macOS AI Launcher: Fast Hotkey Summoning and Keyboard-First Interaction
SpotAsk is a native macOS AI launcher designed for frequent, lightweight questions.
Press a global keyboard shortcut to bring up a focused floating window above your current work, stream the response in real time, and dismiss it quickly without breaking your workflow.
Core Capabilities
- Instant Hotkey Summoning: A global hotkey (⌥ + Space by default) summons the floating window over any fullscreen application, IDE, or browser without desktop space sliding.
- Silent Menu-Bar Residency: Runs as a lightweight macOS accessory application, staying resident in the menu bar without taking up Dock space.
- Keyboard-First Controls: Supports dedicated shortcut copying (default: ⌘ + ⇧ + C); dismiss smoothly when done, with ⎋ behavior adapted to current state and settings (such as stopping streaming, closing popovers, or dismissing the window).
3-Step Quick Start
- Confirm Hotkey: Launch SpotAsk, check the default summoning shortcut (⌥ + Space) in Settings > Shortcuts, or record your preferred key combination.
- Configure Model: Open Settings > Services, configure your API provider, endpoint, and model ID, then click "Test Connection".
- Summon & Ask: Press your hotkey anywhere, type your prompt, and press Enter to stream answers.
Visual Demo
Figure 1: Summoning SpotAsk over active macOS applications with a global hotkey.
Verified Boundaries & Practical Notes
- Operating System Requirement: SpotAsk is built with modern Swift and AppKit, requiring macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later.
- Hotkey Conflicts: If another utility has already registered ⌥ + Space, SpotAsk alerts you so you can record an alternative conflict-free shortcut in Settings.
- Secure Input Protection: In password prompts or secure terminal sessions where macOS activates Secure Input, global hotkey capture is temporarily suspended by the operating system for security.
Download SpotAsk
Download the latest DMG from GitHub Releases (Apple Silicon and Intel supported), or install via Homebrew:
sh
brew tap shiquda/spotask https://github.com/shiquda/SpotAsk
brew install --cask shiquda/spotask/spotaskRelated Guides
- BYOK Native AI Client — Bring your own API key with pay-as-you-go billing.
- External Ask & Intent Routing — Route queries to web AI or local CLI agents.
- Global Selection Assistant — In-place text processing across apps.
- Shortcuts Reference — Complete guide to global and in-window keybindings.