Talk to Your Mac and Let Claude Use Your Screen

Atticus is a free, open-source voice assistant for your Mac. You hold a shortcut, say what you need, and it works from whatever is on your screen, so you stop pasting screenshots and describing windows.

What this helps you do

Put a messy page of notes on screen and ask for a clean action list. Put an error message on screen and ask what happened. Atticus reads what you're looking at, answers in a small box, and can also open apps, move windows, and find files by voice.

It runs on the Claude plan you already pay for, so there's no API key to set up. Check the two requirements below before you install, because it won't run without them.

Before you start

• macOS 26 or later. Atticus uses Apple's new on-device speech, which older versions don't have. Check under Apple menu, then About This Mac.
• An AI client to power it. The usual setup is a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) with Claude Code installed and signed in. A free Claude account isn't enough. Atticus can also run on the Devin CLI, Pi, or a local model server through Claude Code. New to Claude? The Claude Setup Checklist walks you through the plans.
• Apple's command line tools. If they're missing, the installer opens Apple's installer for them. You can also run xcode-select --install in Terminal first.
• A few minutes to grant permissions. Setup asks for each macOS permission it needs, such as Microphone, Accessibility, and Screen Recording.

Terms to know

• Shortcut: the key combo that starts Atticus listening. The default is hold Control + Option + Space.
• Terminal: the Mac app where you paste commands. Find it with Spotlight.
• Claude Code: Anthropic's coding tool that runs on your computer. Atticus uses it to reach Claude through your plan.
• Accessibility permission: a macOS setting that lets an app click, type, and move windows for you.
• Screen Recording permission: a macOS setting that lets an app see what's on your screen.
• Menu bar: the strip across the top of your Mac screen, where Atticus lives after setup.

Step-by-step

1. Confirm you're on macOS 26 and that Claude Code is installed and signed in to your Claude Pro or Max plan.
2. Open Terminal and paste the install command from Copy this. Press Return.
3. The installer checks your Mac, downloads Atticus, builds the app into your Applications folder, and opens it.
4. A setup window appears. It checks your AI plan, then asks for each permission. Click through and allow each one in System Settings when macOS asks.
5. Open a messy page of notes. Hold Control + Option + Space, say "Look at this and make me a clean action list," then let go.
6. Watch the box while it works. When the answer appears, click it to copy it.
7. Try a second one. Put an error message on screen, hold the shortcut, and ask "What happened here and how do I fix it?"
8. Open Atticus from Spotlight (search "Atticus") to change the shortcut, voice, and model settings.

Copy this

Paste this into Terminal on your Mac to install Atticus:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SaarthurR/atticus-mac/main/install.sh | bash

Then try these out loud with the shortcut held. Replace the bracketed parts.

Look at this and make me a clean action list.
What does this error mean, and what should I try first?
Summarize this article in three bullets.
Reply to this email. [WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY]
Where do I turn on [SETTING NAME]?
Explain this and draw it on my screen.

Things to know

• Hold or toggle. Hold mode sends when you let go. If you'd rather press once to start and again to send, change it in Settings, then General, then Shortcut behavior.
• Your voice stays on your Mac. Apple's on-device speech turns your voice into text, and the audio never leaves your Mac. The text of your request and what it needs from your screen go to the AI client you picked.
• It asks before risky actions. Deletes, sends, purchases, and file changes need your approval. Email replies are placed at your cursor, never sent for you.
• It uses your plan. In Settings, then Intelligence, choose Cheapest, Balanced (the default), or Most capable. Most capable uses more of your Claude plan.
• Anonymous usage counts are on by default. Atticus sends feature names and timings, never your words or screen. Turn it off in Settings, then Account & Access, then Count me as a user.
• English by default. For other languages, pick Whisper under Settings, then General, then Speech model.
• It's free and open source under the MIT license. Full details are on the Atticus GitHub page.

If something goes wrong

• Terminal says "Atticus needs macOS 26 or later": update macOS in System Settings, then run the install command again.
• Setup keeps asking you to sign in: Claude Code isn't signed in to a paid Claude plan. Open Terminal, run claude, sign in, then reopen Atticus.
• It answers but can't see your screen: turn on Screen Recording for Atticus in System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
• It can't click or type for you: turn on Accessibility for Atticus in the same Privacy & Security section.
• Nothing happens when you hold the shortcut: check that another app isn't using Control + Option + Space, or record a new shortcut in Settings.

Final check

You pass when holding the shortcut on a page of notes gives you a clean action list in the Atticus box, and asking about an error on screen gets an answer without you pasting anything.