Do I need to sign in for Rudr to work?
No. You can use Rudr without signing in to a Rudr account. During welcome setup, choose Continue as Guest (Local Offline Mode) and complete setup. You can sign in later from the account menu.
Guest mode makes Rudr account access optional. It does not remove an AI provider’s own account, API-key, subscription, internet, or installation requirements. For example, using Codex with a ChatGPT subscription still requires Codex sign-in, even while you are a Rudr guest.
What requires Rudr sign-in?
| Feature | What is unavailable while signed out |
|---|---|
| Cloud profile | Loading and updating your Rudr account profile, including username, display name, avatar, bio, links, and visibility settings |
| Supported preference sync | Loading saved account preferences and syncing changes to them, such as appearance, sounds, model choices, enabled harnesses, and voice defaults |
| Account-level usage summaries | Saving and loading the cloud account’s most-used models and harness providers; activity performed as a guest is not recorded by this account-sync feature |
| In-app issue submission | Sending a report and its diagnostic snapshot through Rudr’s reporting form |
| Cloud account export | Exporting your cloud identity, profile, synced preferences, and usage summaries |
| Cloud account deletion | Deleting your Rudr cloud account and its associated data; deletion also requires fresh sign-in confirmation |
These features need a working connection to Rudr’s account service as well as sign-in. If sync fails, local settings are still saved; signing in does not guarantee that every cloud operation succeeds.
Preference sync covers supported settings, not every item on the machine. API keys, provider CLI credentials, local audio-device selections, project files, and session transcripts are not transferred by this account-preference feature. It is not a backup or synchronization service for your Code and Chat histories.
What can I use without Rudr sign-in?
- Download installers from GitHub releases and read this documentation.
- Open local workspaces, use files and terminals, and work with locally saved sessions and settings.
- Use Code, Chat, voice, dictation, and image features when their own provider connections, installed tools, permissions, and platform requirements are satisfied.
- Read local usage information and export local diagnostics. Local usage and provider quota displays are separate from Rudr’s cloud account summaries.
- Check for updates in installed builds that include the update checker, and download/install a release manually. Update availability does not require Rudr sign-in.
“Local Offline Mode” does not mean every feature works without internet. A cloud model still needs connectivity; a local feature depends on what is installed and supported on your machine.
Rudr sign-in versus other accounts
Rudr sign-in identifies your Rudr account. It does not sign you in to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub CLI, or any other connected service, and it does not supply their paid subscriptions or API credits. Connect those services separately in the relevant setup flow.
If you cannot run an agent while signed out of Rudr, first check that agent’s provider connection in Settings → Code Harnesses. Signing in to Rudr will not repair a missing CLI, expired provider token, or exhausted provider quota.
See provider setup, authentication troubleshooting, account settings, and reporting an issue for the corresponding steps.