# Quickstart

> Get started with NOVA Flow by installing NOVA Flow with the NOVA Flow installer from the app store on your NOVA OS instance.

## Prerequisites

- An active NOVA OS instance
- Once you want to run your flows on a physical robot; a physical robot. For setting up NOVA Flow and testing it, neither physical nor virtual mortion groups are required.

## Install NOVA Flow

To install NOVA Flow, you need access to a functionality that is not yet available in the public app store.
Use `Request feature access` in the [NOVA Cloud capabilities](https://portal.wandelbots.io/experimental) section
to access NOVA Flow.

### Step 1: Install NOVA Flow installer

2. Install the novaflow-installer app.\
   →  A loading indicator is displayed.
3. Quit the app store while the loading indicator is still running.\
   →  The installer app is displayed on the home screen.

   ![The novaflow-installer entry in the app store](/assets/developer/nova-flow/appstore-installer-entry.png)

   ![NOVA home screen with the novaflow-installer app installed](/assets/developer/nova-flow/home-with-installer.png)

### Step 2: Verify settings

1. Enter the latest stable version tag.\
   Any tag existing in the GitHub repository is accepted by the installer.

   ![The NOVA Flow installer UI with the version tag field, the pre-selected action services, and the Install / Update button](/assets/developer/nova-flow/installer-ui.png)

2. Ignore the service selection (beginner) or select the desired services to be included in NOVA Flow (advanced).\
   Per default, the core services control plane, Forest, and
   the Flow UI, core, general, IO and Omniverse are pre-selected.

3. Use the Install/Update button to start the installation.
   →  You can now go back to the home screen while the installation is running in the background.

NOVA Flow is now installed on your NOVA OS instance. Start building behavior trees and create your first flow.

## Updates

Use the installer app to update NOVA Flow to a newer version.
The installer will update all services to the new version and remove any services that were removed from the product in the meantime.

## Advanced options

The **Advanced** section of the installer is collapsed by default and stays
optional:

- **AI Proxy**: the Flow-design assistant. Opt-in; requires an Azure OpenAI
  key when enabled.
- **Custom node**: install your own action service from any container
  registry, so it shows up as a node in Flow. Learn [How to build your own action service](/developer/nova-flow/sdk-vs-flow#custom-action-nodes).