martinoyovo

martinoyovo / overlay

Public

macOS desktop app that captures text from any application and brings up an AI assistant instantly, no copy-paste needed.

10
0
100% credibility
Found Apr 11, 2026 at 10 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
TypeScript
AI Summary

A macOS desktop app that captures selected text or screen regions from any application and opens a floating AI panel for instant explanations, summaries, translations, or custom queries.

How It Works

1
📱 Discover Overlay

You hear about Overlay, a simple macOS helper that gives instant AI smarts on any text you highlight.

2
🖥️ Install and open

Download the app, drag it to your Applications folder, and launch it – it asks for permission to read text from other programs.

3
🔓 Allow text access

In your system settings, check the box to let Overlay peek at selected text in apps like browsers or documents.

4
✨ Highlight and summon AI

Select any text anywhere – in a webpage, PDF, or chat – then press ⌘⇧A, and a floating AI panel pops up with your text ready.

5
🧠 Get quick help

Tap buttons like Explain, Summarize, or Translate, or type your own question – the AI responds right there.

🎉 Workflow magic

You stay in your flow, getting smart insights instantly without copying, pasting, or switching windows.

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Star Growth

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AI-Generated Review

What is overlay?

Overlay is a TypeScript macOS desktop app that grabs selected text from any running application—Chrome tabs, Terminal output, Xcode, Slack threads, or PDFs—and pops up a floating AI panel instantly with ⌘⇧A. No copy-paste or window-switching; it handles OCR for screenshots, region captures via ⌘⇧R, and quick one-click actions like explain, summarize, translate, or improve. Users get a github macos client-like experience with Electron shell, React UI, and Express backend for easy AI swaps.

Why is it gaining traction?

Unlike browser extensions or separate chat apps, it overlays directly where you work without stealing focus, using adaptive capture across apps and preserving session context for threaded chats. Screen OCR and region selection shine for non-text like diagrams or iracing overlay github-style visuals, while global shortcuts like ⌘⇧O for full-screen OCR keep workflows fluid. Devs dig the no-friction AI access over clunky alternatives.

Who should use this?

macOS devs debugging in Terminal/Xcode, designers grabbing Slack feedback, or analysts scanning PDFs needing instant summaries/translations. Perfect for power users juggling macos desktops, macos desktop widgets, or creating macos desktop shortcuts/verknüpfung erstellen without tab-switching.

Verdict

Early prototype at 10 stars and 1.0% credibility—docs are clear with DMG packaging, but test native builds thoroughly. Fork for custom AI if you're deep in macos github desktop or discord overlay github flows; skip for production until more battle-tested.

(198 words)

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