Dev Tools // // 4 min read

BHelper: Supercharge Your Writing with AI on Your Mac

balakumar Senior Software Engineer

Enhance your writing with the power of AI, right from your Mac's menu bar!

I'm thrilled to announce the release of BHelper, a macOS app that uses artificial intelligence to help you write better and faster! BHelper lives in your Mac's menu bar and allows you to instantly rewrite any selected text using powerful AI models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, or even run models locally with Ollama.

BHelper is a macOS menu bar app that lets you effortlessly rewrite selected text using state-of-the-art AI models from leading providers.

Note: This app is currently unsigned due to the $99 Apple Developer Program fee, which I'm in the process of obtaining while actively developing multiple applications.

BHelper

Get the App

✨ Features

  • Effortless Rewriting: Select text in any application, use a simple keyboard shortcut, and BHelper will intelligently rewrite it using your chosen AI model.
  • Multiple AI Providers: Choose from a variety of AI services:
    • Ollama: Run powerful language models locally on your Mac (free).
    • OpenAI: Access GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo (paid).
    • Google: Utilize the advanced capabilities of Gemini (free).
    • Anthropic: Experience the helpfulness of Claude models (free $5 credit available).
  • Model Selection: Select your preferred model from each provider, tailored to your specific needs:
    • Ollama: llama3, mistral
    • OpenAI: gpt-4, gpt-4-turbo
    • Google: gemini-1.5-pro
    • Anthropic: claude-2, claude-instant-1, sonnet-3.5, opus
  • Customizable Pre-prompts: Craft prompts to guide the AI's rewriting style and ensure it meets your requirements.
  • Global Hotkeys: Trigger text transformations and prompt input with convenient keyboard shortcuts.
  • Seamless Integration: Works with any application where you can select text.

🚀 Getting Started

1. Download:

  • Download the latest release of BHelper from the Releases page.
  • Look for the file ending in .zip. This is a compressed file that contains the BHelper application.

2. Installation:

  • Find the downloaded BHelper.zip file. It's usually in your Downloads folder.
  • Double-click the BHelper.zip file. This will extract the contents and create a new folder named "BHelper."
  • Open the "BHelper" folder. Inside, you'll find the BHelper.app application file.
  • Drag the BHelper.app file into your Applications folder. This will install BHelper on your Mac.

3. First Time Run:

  • Because BHelper is not downloaded from the official Mac App Store, your Mac might warn you that it's from an unidentified developer. This is normal for apps distributed outside the App Store.
  • To allow BHelper to run:
    • Right-click (or Control-click) on the BHelper.app file.
    • Select "Open" from the menu.
    • You'll see a warning dialog asking if you're sure you want to open it. Click "Open."
  • BHelper will now launch, and you'll see its icon in your menu bar (the row of icons at the top right corner of your screen).

4. Grant Accessibility Permissions:

  • BHelper needs special permissions to work properly because it needs to be able to read and modify the text you select in other applications.
  • When you launch BHelper for the first time, you'll see a prompt asking you to grant accessibility permissions.
  • To grant permissions:
    • Click the "Open System Preferences" button in the prompt.
    • This will open the "Security & Privacy" settings on your Mac.
    • Click the "Privacy" tab.
    • In the list on the left, select "Accessibility."
    • You might see a locked padlock icon at the bottom left corner of the window. If it's locked, click it and enter your Mac's password to unlock the settings.
    • Find "BHelper" in the list of apps.
    • Check the box next to "BHelper" to allow it to control your computer.

5. API Keys (if required):

  • Some AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) require API keys for you to use their services.
  • If you want to use these providers, you'll need to get API keys from their websites and enter them into BHelper.
  • Here's how:
    • Click the BHelper icon in your menu bar.
    • Select "Settings" from the menu.
    • Enter your API keys in the appropriate fields.
    • Click "Save" to store your settings.

🗝️ API Key Information

OpenAI

Anthropic

🆓 Free AI Options

  • Ollama: Allows you to run powerful language models locally on your Mac, making it a completely free option!
  • Google Gemini: Google's Gemini AI is currently available for free.

⌨️ Hotkeys

  • Transform with Pre-prompt: Command + Control + Option + U
  • Use Selection as Prompt: Command + Control + Option + I

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests.

🙏 Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the developers of the following libraries:

Let me know if you have any other questions.

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