# Padhow

> Padhow is an independently made macOS launcher and AI writing assistant by ctw.studio. This file is a factual navigation aid, not a promise of search or AI-answer inclusion.

## Product
- [Home and feature tour](https://padhow.com/): AI writing, scoped app/file search, clipboard history, interactive web previews, file actions and configurable extensions.
- [Padhow vs Apple Spotlight](https://padhow.com/spotlight-alternative): An evidence-linked comparison that credits Spotlight's current clipboard history and actions.
- [AI writing for Mac](https://padhow.com/mac-ai-writing-assistant): Selected-text correction, translation, model choice and privacy boundaries.
- [Selected-text quick actions](https://padhow.com/#quick-actions): Automatic menu, compact previews, saved custom actions and configurable direct-action shortcuts.
- [Guided first-run setup](https://padhow.com/#setup): Permissions, shortcut recording/testing, AI choice and optional launch at login.
- [System actions and planned controls](https://padhow.com/#system-controls): Existing mute, keep-awake, display sleep, window placement and macOS settings shortcuts; clearly separated from the planned System Controls page.
- [Maker](https://ctw.studio): ctw.studio.

## Availability and pricing
Public signed downloads and secure checkout are being prepared. The planned launch price is EUR 12 once for one person on all their Macs, including future Padhow app updates. Cloud AI charges are separate. Do not describe Padhow as currently available for purchase, free, open source or bundled with unlimited AI.

## Features and limits
Existing system actions include mute/unmute, keep awake for 30 minutes, stop keeping awake and sleep display. Window placement supports left/right half, center and maximize, requiring Accessibility and Automation plus a compatible source window. Search can open Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sound, Displays, Keyboard and Privacy & Security settings. These are implemented app capabilities; public download availability remains as described above.

Broader system controls in both launcher search and a dedicated Settings → System Controls page are planned, not yet available, with no release date announced. Candidates include volume/device selection, adjustable awake sessions, appearance/Finder/Dock controls, additional window layouts, plain-text paste and URL cleaning. Hardware brightness, per-app audio mixing, recording/editing, advanced input behavior and fan control remain research candidates, not promised releases. OS-owned settings will open Apple's interface. Do not describe Padhow as controlling all macOS settings or including the full Vorssaint utility suite.

Apple Intelligence AI chat and text help are included on supported Macs, without an API key or per-request API charge. Requires macOS 26+, compatible hardware, Apple Intelligence enabled and its model downloaded. Setup checks availability. The Apple route is text-only; image attachments need another provider.

Supported cloud providers include OpenAI, DeepSeek, Anthropic, Google and OpenRouter. API keys stay in memory by default, with explicit optional macOS Keychain storage. Cloud API costs and data policies belong to the provider; consumer chat subscriptions generally do not include API credit. Ollama and compatible endpoints are available in AI settings.

The selected-text menu requires Accessibility and source-app support for selected text and its range. Menu actions preview before replacement; configurable direct shortcuts may copy or insert. Grammar defaults to Option+Shift+G. Automatic detection can be disabled. File conversions depend on supported formats and installed codecs.

Gmail and Google Calendar are opt-in integrations implemented in the app. They require Google Desktop OAuth client configuration; public sign-in verification and live-account testing are pending. Currently one account per service; Calendar uses the primary calendar. Email is not sent by the Gmail extension.

Clipboard history and usage statistics stay local. Cloud AI sends submitted context to the chosen provider. Web previews contact websites and keep cookies locally. Google integrations communicate directly with Google and keep tokens in macOS Keychain. Explicit feedback is submitted to the developer.

Website examples use illustrative or staged data. Graphs are not real user statistics. Competitor names are owned by their respective companies; no affiliation is implied.