# Looking Glass Bridge

Looking Glass Bridge facilitates communication between your computer and any connected Looking Glass devices. It is required for Looking Glass applications, web apps and development tools. 

Download the latest version from our Software downloads page [here](https://lookingglassfactory.com/software/looking-glass-bridge). 

Looking Glass Bridge is available for Windows, MacOS (M1/Intel) and Linux-based systems. 

{% hint style="info" %}
For Looking Glass Bridge to function properly your Looking Glass display must be setup properly in desktop mode. Follow the instructions on the following pages to make sure everything is pixel perfect. 
{% endhint %}

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden></th><th data-hidden></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Display Settings on Windows 🪟</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="looking-glass-bridge/display-settings-on-windows">display-settings-on-windows</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Display Settings on MacOS</strong> 🍎</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="looking-glass-bridge/display-settings-on-macos">display-settings-on-macos</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Display Settings on Linux 🐧</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="looking-glass-bridge/display-settings-on-linux">display-settings-on-linux</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Legacy Looking Glass devices prior to Looking Glass Portrait (2018) are not intended to be used with Looking Glass Bridge.\
\
Instead you should use our older driver, [HoloPlay Service](https://lfdocs.lookingglassfactory.com/software/troubleshooting#holoplay-service).&#x20;
{% endhint %}

To learn more about using Looking Glass Bridge, check out the instructions on the following page. \
\
These instructions will walk you through how to use Bridge's basic and advanced functionalities:&#x20;

{% content-ref url="looking-glass-bridge/using-looking-glass-bridge" %}
[using-looking-glass-bridge](https://lfdocs.lookingglassfactory.com/software/looking-glass-bridge/using-looking-glass-bridge)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Test your setup

This simple test can be run to ensure that hardware is connected, and software is installed and configured:

{% embed url="<https://codesandbox.io/embed/hardcore-butterfly-l5o9d?fontsize=14&hidenavigation=1&theme=dark&view=preview>" %}

When the above button is pressed, your Looking Glass should show a test hologram.&#x20;

If your device isn't showing a hologram, make sure that you've got Looking Glass Bridge running and that your device is properly plugged in and running in Desktop Mode.&#x20;

## Troubleshooting

{% hint style="info" %}
For more troubleshooting tips or to download previous versions of Bridge, see our [troubleshooting page.](https://lfdocs.lookingglassfactory.com/software/looking-glass-bridge/troubleshooting)
{% endhint %}

### Error: Looking Glass Bridge not detected

If the test above shows <mark style="color:red;">`Looking Glass Bridge not detected`</mark>, make sure it's installed and running. [Click here for the latest version](https://lookingglassfactory.com/software/looking-glass-bridge).

If it is installed but not running, see the below:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="For Windows" %}
Click on the Windows Start menu and search for "Looking Glass Bridge":&#x20;

If you can't find it, go to `C:/Program Files (x86)/Looking Glass Factory/Bridge/` and double-click `Looking Glass Bridge.exe` to launch it.

Once launched, try the [Test Setup](#test-your-setup) button to make sure it's running as intended.&#x20;
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="For Mac" %}
You can open Looking Glass Bridge directly from your Applications folder.&#x20;

Once launched, click [Test Setup](#test-your-setup) button and you should see a hologram on your display!&#x20;

{% hint style="info" %}
Looking Glass Bridge does not work with Safari, please use a different web browser to use Looking Glass Bridge with the web.
{% endhint %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Error: No Looking Glass detected / Error loading calibration

With the exception of Looking Glass Go, which uses a single USB-C cable to deliver both power and video signal, Looking Glass displays have two types of cables that must be connected to the computer during operation: a USB cable and a HDMI or DisplayPort cable, depending on the display model. \
\
Ensure that you've got your cables properly connected to your devices and that your Looking Glass is powered on.&#x20;

{% hint style="info" %}
For [Looking Glass Go](https://lfdocs.lookingglassfactory.com/getting-started/looking-glass-go) and [Looking Glass Portrait](https://lfdocs.lookingglassfactory.com/getting-started/portrait),  ensure that your device is running in Desktop Mode.
{% endhint %}

1. Power down your Looking Glass and unplug all cables
2. Find the Looking Glass Bridge icon on the Windows taskbar or Mac menu bar
3. Click on the icon to reveal the menu
4. Click on "Restart Bridge"
5. Plug cables back in to your devices
6. Re-run the [test setup](#test-your-setup)

### Linux

{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that only select distributions of Ubuntu have direct support for Looking Glass Bridge and other Looking Glass software
{% endhint %}

To install Looking Glass Bridge on Linux run the following commands after extracting the archive.&#x20;

```
$ chmod +x lookingglassbridge.sh
$ ./lookingglassbridge.sh
```