Set up PromptDC Desktop for macOS and Windows
PromptDC Desktop for macOS and Windows is the flagship PromptDC app: one install works everywhere. Select text in any application or text field — every browser (Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox), desktop app (Mail, Slack, Notion, Word, Outlook, Teams, Discord, Notes), AI desktop app (ChatGPT desktop, Claude desktop, Grok), IDE (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Antigravity, Trae, Kiro), and inside terminal CLIs (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Grok, Agy, OpenCode).
PromptDC is the first desktop app to enhance prompts inside terminal CLIs on both macOS and Windows. Press Cmd+Shift+E on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows, review the rewrite in an editable review popover, and choose Replace or Copy. With per-app default profiles, each application automatically uses the right profile (like the Code profile for Cursor and terminals, or Email for Mail).
If you want one setup that covers every textarea, coding tool, and desktop app, the desktop app alone is all you need. Optional Chrome and IDE extensions are available as additions for browser-specific toolbars and editor sidebars.
Last updated: August 2026
macOS
Grant Accessibility, then allow Automation when first requested.
Windows
Skip Accessibility, then sign in from the tray.
Works everywhere
Select text in any app, browser, IDE, or terminal.
Complete setup
01
Open PromptDC
Launch PromptDC from Applications on macOS or the Start menu on Windows. A new installation shows onboarding. A completed installation places a PromptDC icon in the macOS menu bar or Windows notification area.02
Review the onboarding screens
Continue through Profiles (Grammar, Email, Social, Summarize, Code, and more), the floating enhance panel, per-app default profiles, and coding preferences. These screens explain the major controls but do not change text in another app.03
Grant macOS Accessibility
On Finish setup, choose Enable access. In System Settings, open Privacy & Security, then Accessibility, and enable PromptDC. Return to onboarding and wait until Accessibility is on appears. Automation is separate and requested when a System Events path first needs it. Windows skips both permissions.04
Sign in
Open Settings from the menu-bar or tray menu and choose Continue with Google or Continue with Apple. Finish in the browser, then return to PromptDC. You should see the Settings sidebar instead of the sign-in screen.
If setup does not finish
Permission stays pending
Sign-in window does not update
No menu-bar or tray icon
Menu bar, tray, and panel
Use the system icon
On macOS, left-click the menu-bar icon to toggle the PromptDC panel and right-click it for the menu. On Windows, click the tray icon to toggle the panel and use its tray menu for more controls.
The menu provides Open PromptDC, Settings, Profiles, Active profile, Check for Updates, and Quit PromptDC. Changing Active profile selects the reusable instruction used when no per-app default profile takes priority.
Use the floating panel
The panel is useful when you want to type or paste text rather than capture a selection. Choose a profile (such as Grammar, Email, or Code), enter text, and select Enhance. You can also switch the panel to Action and type a temporary instruction.
Press Cmd+Shift+U on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+U on Windows to toggle the panel. Copy places a panel result on the clipboard, and Undo restores the panel's original text.
Settings map
| Page | What it controls | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| General | Appearance, startup, result behavior, and desktop preferences. | A changed toggle remains set when you reopen Settings. |
| Profiles | Built-in profiles (Grammar, Email, Social, Summarize, Professional, Image Prompt, Reply, Concise, Explain, Code), custom profiles, global Language, and Code profile output preferences. | The selected or reordered profile appears in the panel and tray menu. |
| App defaults | Assign one per-app default profile for each application (e.g. Code for Cursor and terminals, Email for Mail). | The app and profile appear together in the defaults list. |
| Shortcuts | The general Enhance (Cmd+Shift+E / Ctrl+Shift+E) and panel (Cmd+Shift+U / Ctrl+Shift+U) shortcuts. | The new combination registers without a conflict warning. |
| Tested apps | The exact applications verified with the desktop capture flow across browsers, desktop apps, IDEs, and terminals. | Apps outside this list also work if they expose selected text to macOS or Windows. |
Complete an enhancement
01
Open an application or terminal with text
Examples include Mail, Notes, Slack, Notion, Chrome, Safari, Cursor, VS Code, or a terminal CLI (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok). Typecan you sent the update todayor a rough coding prompt.02
Select the text
The highlight must remain visible before you trigger PromptDC.03
Choose an active or default profile
Choose Grammar, Email, or Code from the tray or panel, unless the application already has a per-app default profile (such as Code for Cursor and terminals).04
Press the enhance shortcut
Press Cmd+Shift+E on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows. With the default Enhance popover setting, an editable review popover appears near your cursor and displays the rewritten prompt.05
Review the result
Edit the result directly in the popover if needed. Choose Replace to place it back into the application or terminal, or Copy to leave the source text unchanged and copy the result.06
Confirm the source field
The source field or terminal now contains the accepted text. The application stays in control of saving, sending, or executing it.
If the enhancement does not work
Nothing is selected
The shortcut does nothing
macOS cannot capture or replace
The result does not appear
Desktop setup FAQs
Need the full loop?
Read Enhancing text
Working in a terminal?
Open the Terminal guide
Something failed?
Use Troubleshooting
Write better with AI
Enhance any text you select on the desktop, on the web, in your editor or terminals.
Download PromptDC