Tweaks 🧠📋

AI‑powered text enhancement for macOS. Instantly rewrite, rephrase, or refine any text from your clipboard — all in one tap.

Every copy deserves a tweak.

Download

• Latest DMG: Tweaks.dmg
• All Releases: Releases
• Requires Apple Silicon and Osaurus

Features

• Quick Actions HUD: Press Control+T to open a centered HUD with 1–4 quick actions. Hit a number key or click to apply.
• Lightning Fast: Streaming paste for sub‑second perceived response on capable models.
• One Shortcut: Copy any text, hit your global hotkey, and tweak — no context switching.
• Smart Refinement: Context‑aware AI rewrites, rephrases, or polishes while preserving intent.
• Privacy‑First: Sends text only to the endpoint you configure (local by default via Osaurus).
• In‑App Updates: Optional automatic updates powered by Sparkle.
• Visual Feedback: Subtle loading/trigger indicators for confidence while you work.
• Menu Bar App: Lives quietly in your menu bar.

Prerequisites

Osaurus - Local LLM Server

Tweaks requires Osaurus, a native Apple Silicon local LLM server, to provide AI-powered text improvements. Osaurus is built on Apple's MLX for maximum performance on M-series chips.

Installation

Install Osaurus using Homebrew:

brew install osaurus

Setup

1. Launch Osaurus: After installation, launch Osaurus from your Applications folder or by running:

   osaurus

2. Download a Model:

   • Click on the Osaurus menu bar icon
   • Go to "Model Gallery" or "Downloads"
   • Choose a model. We recommend: 👉 gemma-3n-E4B-it-lm-4bit on Hugging Face
   • Click "Download" and wait for it to complete

3. Verify it's Running:

   • Osaurus runs on http://localhost:1337 by default
   • You should see the Osaurus icon in your menu bar when it's active

4. Test the API (optional):

   curl http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1/chat/completions \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "model": "llama-3.2-3b-instruct-4bit",
       "messages": [{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]
     }'

Note: Osaurus requires Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3 chips). Intel Macs are not supported.

Installation

download the latest .dmg

Drag into Applications, launch, and press Control + T to open the Quick Actions HUD.

Development & Debugging

1. Clone the repository
2. Open tweaks.xcodeproj in Xcode
3. Build and run (Cmd+R)

Quick Start for Debug Builds

Every time you build in debug mode, macOS treats it as a new app that needs accessibility permissions. We've included tools to make this process easier.

Method 1: Using the Debug Tab (Recommended)

1. Run the app from Xcode
2. Click the menu bar icon (gear icon)
3. Go to Debug tab
4. Click "Setup Accessibility" button
   • This automatically opens System Settings and copies the app path
5. In System Settings:
   • Click the "+" button
   • Press Cmd+V to paste the path
   • Select the app and click "Open"
   • Toggle the switch ON

Method 2: Using the Debug Script

1. Run the app from Xcode
2. Click the menu bar icon (gear icon)
3. Go to Debug tab
4. Click "Debug Script"
   • This creates and runs a Terminal script that guides you through the process

Method 3: Manual Process

1. Find your debug build location:

   ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/tweaks-*/Build/Products/Debug/tweaks.app
   

2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility
3. Remove any old "tweaks" entries with "-" button
4. Click "+" and navigate to the path above
5. Toggle ON

Visual Feedback System

The app includes comprehensive feedback for debugging:

1. Permission Status Indicator

   • Green checkmark = Ready to use
   • Orange warning = Permission needed
   • Red X = Permission denied

2. Hotkey Test Feature

   • Main tab shows "Test Hotkey Now" button when permissions are granted
   • Press count and last press time are displayed
   • Visual indicator pulses when hotkey is triggered
   • Toast notification appears in bottom-right corner

3. Debug Build Detection

   • Automatically detects when running from Xcode
   • Shows special debug helper UI
   • Provides one-click setup process

Development Tips

1. Keep the Debug tab open during development for quick access
2. Use the feedback system to verify changes immediately
3. The app remembers your custom hotkey between launches
4. Visual feedback appears even without clipboard content

Requirements

• macOS 14.0 or later (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 required)
• Xcode 16.0 or later
• Osaurus - Local LLM server (see Prerequisites above)
• Accessibility permission (for hotkey functionality)

Usage

Dead‑simple workflow:

1. Copy any text: Select and copy from anywhere (email, docs, chat, code).
2. Press your hotkey: Control+T opens the Quick Actions HUD.
3. Get polished text: Press 1–4 (or click) to apply — Tweaks streams and pastes the result, then restores your original clipboard.

