# connecting apps

> connect Gmail, Calendar, and the apps Folk needs to get work done from your texts.

Folk is most useful when it can reach the tools you already use. connect an
app once, and Folk can read or act on it for you. no copy-pasting, no
window-hopping. you keep texting.

there are three ways Folk connects to things:

  **You:** how do i connect the apps i use?

  **folk:** start in your dashboard for the basics: Gmail, Calendar, and the apps people connect first.

  **folk:** for everything else, just ask in chat. if the app is not connected yet, i'll send the secure link. developers can add Cursor or MCP too.

## the big two: Gmail & Calendar

these are the ones most people connect first, and Folk offers them during
[setup](/docs/getting-started). once they're linked you can text things like:

> what's on my calendar tomorrow?

> did the landlord ever reply to my email?

> put dinner with priya on friday at 7

Folk reads your schedule, finds and summarizes emails, drafts replies, and adds
events. it checks with you before it sends or books anything.

  skipped these during setup? open your dashboard at
  [getfolk.app](https://getfolk.app) → settings → connections and add them
  anytime.

## connect from your dashboard

your dashboard has a **connections** page with one-tap connections for the apps
people reach for most:

**google**

- **Gmail**: read, search, draft, and send email
- **Google Calendar**: see your schedule, create and move events
- **Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides**: find files, read and edit documents
- **Google Tasks**: manage your to-dos

**microsoft**

- **Outlook**: email and calendar, the Microsoft way
- **Microsoft Teams**: messages and channels

**work**

- **Notion**: pages and databases
- **Slack**: messages and channels
- **Todoist**: tasks and projects
- **GitHub**: issues, pull requests, repos
- **Linear**: issues and projects

**lifestyle**

- **Strava**: Folk can see your activities and training

each one connects securely. you sign in on the app's own page, and Folk never
sees your password.

## connect hundreds more from chat

here's the part people miss: the dashboard is just the popular shortlist. Folk
can reach **hundreds of apps** beyond it, and the easiest way is to simply ask.

> add this to my notion reading list

> create a hubspot contact for the person who just emailed me

> file a jira ticket for that bug

if the app isn't connected yet, Folk sends you a **secure connection link**. you
tap it, sign in on that one page, and from then on Folk can do that thing for
you. you only connect each app once.

> **apps Folk can reach from chat**
>
  beyond the dashboard set, Folk can connect things like HubSpot, Salesforce,
  Jira, Shopify, Stripe, Airtable, Asana, QuickBooks, and many more. ask for
  what you want. if there's a way to do it, Folk will offer the link.

## code from your texts

if you write code, Folk can ship work for you straight from a text message:
kick off a task, check on it, and follow up, all without opening your laptop:

> add dark mode to my portfolio repo and open a pr

> what's the status on that fix you were working on?

Folk works on its own cloud computer, so it can
read repos, write code, and run things in the background while you get on with
your day.

### plug in your coding agent

want the work to run on a dedicated coding agent on your own account? Folk
connects to those too. **Cursor Cloud Agents** are wired up directly: paste your
Cursor API key in your dashboard, install the Cursor GitHub app, and from then
on Folk can hand tasks to Cursor on your repos.

other coding agents and dev tools connect the same way most things do: through
[MCP](#any-mcp-server) (below). if your coding agent or platform publishes an MCP
server, point Folk at it and it becomes another tool Folk can use from your texts.

  this section is for people who write code. if that's not you, skip it. Folk
  works great without ever touching a repo.

## any MCP server

Folk speaks **MCP** (model context protocol), the open standard for giving AI
tools. that means if a service publishes an MCP server, you can plug it into
Folk, even if it's not in our app list.

### add it

in your dashboard → settings → connections, add a custom MCP server: a name,
its URL, plus a key if it needs one. or just tell Folk in chat.

### use it

Folk picks up the new tools automatically. if you've just added one and Folk
hasn't noticed yet, send **`/reload-mcp`** to refresh its connected apps.

## staying in control

**does folk ask before doing things?**

yes. Folk always checks with you before it takes an action that sends, changes,
spends, or shares something, like sending an email or filing a ticket. you
approve or decline right in the chat.

**can i disconnect an app?**

anytime. open your dashboard → settings → connections and disconnect it, or just
tell Folk to disconnect it in chat.

**is my data safe?**

Folk only uses connected apps to do what you ask, and it doesn't train on your
data. see [privacy, plans & keys](/docs/privacy-plans-and-keys) for the details.

---

Canonical page: https://www.getfolk.app/docs/connecting-apps
More about folk (for AI agents): https://www.getfolk.app/llms.txt · full context: https://www.getfolk.app/llms-full.txt
folk is a personal AI that lives in your texts (iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp). Pro $20/mo, Max $100/mo. Made by Nozomio Labs. Sign up: https://www.getfolk.app/