umbrelOS aims to make self-hosting as easy as installing an app on your phone — one-click installs, sane defaults, and apps that just work out of the box. Here's how to get started.
- Open http://umbrel.local in your browser. See Connecting to your Umbrel if you need help connecting.
- Click App Store in the dock at the bottom of the screen.
- Browse featured apps on the Discover page, filter by category, or search for a specific app by name.

- Click the app you want to install to open its detail page.
- Review the app description, screenshots, and download size.
- Click Install.
- The app will begin installing — you don't need to wait on this page. You can navigate away and continue using your Umbrel while it installs. Progress is shown on the app's icon on your home screen and on the app's detail page.
- Once finished, click Open to launch the app.
Some apps require other apps to be installed first. For example, Open WebUI requires Ollama to be installed for running AI models locally. If an app has dependencies, you'll see a prompt listing the required apps when you click Install.
- Install each required app shown in the prompt. If alternatives are available, you can choose which one to install.
- Once all dependencies are installed, click Install to install the app.

Some apps come with default login credentials. After installation, a dialog will show the default username and password. You can view these at any time by right-clicking the app icon on your home screen and selecting Show default credentials.

Most apps in the official App Store are protected behind your Umbrel login — anyone trying to access them must first log in to your Umbrel. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, that applies too. Some third-party app developers have chosen not to use this, meaning your Umbrel password and 2FA won't protect access to those apps.
If the app you're looking for isn't in the App Store, you have a few options:
- Community app stores — third-party app stores can be added to umbrelOS for access to more apps. See How to add a community app store.
- Portainer — install the Portainer app from the App Store to run any Docker container manually.
- Request or contribute an app — you can reach out to the app's developers and suggest they package it for umbrelOS, or contribute a package yourself. Learn more at github.com/getumbrel/umbrel-apps.
If the app requires a newer version of umbrelOS, you'll be prompted to update. Go to Settings > Software Update to check for and install the latest version, then try installing the app again.
- Check that your device has enough free storage for the app.
- Make sure your device is connected to the internet.
- Try restarting umbrelOS and installing again.
- If the issue persists, check your logs for more details.