Quick Actions HUD

• Press Control+T to show a compact HUD with up to 4 slots.
• Press digit keys 1–4 (or click) to pick an action without leaving your app.
• Configure titles, descriptions, and the underlying system prompts in Settings → Quick Actions.

Behavior details:

• Tweaks copies your current selection (when possible), sends it to your configured AI endpoint, and streams results into your clipboard.
• It presses Cmd+V for you to paste in the foreground app as deltas arrive, then restores your original clipboard shortly after.
• If the AI call fails, Tweaks falls back to pasting your original clipboard unchanged.

Hotkey

• Default: Control+T – Opens the Quick Actions HUD
• Change it in the Settings tab by clicking "Change" and pressing your desired combination
• While recording, the current hotkey is temporarily suspended to avoid accidental triggers

Privacy

• All keyboard events require Accessibility permission
• Your text is sent only to the endpoint you configure (local by default)

Architecture

tweaks/
├── App/                      # App entry point and app lifecycle
│   ├── tweaksApp.swift
│   └── AppDelegate.swift
├── UI/                       # Main UI and reusable components
│   ├── ContentView.swift
│   ├── MainView.swift
│   ├── HeaderView.swift
│   ├── QuickTweakMenu.swift          # Centered HUD (1–4 quick actions)
│   ├── QuickActionEditorView.swift   # Configure HUD slots
│   ├── AISettingsView.swift          # Models, temperature, updates
│   ├── HotkeyFeedback.swift
│   └── FuturisticUI.swift
├── Hotkey/                   # Global hotkey capture and helpers
│   ├── HotkeyManager.swift
│   ├── ShortcutRecorder.swift
│   └── ShortcutUtils.swift
├── Permissions/              # Accessibility permission state and prompts
│   └── PermissionManager.swift
├── Services/                 # Clipboard → AI → paste flow
│   └── TweakService.swift
├── AI/                       # OpenAI-compatible client and defaults
│   └── Osaurus.swift
├── Settings/                 # User defaults and app settings
│   └── SettingsManager.swift
├── Updates/                  # In‑app updates via Sparkle
│   └── SparkleManager.swift
├── Debug/                    # Debug-only utilities
│   └── DebugHelpers.swift
├── Assets.xcassets
└── tweaks.entitlements

AI internals

• Osaurus.Defaults sets default model, systemPrompt, and temperature.
• TweakService streams deltas and pastes as they arrive for minimal perceived latency.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

---

Contributing

We welcome contributions! To get started:

1. Fork the repo and create a feature branch.
2. Build locally and verify the hotkey, HUD, and streaming paste work.
3. Run through the onboarding (Accessibility) if you’re on a new debug build.
4. Follow the project’s Swift style and keep code readable and well‑named.
5. Open a pull request with a clear description and screenshots/GIFs where helpful.

Guidelines:

• Keep features focused and composable.
• Avoid catching errors silently; handle or surface meaningful context.
• Prefer early returns to deep nesting; keep functions small and intention‑revealing.
• Update README.md and docs/ as needed (user‑facing changes, notes, appcast if relevant).
• For UI, match the existing FuturisticUI/theme components.

Troubleshooting

Nothing happens on hotkey

• Ensure Accessibility is granted (open the app → follow the prompt or see the Debug tab)
• Check the visual indicator in the top-right of the popover
• Use "Test Hotkey Now" button to verify functionality
• Ensure no other apps are using the same hotkey combination
• Some apps enable Secure Input and block simulated keystrokes; try another app

"Permission Required" Won't Go Away

• Ensure you're granting permission to the exact build path
• Try quitting and reopening the app after granting permission
• Use the "Quit & Reopen" button in Debug tab

Debug Build Path Changed

This happens when Xcode creates a new DerivedData folder:

1. Use the Debug tab's "Setup Accessibility" button
2. It automatically handles the new path

AI does not change the text

• Verify your server is reachable at OSAURUS_BASE_URL
• Check logs in the Xcode console (Debug build prints helpful messages)
• Confirm your endpoint is OpenAI-compatible and returns choices[0].message.content

Privacy

• Your clipboard text is sent to the server you configure. For maximum privacy, use a local server.