SpotAsk is a free, open-source Mac menu bar app for quick questions: press ⌥Space to get an answer with your own API key, act on selected text, or hand off to ChatGPT or a local AI agent.
macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon / Intel · Native Swift
Download for macOS · Documentation · Quick start · Build from source · 简体中文
Download the arm64 DMG for Apple Silicon or the x86_64 DMG for Intel from GitHub Releases.
Or install with Homebrew:
brew tap shiquda/spotask https://github.com/shiquda/SpotAsk
brew install --cask shiquda/spotask/spotask- Quick ask — Press
⌥ + Spaceto summon a focused window anywhere, stream an answer with your own API key, and pressEscto dismiss. - Selection actions — Highlight text in any macOS app to translate, explain, summarize, or polish it in place, or bring it into chat.
- External Ask — Route a question to web AI, desktop apps, or local CLI agents in one keystroke, or let a decision model choose the destination.
- Instant hotkey capture, dismiss anytime — Press
⌥ + Space(customizable) to summon a focused input window anywhere; stream answers using your own API key (BYOK), then tapEscto close without breaking stride. - Smart & 1-click query routing (External Ask) — Route questions across three external channel types in 1 click, or let a decision model (such as
jev) pick the destination for you — with inline confirmation (↩/Tab/Esc) or confidence-threshold auto-send:- Web AI: Launch queries directly in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, and more.
- CLI agents: Wake up local command-line agents (like omp) directly in Terminal.
- Desktop apps: Trigger installed apps and note-taking tools via custom URI schemes.
- Global selection assistant — Highlight text in Safari, Xcode, or Notes to trigger an inline action bar; send text directly into chat for follow-up, or translate, explain, summarize, and polish in place.
- Multimodal & attachments — Paste screenshots or drop in images, text, and code files; multi-turn conversations seamlessly retain context.
- Prompt presets — Built-in templates for daily workflows, with custom prompt creation and dedicated shortcuts.
- Pure native & lightweight — Built entirely with Swift and AppKit; zero Electron runtime, instant cold-starts, and minimal memory footprint.
SpotAsk is built around two simple ideas: "Ask first. Decide where it goes after." and "Summon anytime. Dismiss instantly." — keeping everyday AI interactions fast, keyboard-first, and zero-friction.
Press the global hotkey (default ⌥ + Space) to summon a focused question window, get a streaming answer, and press Esc when you are done.
| Work with selected text | 1-click external routing (External Ask) |
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| Highlight text anywhere to translate, explain, polish, or bring directly into chat. | Press a shortcut to route questions to local CLI agents (e.g. omp) or web AI platforms without spending API tokens. |
Turn on automatic routing and SpotAsk asks a decision model (System One or OpenAI Decisions) before sending, then recommends a destination with a confidence score. ↩ continues, Tab switches channels, Esc cancels, and the toolbar toggle (⌘ + ⇧ + R) turns automatic routing off for the current conversation.
- Configure provider: Open Settings (
⌘ + ,), choose Services, and add your OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic, or Gemini endpoint, model ID, and API key. - Test connection: Click Test Connection to verify your credentials.
- Start asking: Press
⌥ + Spaceanywhere to summon SpotAsk and type your first question!
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Summon / Dismiss window | ⌥ + Space |
Global hotkey, customizable in Settings |
| Selection action bar | ⌥ + ⇧ + Space |
Trigger actions near highlighted text |
| Dismiss / Stop generating | Esc |
Instant close with zero friction |
| New conversation | ⌘ + N |
Clear conversation history |
| Toggle automatic routing for this conversation | ⌘ + ⇧ + R |
Only while decision routing is on and the toolbar toggle is shown |
| Open Settings | ⌘ + , |
Configure providers, shortcuts, and appearance |
For full shortcut mapping and detailed options, see the Settings & Shortcuts Reference.
- BYOK (Bring Your Own Key): Access keys are stored only on this Mac, in a local credentials file readable only by your macOS user (not in Keychain), and are sent only to the provider you configured.
- Zero telemetry: No account required, no middle proxy servers, and no tracking.
- On-demand permissions: The selection assistant requests Accessibility permissions only when enabled, and reads text strictly when you highlight it.
Requirements: macOS 15+, Xcode 16+.
./Scripts/install-debug-app.shSpotAsk Debug will appear in your menu bar with an isolated app identity that does not interfere with production releases.
Official releases support Spotlight, Siri, and Shortcuts. For custom builds, sign the target with your Personal Team in Xcode.
- Online Documentation: Complete user guide, provider setup, selection actions, and troubleshooting.
- Developer Guide: Instructions for building, testing, localization, and releases.
SpotAsk is licensed under the GNU AGPL v3.