I Built a macOS Menu Bar App That Sends Text to Any AI in 2 Seconds

Source: Dev.to

Overview

I kept switching between AI tabs all day — Claude for code reviews, ChatGPT for API lookups, Gemini for translations. The constant copy‑paste‑switch loop was killing my flow, so I built GroAsk, a native macOS menu bar app that lets you send text to any AI in under 2 seconds.

How It Works

1. Press ⌥Space.
2. Type your question.
3. Press Tab to pick an AI.
4. Hit Enter.

The question is sent to the selected AI’s website automatically.

Quick Use Cases

• Select any text (error messages, code snippets, paragraphs), hit the shortcut, and it goes straight to the AI—no copy‑paste needed.
• Launch Claude Code from anywhere without opening Terminal; the app auto‑detects your project directory.
• Paste a screenshot (⌘V) and ask the AI about it, e.g., “How do I implement this layout?” from a design mockup.
• Hold Option when submitting to keep focus on your current window while the AI processes the request.

Features

• Native macOS built with Swift + SwiftUI; lightweight (~30 MB RAM).
• Uses Chrome AppleScript to auto‑fill and submit questions on AI websites.
• Automatic script updates: when AI websites change their UI, injection scripts are refreshed from the server—no app update required.
• Graceful fallback: if the primary method fails, the app copies the question to the clipboard so you can paste it manually.
• Free tier includes 4 channels: ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi.
• Pro tier unlocks Claude, Claude Code, and additional productivity features (Select & Ask, image upload, silent mode).

Technical Details

• Built with: Swift, SwiftUI, AppleScript (Chrome).
• Memory usage: ~30 MB RAM.
• Compatibility: macOS 13.0+, Apple Silicon & Intel.

Pricing

• Free: Access to ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi.
• Pro: Unlocks Claude, Claude Code, and advanced features.

Links

• Website:
• GitHub:

Feel free to ask any questions or provide feedback!