Getting started with Bento
Everything between “downloaded the file” and “planning the week,” in about five minutes, with nothing unexpected. Last updated August 21, 2026.
Install it
Both installers are on the download page. Pick the one for the computer you’re sitting at.
On a Mac
- Open the downloaded Bento.dmg. A window appears with the Bento icon.
- Drag Bento into your Applications folder, then open it from Applications (or Spotlight: press ⌘ Space, type “Bento”, press Enter).
- You can eject and delete the .dmg afterwards. It’s just the delivery box.
- That’s the only install you’ll ever do: Bento keeps itself up to date, and asks before it restarts.
On Windows
- Open the downloaded Bento-Setup.exe. It installs for your own Windows account, so it never asks for an administrator password, and it opens Bento by itself when it’s done.
- Usually it just runs. If Windows shows a blue “Windows protected your PC” panel instead, click More info, check that the publisher reads West End Studios, then Run anyway.
- Bento lands in your Start menu and on the desktop. The installer can be deleted afterwards.
- Closing the window keeps Bento running in the tray, by the clock, so reminders still fire. To quit fully, right-click the tray icon.
- Same as on the Mac: that’s the only install you’ll ever do. Bento updates itself and asks before it restarts.
First launch
- Bento opens by asking for your license key, the “plnr_” key from your purchase email. Paste it once and the app is unlocked on that computer; it doesn’t ask again. (It’s not an API key, and there’s no account to create.)
- Then it asks for a name and country. Country is the one that matters: it keeps AI study questions and feedback aligned with your region, grammar, and conventions. Both are changeable later in Settings.
- It also shows where your data will be saved: a real folder on your computer, backed up automatically. Pick a folder inside iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox if you want a copy off the machine too. Used Bento before? Point it at your old folder and everything comes back.
- Using more than one computer? Your license activates on up to three, Mac or Windows in any mix, so a laptop and a desktop are both covered. Bento is local-first: each computer keeps its own data, and nothing syncs on its own. The way to work across two is that same iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox folder: point both at it, use one at a time, and let the folder sync in between sessions.
The permission pop-ups a Mac will show
On Windows there is nothing to press here: Windows doesn’t ask before an app saves to Documents, and reminders arrive as ordinary notifications. (If they don’t, check Settings → System → Notifications and make sure Bento is allowed.) Skip ahead to Turn on the AI.
macOS double-checks a few things any well-behaved app does, and asks you directly, in its own pop-ups, in its own words. They can look alarming out of context. Here is each one Bento expects to trigger, what it actually means, and what to press.
“Bento” would like to access files in your Documents folder.
Appears the first time Bento saves. Bento keeps two folders in Documents. Bento Data is where the app saves your planner, along with its automatic backups: it lives in a real folder instead of hidden inside the app so it’s yours to copy or back up like any other file. Bento Notes is a copy of your notes as ordinary text files, kept so your notes are never trapped in an app: even without Bento, they open and read fine. This pop-up is macOS checking that saving to Documents is okay with you. Choose Allow. (Picked a different save folder at setup? Bento Notes still lives in Documents so you’ll need to allow Bento to save in Documents to have that extra backup of your notes.) Clicked Don’t Allow by mistake? System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files & Folders → Bento → turn Documents on.
“Bento” would like to send you notifications.
Notifications may include alerts, sounds and icon badges.
Appears when you set your first reminder. Choose Allow so reminders actually fire. Changed your mind either way? System Settings → Notifications → Bento.
Bento never asks for more than it needs: a folder for your data and notifications for your reminders. If a pop-up ever asks for something outside that list, email us before clicking anything.
Turn on the AI
- Bought Bento (buy-once)? Open Settings (the gear at the bottom of the left rail), find AI access, and paste your API key. The in-app guide (How to use Bento → Set up AI access) walks through it step by step. The key is stored encrypted on your computer, and your notes go straight to your AI provider; nothing passes through us. (This is a different key from your Bento license: the license unlocked the app at first launch; the API key is what powers the AI.)
- On Bento Plus? Nothing to do: the license you entered at first launch includes the AI. Need to change it later? It lives in Settings → AI access.
If something looks off
Bento ships with its own guide, How to use Bento. It covers every feature and it’s searchable. Once you’re in the app, it’s behind the button at the bottom of the left sidebar. Still stuck? Write to hello@bentoplanner.com.