Frequently Asked Questions

A hardware macro recorder is a physical device that plugs into a computer's USB port and emulates a keyboard and mouse, replaying recorded keystrokes and mouse movements at the USB level. Unlike software macros, it works on any operating system without installing anything — the computer sees it as a regular keyboard and mouse.

2automate is a Raspberry Pi-based device that plugs into any USB port and emulates a keyboard and mouse. You record a workflow once using the portable Recorder app on your computer, then replay it on any computer with no Recorder needed — the Pi runs standalone. No software installation on the target machine, no admin rights, no drivers needed.

2automate works with any operating system that supports USB keyboards and mice — Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and more. Since it operates at the hardware level, OS compatibility on the target machine is universal. The Recorder app for capturing your workflows is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Yes. Because 2automate operates at the USB hardware level, it works on locked-down computers where you cannot install software. The computer sees standard USB keyboard and mouse input — no drivers, no whitelisting, no elevated permissions required.

Yes. 2automate does not need network access on the target computer. It connects via USB and appears as a standard keyboard and mouse. Management of the device happens through its own isolated WiFi network, completely separate from the target machine. No internet, no LAN connection, and no whitelisting required on the target system.

The Pi runs its own web interface that you access from any device with a browser — your phone, laptop, or tablet. There's no app to install and no account to create. Because the Pi doesn't connect to your network (a deliberate isolation choice that makes it work on air-gapped and locked-down systems), you connect your phone to the Pi's own WiFi network, then open a browser to access the management interface. The whole process takes about 5 seconds. From there you can start and stop recordings, name and organize sessions, chain multiple recordings together, add delays and loops, and trigger replays. Everything stays on the Pi — nothing is sent anywhere.

USB Rubber Ducky runs pre-written scripts in its own scripting language and supports keyboard input only. 2automate records your actual keyboard and mouse actions and replays them faithfully — no scripting required. It also supports mouse input, session chaining, loops, and a web-based management interface accessible from any phone or laptop.

The target computer just sees a USB keyboard and mouse — there's no software to install, no driver, no network connection from the Pi to anything. From the target machine's perspective, nothing unusual is happening. The Recorder app runs on your own computer as a portable executable that doesn't require admin rights or modify system files. We've tested against major antivirus products without issues, but if you encounter a false positive, please let us know.

No. The target computer just sees a standard USB keyboard and mouse — any computer that accepts USB HID devices will work, with no admin rights, no driver installation, and no software needed on the target. The Recorder app on your own computer is also portable and requires no admin rights to run.

Yes. All recordings are stored locally on the device's SD card and encrypted automatically using ChaCha20-Poly1305 (ECIES with X25519 key agreement). Nothing is sent to the cloud. You can verify this yourself — the firmware source is available for audit and the device works fully offline.