diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.test.ts
index 9f8286a47ff98..9864c19b0d0ab 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.test.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ describe("ElectronShell", () => {
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(ElectronShell.layer)),
   );
 
+  it.effect("opens only the bare Grok Bot launch link", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      openExternalMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+      const electronShell = yield* ElectronShell.ElectronShell;
+      const results = yield* Effect.forEach(
+        ["grokbot://app", "grokbot://app/v1/prompt?id=bot&text=hi", "grokbot://"],
+        (url) => electronShell.openExternal(url),
+      );
+
+      assert.deepEqual(results, [true, false, false]);
+      assert.deepEqual(openExternalMock.mock.calls, [["grokbot://app"]]);
+    }).pipe(Effect.provide(ElectronShell.layer)),
+  );
+
   it.effect("opens local editor file deep links", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       openExternalMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.ts b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.ts
index 308f60b10c2cb..e342361750f41 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronShell.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ const REMOTE_EDITOR_PROTOCOLS = new Set(
   }),
 );
 
+// "Use T3 Code in another app" opens these apps (apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.ts). List
+// each exact link shape the wizard sends, never a whole scheme.
+const APP_LAUNCH_URLS = new Set(["grokbot://app"]);
+
 // Zed embeds [user@]host in the path; reject passwords and ports there.
 const ZED_SSH_PATHNAME = /^\/(?:[^/@:]+@)?[^/@:]+\/.*$/;
 
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ export function parseSafeExternalUrl(rawUrl: unknown): Option.Option<string> {
   try {
     const url = new URL(rawUrl);
     return SAFE_WEB_PROTOCOLS.has(url.protocol) ||
+      APP_LAUNCH_URLS.has(url.href) ||
       isRemoteEditorUrl(url) ||
       isLocalEditorFileUrl(url)
       ? Option.some(url.href)
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/UseInAnotherAppDialog.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/UseInAnotherAppDialog.tsx
index a904d4d568dcd..647e63c341207 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/UseInAnotherAppDialog.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/UseInAnotherAppDialog.tsx
@@ -662,7 +662,16 @@ function PrimaryAction({ app, mcpUrl }: { readonly app: McpApp; readonly mcpUrl:
       </div>
     );
   }
-  const { copy, link } = action;
+  const { copy, link, appLink } = action;
+  // The desktop app reports a link nothing opens and falls back; a browser cannot tell, and
+  // opens an app link in place (a new tab for it would stay blank), so its toast keeps the web.
+  const openApp = () => {
+    if (appLink === null) return openLink(link);
+    if (!isElectron) return window.location.assign(appLink);
+    void readLocalApi()
+      ?.shell.openExternal(appLink)
+      .catch(() => openLink(link));
+  };
   const handOff = async () => {
     if (copy !== null) {
       // The app opens only once the copy lands, so it never gets an older clipboard.
@@ -678,13 +687,19 @@ function PrimaryAction({ app, mcpUrl }: { readonly app: McpApp; readonly mcpUrl:
       toastManager.add({
         type: "success",
         title: copy.title,
-        // A browser can block an open that follows the copy; this keeps a way through.
-        ...(isElectron
+        // A browser can block an open that follows the copy, and no platform reliably reports an
+        // app link nothing handles (Linux says it opened), so these keep a way through.
+        ...(isElectron && appLink === null
           ? {}
-          : { actionProps: { children: `Open ${app.name}`, onClick: () => openLink(link) } }),
+          : {
+              actionProps: {
+                children: appLink === null ? `Open ${app.name}` : `Open ${app.name} on the web`,
+                onClick: () => openLink(link),
+              },
+            }),
       });
     }
-    openLink(link);
+    openApp();
   };
   return (
     <div className="space-y-2">
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.test.ts
index 0e9f85f84aa1d..2e9328cf78784 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.test.ts
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ describe("MCP app links", () => {
     expect(claude.searchParams.get("connectorUrl")).toBe(MCP_URL);
   });
 
-  // The desktop app opens only http and https links.
+  // The desktop app opens only https links and the bare app launch links it lists.
   it.each(MCP_APPS.map((app) => [app.name, app] as const))("%s opens only https", (_, app) => {
-    const link = mcpHandoffAction(app, MCP_URL)?.link;
-    for (const url of [link, app.docs].filter((value) => value != null)) {
+    const action = mcpHandoffAction(app, MCP_URL);
+    for (const url of [action?.link, app.docs].filter((value) => value != null)) {
       expect(new URL(url).protocol).toBe("https:");
     }
+    expect(action?.appLink ?? null).toBe(app.id === "grok-bot" ? "grokbot://app" : null);
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.ts b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.ts
index c2285157a8f02..e32dac3e361e6 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/mcp/mcpApps.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import museLogo from "./logos/muse.png";
 import openClawLogo from "./logos/openclaw.png";
 import pokeLogo from "./logos/poke.png";
 
-/** How the Connect step hands T3 Code's MCP URL to an app. Every link is https. */
+/** How the Connect step hands T3 Code's MCP URL to an app. Every `link` is https. */
 export type McpAppHandoff =
   /** Opens the app's add form with T3 Code filled in. */
   | { readonly kind: "open"; readonly link: (mcpUrl: string) => string }
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ export type McpAppHandoff =
   | {
       readonly kind: "copy-message";
       readonly link: string;
+      /**
+       * Opens the installed app first, given the message; `link` is the fallback. The desktop
+       * app opens only the link shapes `APP_LAUNCH_URLS` in ElectronShell lists.
+       */
+      readonly appLink?: (message: string) => string;
       readonly message: (mcpUrl: string) => string;
     }
   /** Commands to run where the app runs. */
@@ -83,10 +88,12 @@ export const MCP_APPS: readonly McpApp[] = [
     id: "grok-bot",
     name: "Grok Bot",
     logo: grokBotLogo,
-    // The app has no web chat, and its prompt links need a Bot id.
+    // No web chat, and no link that prefills a message yet (Grok Bot plans one), so the app
+    // opens bare and the copied message is pasted in.
     handoff: {
       kind: "copy-message",
       link: "https://x.ai/bot",
+      appLink: () => "grokbot://app",
       message: (url) => `Add the MCP server ${url} and connect it.`,
     },
     steps: ["Send this message to any of your Grok Bots."],
@@ -182,19 +189,28 @@ export function mcpHandoffAction(app: McpApp, mcpUrl: string) {
   const { handoff } = app;
   switch (handoff.kind) {
     case "open":
-      return { label: `Open in ${app.name}`, link: handoff.link(mcpUrl), copy: null };
+      return {
+        label: `Open in ${app.name}`,
+        link: handoff.link(mcpUrl),
+        appLink: null,
+        copy: null,
+      };
     case "copy-url":
       return {
         label: `Copy URL and open ${app.name}`,
         link: handoff.link,
+        appLink: null,
         copy: { text: mcpUrl, title: "URL copied" },
       };
-    case "copy-message":
+    case "copy-message": {
+      const message = handoff.message(mcpUrl);
       return {
         label: `Copy message and open ${app.name}`,
         link: handoff.link,
-        copy: { text: handoff.message(mcpUrl), title: "Message copied" },
+        appLink: handoff.appLink?.(message) ?? null,
+        copy: { text: message, title: "Message copied" },
       };
+    }
     case "commands":
       return null;
   }