miniai.dev

What is miniai.dev?

miniai.dev is a free macOS app that lets you select text in any Mac application and get an instant AI explanation displayed right over your window. The core purpose is to help you understand information you encounter in your workflow without switching apps.

Instead of copying content elsewhere, the product workflow starts with text selection and a keyboard shortcut, then returns a short explanation in context.

Key Features

• Select text in any Mac app to define what the AI should explain, keeping your attention in the original document or page.
• Press ⌥Space to trigger an instant explanation, designed for quick “in-the-moment” understanding.
• Shows the explanation over your window, so you can reference it while continuing to read or work.
• Works on macOS 14+ and supports Apple Silicon and Intel, covering current Mac hardware configurations.
• Available as Download for Mac and currently listed as v1.0, indicating an app-focused release for macOS users.

How to Use miniai.dev

1. Install and open miniai.dev on your Mac (requires macOS 14+).
2. In any app, highlight the text you want to understand.
3. Press ⌥Space to get an instant AI explanation overlaying your current window.
4. Read the explanation in place and continue working.

Use Cases

• Understand unfamiliar terms in an email or document: select the phrase you don’t know and view an AI explanation without leaving the message.
• Clarify code or technical text while reading: select a snippet and press ⌥Space to get an immediate explanation over the editor.
• Summarize or interpret content you encounter during research: highlight relevant sections and request an explanation while staying on the same page.
• Translate or make sense of pasted text contexts: select the text you want to interpret and use the overlay to get a quick, in-context explanation.
• Learn while working across apps: use the same shortcut workflow in any Mac app rather than opening a separate AI tool.

FAQ

• Is miniai.dev available for Mac only? Yes. The page describes a “Download for Mac” app.

• What macOS version is required? It requires macOS 14+.

• Does it work on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs? Yes. The page lists support for both Apple Silicon and Intel.

• How do I trigger the explanation? Select text and press ⌥Space.

• Where does the explanation appear? It appears right over your window, so you can keep your place in the app you’re using.

Alternatives

• In-browser or web-based AI chat tools: useful if you already use a browser chat workflow, but typically require switching contexts rather than showing results directly over your current window.
• Other macOS AI assistant apps with keyboard shortcuts: alternative tools in the same “select text + shortcut” workflow, but may differ in where the explanation appears and what they can do beyond explanations.
• Desktop dictionary or translation apps: good for quick lookups of terms, but they’re usually limited to definitions or translations rather than broader AI explanations of selected text.
• IDE or editor-integrated AI features (for developers): can be stronger in coding contexts inside specific editors, but may not help across “any Mac app” the way a system-level selection overlay does.