Getting started

By the end of this section CardTray will be installed, running, and visible as an icon in your system tray.

System requirements

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). There is no Mac, Linux or mobile build.
• No administrator rights. CardTray installs for your user account only and never prompts for elevation.
• An internet connection — for updates, and for the bandwidth sharing that keeps the app free.
• No graphics card requirement, and nothing extra to download after install: every game, deck, tabletop and sound is in the installer.

Installing

Run the CardTray installer and work through its pages. The first is the License Agreement: CardTray is free to use, and this page links the CardTray License, FAQ and Privacy Policy, which explain how it is funded, what it collects and your rights. Tick I agree to CardTray's terms to continue.

The second is the Massive Terms of Service. It explains, in Massive's own words, the bandwidth-sharing arrangement that funds the app:

To remove ads and get free content, please let Massive use a small amount of your device's free resources and IP address to download public web data. Your participation is optional, and you may opt out anytime. Pressing Accept indicates that you agree to Massive's license and privacy policy. You can opt out at any time after opting in.

The install cannot continue until you tick I agree and want to continue. Read it — it is the most consequential choice in the installer. See How CardTray is funded.

Then choose where to install it — the default is fine. The installer adds a desktop shortcut and a Start Menu entry, both named CardTray, and CardTray opens by itself when the install finishes.

First launch

There is no consent screen inside the app — you agreed to the terms in the installer. CardTray opens straight on the Game Gallery and adds its icon to your system tray (the row of small icons by the clock). It remembers its window size and position between runs.

Crash reports and usage analytics are on by default and can be switched off at any time in Settings → Privacy & diagnostics — see Privacy.

To play straight away: pick a category, then press Play on any game. See Game Gallery.

Uninstalling

Remove CardTray the way you remove any other Windows program. That path is the complete one — there is nothing else to run afterwards.

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps (Windows 11) or Settings → Apps → Apps & features (Windows 10). Searching the Start menu for Add or remove programs opens the same page.
2. Find CardTray in the list — type "cardtray" into the search box at the top to jump straight to it.
3. Click the ⋯ button next to it, choose Uninstall, and confirm.

That single step removes the app, its shortcut and its Start Menu entry — and it also removes the Massive bandwidth-sharing agent that came with it, so your participation in how CardTray is funded ends there and then. Nothing is left sharing in the background.

One folder is left behind on purpose: CardTray's per-user folder under %APPDATA%. It holds your settings and your game database — every saved and finished game, your replays, streaks, personal bests and achievements. It is kept so that reinstalling picks up exactly where you left off. Delete that folder by hand if you want your history gone too.

What usually goes wrong

A tile says "Bandwidth sharing is off" instead of showing its games. Bandwidth sharing is not running. Sharing is what pays for the app, and the game tiles are gated behind it — see How CardTray is funded.

Windows warns about the installer. It should not: the installer is code-signed with Clearware's certificate. A warning that names an unknown publisher means the file did not come from Clearware — delete it and download it again from the official site.