Screen-region capture
Press Win+Shift+Q by default, drag around an on-screen region, and receive the answer beside the selection without opening another app or uploading a file manually.
Squint
Squint is a desktop AI tool that explains selected areas of your screen without requiring a separate chat window or manual screenshot upload. It is intended for users who want contextual help with interfaces, documents, images, code, and other on-screen material.
What is Squint?
Squint is a desktop screen-understanding app for Windows and Linux. It stays in the system tray until activated, then lets you drag a box around anything visible on your screen and receive an AI-generated explanation beside the selected area.
The workflow is designed to keep the source material in view: press the hotkey, select a region, optionally add a prompt, and read the streamed response in the on-screen panel. Follow-up questions can be asked from that panel, while the selected crop—not the rest of the screen—is sent to OpenAI's API for processing.
Key features
Streamed answers
Responses appear progressively, and the streaming speed can be configured in the app settings.
Capture-based follow-ups
Continue asking questions in the response panel without taking another screenshot or describing the same context again.
Two model options
Choose between Fast and Best per capture. The Fast model is the default, while Best is intended for more difficult material such as dense fine print.
Rich response formatting
Responses support Markdown, mathematical expressions, and code blocks, with 16 available visual themes.
Local history and multiple regions
Search locally stored conversations, resume previous captures, and select up to four separate screen regions in one capture by holding Shift.
Practical use cases
Understanding software interfaces
Select an unfamiliar control, dialog, or interface element and ask what it does without leaving the application you are using.
Interpreting visual material
Capture a chart, diagram, screenshot, or visual reference and ask for an explanation while keeping the original material on screen.
Reading difficult text
Highlight dense fine print or a document excerpt and use the Best model when the text requires more careful reading.
Investigating code and errors
Select code or an error message, request an explanation, and continue with follow-up questions in the same response panel.
Comparing multiple regions
Capture up to four separated regions when context is distributed across different parts of the same display.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Reduces the need to switch between a work window and a separate AI chat or upload screenshots manually.
- Supports follow-up questions without repeating the capture.
- Offers Fast and Best model choices, formatted responses, local searchable history, and up to four selected regions per capture.
- Includes a free plan with no card requirement, according to the product page.
Cons
- It requires an internet connection because responses are generated by an online model.
- macOS is listed as coming soon; the currently documented downloads are for Windows and Linux.
- Screen content selected for analysis is sent to OpenAI's API, with API data subject to OpenAI's stated retention and handling practices.
FAQ
How do I set up and use Squint?
Install Squint on Windows or Linux, create an account with an email address, and activate the default hotkey, Win+Shift+Q. You can change the hotkey later in settings.
Does Squint continuously monitor my screen?
No. Squint remains in the system tray until you press the hotkey or click Squint Capture. It does not record, poll, or capture the screen in the background.
What happens to captured screen content?
The selected region is sent to OpenAI's API for processing. The rest of the screen remains on your machine. Squint says the captured region is removed from its side after the answer returns; OpenAI may retain API data in abuse-monitoring logs for up to 30 days and does not use API submissions for training.
Does Squint work offline?
Squint requires a network connection because the answer is generated by an online model. The hotkey, screen freeze, selection, and crop happen locally before the request is sent.
Does Squint support multiple or rotated displays?
Squint supports multiple monitors, 4K displays, and portrait-oriented monitors. It captures the display where the cursor is located and adjusts rotated displays before processing.
Quick Facts
- Category
- AI productivity / screen understanding
- Platforms
- Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) and Linux via AppImage; macOS coming soon
- Activation
- Win+Shift+Q by default, or Squint Capture from the Start menu
- Input
- A selected region of the screen, with an optional prompt
- Models
- Fast and Best
- Account
- Free account created with an email address and sign-in link
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