Shortened to 3 lines, signed "Thanks, T." Send now? ApproveEdit
Every feature
OpenClaw features, area by area
Ten areas cover almost everything OpenClaw does. Each one includes a message you could actually send.
01
Chat from the apps you already use
Message OpenClaw like a friend instead of opening another app. It works from 29 channels and keeps separate sessions per chat.
WhatsApp
Telegram
Slack
Discord
iMessage
Signal
Microsoft Teams
Google Chat
Matrix
SMS
WeChat
+ more
Unknown senders must be approved before they can talk to it
Rich messages, threads and Telegram mini app support
Joins Discord voice channels and writes meeting notes
Try: "Summarize the last 50 messages in #marketing."
OpenClaw is powerful, but it isn't magic. Knowing its limits saves money and frustration.
It's only as smart as your model.A cheap or small model will make more mistakes with multi-step tasks.
It needs a computer that stays on.Scheduled jobs only run while the gateway is running. Use a VPS or always-on machine for 24/7 use.
Setup takes some effort.You'll use a terminal, connect channels and add an API key. Most people are running in under an hour.
It can get things wrong.Keep approvals on for sending messages, spending money or deleting files.
Some features need extra hardware.iMessage needs a Mac, and camera, screen and location need the phone app.
Model usage costs money.The software is free, but heavy use of premium models can be expensive. See pricing.
More access means more risk.Vet third-party skills and don't give it accounts it doesn't need.
FAQ
OpenClaw features: common questions
What can OpenClaw do?
OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI assistant that works from 29 chat apps. It can browse the web, run commands, manage files, read email and calendars, remember your preferences, run scheduled jobs, use voice and your phone's camera, and learn new skills.
Can OpenClaw control my computer?
Yes. With your permission it can run commands, read and write files and control a browser. Risky actions can require your approval, and you can run it in a sandbox to limit what it can reach.
Does OpenClaw work offline?
It can. Connect a local model through Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM and OpenClaw runs without sending your messages to a cloud AI provider. Features that need the internet, like web search, still need a connection.
Can OpenClaw message me first?
Yes. Using cron jobs, schedules, webhooks and email triggers, OpenClaw can send you briefings, reminders and alerts without you starting the conversation.
Does OpenClaw support voice?
Yes. Talk mode offers real-time voice conversations through the companion apps, a voice call plugin handles phone calls, and it can join Discord voice channels.
What are OpenClaw skills?
Skills are repeatable procedures the agent loads when it needs them. You can install community skills from ClawHub, write your own, or let OpenClaw save new skills as it learns.
Ready to try it?
Install OpenClaw for free and have it answering in your chat app in under an hour.