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How to install Pieces for Developers: desktop app, VS Code extension, snippets, on-device search

Install PiecesOS and the VS Code extension, save your first snippet, then find it again with Pieces Drive or conversational search.

The first hour with Pieces for Developers in VS Code usually breaks on whether PiecesOS is running, whether you restarted after install, and whether your first saved snippet appears in Pieces Drive.

The query is how to install Pieces for Developers desktop app and VS Code extension. This follows docs.pieces.app for PiecesOS, the VS Code extension, and Pieces Drive. It is Pieces' developer suite, not this site's meeting product. For a short huddle, open sitdraw; see how to create and join a room.

Install PiecesOSAdd VS Code extensionSave & search snippets

PiecesOS comes first

The Pieces for VS Code extension must connect to local PiecesOS. The desktop app deploys that background service for on-device snippet storage, LTM capture, and AI request coordination. Official docs recommend the Pieces Desktop App. Since June 5, 2026, PiecesOS 12.4.0+ is required for cloud Chat and Work Summaries.

LocalSnippets work offline
DriveSave & browse
LTMOptional memory

First hour: install, sign in, save, search

  1. 1. Install Pieces Desktop App (includes PiecesOS)

    Download from pieces.app for macOS, Windows, or Linux. Confirm the menu-bar or tray indicator shows PiecesOS running. Optional Pieces account unlocks cloud models and share links; core snippets stay on-device.

  2. 2. Install the VS Code extension

    Cmd+Shift+X or Ctrl+Shift+X, search Pieces for VS Code, Install. Or sideload the .vsix from Marketplace. Then Restart VS Code.

  3. 3. Save your first snippet

    Select code, right-click → Pieces → Save Current Selection to Pieces. The walkthrough's Save Your First Material saves a demo snippet. Check the Pieces Drive sidebar for AI-generated descriptions.

  4. 4. Search and Conversational Search

    Command Palette → Pieces: Search Pieces, or open Conversational Search to ask in natural language and @ saved materials. Enable Long-term memory manually in PiecesOS if you want workflow capture.

# First hour · Pieces for Developers · 2026-09
# 1. pieces.app → Desktop App (PiecesOS auto)
# 2. VS Code → Pieces for VS Code → Restart
# 3. Save Current Selection to Pieces
# 4. Pieces Drive · Pieces: Search Pieces
# Docs: docs.pieces.app/products/extensions-plugins/visual-studio-code

Save, search, privacy

Save selectionRight-click → Pieces → Save Current SelectionOr Save Active File
Browse snippetsPieces Drive Activity Bar iconEdit metadata in desktop app
Exact searchPieces: Search PiecesFilter title/tags/content
Conversational searchConversational Search sidebarAdd folders as context
Long-term memoryPiecesOS → Enable LTMOn-device; disable sources
Not a Copilot replacement
Pieces focuses on saving, organizing, and finding your snippets and workflow memory. For inline completion, see our Codeium guide or Tabnine guide.
Works in Cursor too
Official docs list VS Code-based IDEs including Cursor. PiecesOS on the same machine is still required.
Not a meeting-product guide
Pieces first hour only. Short huddle: sitdraw or whiteboard compare.

Questions worth checking

Extension cannot reach PiecesOS?

Start the desktop app or PiecesOS service, restart VS Code, and check local firewall rules. Use PiecesOS 12.4.0+ after June 2026.

Where are snippets stored?

On-device in Pieces Drive, available offline. Cloud LLM calls send only scoped context for that request; Pieces is SOC 2 Type II and does not train on your data.

How to exclude sensitive repos?

Pieces scans for API keys before save; disable LTM sources in PiecesOS. Never paste .env secrets into Conversational Search.

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