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Box Tools is the installer package for both Box Edit and Device Trust functionality. The Device Trust component is used only if your administrator has enabled Device Trust for your Box account.

Prerequisites

Before installing Box Tools, confirm the following:
  • Your operating system and browser match a supported configuration. See Understanding System Requirements to Use Box Tools v4 for the current list of supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge) and operating systems. Other browsers, including Chromium-based browsers that are not listed, are not tested or supported.
  • On Windows, your .NET framework version is .NET 4.8 or higher.
To install Box Tools on your computer:
  1. Go to https://www.box.com/box-for-devices/ and download the appropriate Box Tools installer for your operating system.
  2. Run the Box Tools installer, and follow the prompts to install or update Box Tools on your computer.
  3. If you use the Safari browser (macOS only), you’ll need to perform the following additional steps:
    1. In main menubar at the top of the Safari window, click Safari then select Settings.
    2. In the Extensions tab, check Box Tools. If Box Tools is not listed, relaunch Safari and start again.
    3. In the Extensions tab, with Box Tools checked, click Edit Websites.
    4. Set Box.com to Allow.

For more information for IT administrators about deploying Box Tools:

Please see Large Scale Deployments: Box Tools

More information regarding Device Trust:

In addition to Box Edit, the Box Tools installer also installs Box’s Device Trust functionality. If your Box administrator has not enabled Device Trust, Box does not use the Device Trust component. If your Box administrator has enabled Device Trust, Box uses the Device Trust component the next time you log in.

Troubleshooting: Box still asks you to install Box Tools

Box Tools has no app window to open after installation. It runs in the background, and the Box web app connects to it when you open a file in a desktop app or when Device Trust checks your device. If the Box web app keeps showing a prompt to install Box Tools, or the Open option doesn’t work after you install Box Tools, check the following:
  1. Allow local network access in your browser. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox ask whether Box can connect to software on your device. If you clicked Block, or never saw the prompt, the Box web app can’t detect Box Tools. Click Allow, then reload the page. For steps and admin policy settings, see Allow Box domains local network access in Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
  2. Enable the Box Tools extension in Safari (macOS only). Follow step 3 of the installation steps above.
  3. Confirm that Box Tools is running.
    • On Windows, Box Edit.exe and Box Local Com Service.exe run as the user when you use the user installer (.exe). With the admin installer (.msi), Box Edit.exe runs as the user and Box Local Com Windows Service.exe runs as a Windows service. After an .msi installation, log out of Windows and log back in.
    • On macOS, Box Edit.app and Box Local Com Server.app start when you log in.
  4. Allow loopback traffic. The browser communicates with Box Tools at 127.0.0.1:17223, or 127.0.0.1:17224 if port 17223 is in use, over HTTP. Make sure firewall or security software doesn’t block this traffic.
For more configuration details, see Understanding System Requirements to Use Box Tools v4 and Large Scale Deployments: Box Tools.
Last modified on November 10, 2026