Vela LauncherClosed alpha · macOS 26.4+
Vela Launcher: Everything on your Mac, one keystroke away.
A tiny, native launcher with instant answers, clipboard history, window layouts, AI and coding agents built in. It feels like part of macOS.
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Try “10 km in miles” or “time in tokyo” · hold ⌘ for shortcuts, ⌘K for actions
Why it's different
Fully native. No account. No tracking. Just a palette that's there the instant you call it, answers as you type, and gets out of the way the moment you're done. It's fast because there's nothing to it.
- on disk for the whole app, every feature included.
- < 20 MB
- or so of memory when idle, with nothing churning behind it.
- 50 MB
- third-party libraries. Every part is made for the Mac.
- 0
- features built in, from maths to meeting notes.
- 80+
Built in
One shortcut. A whole toolbox.
No store to browse and no extensions to install. The things you reach for all day are already here.
Answers as you type
Maths, units, currencies, dates and time zones — worked out inline, in your Mac's own number format.
Open anything
A few letters, typos and all. Give apps an alias or a hotkey of their own.
Clipboard history
Text and images you can search and pin, encrypted on disk.
Tidy windows
Halves, thirds, quarters or a grid, placed from the keyboard with a live preview.
Your next meeting
It pins itself to the top when it's close. One key joins the call.
Also built in
- File search
- Browser tabs
- Switch windows
- Any menu command
- Screenshots, by their words
- Stocks and weather
- Translate and dictate
- Snippets
- Emoji as you type :fire:
- GIFs
- Text from images
- Quick Fix spelling
- Colour picker
- PDF tools
- Reminders and events
- Meeting notes
- Music controls
- Import from Raycast
AI and agents
Ask anything. Hand off the rest.
Press ⇥ to ask about whatever you typed, or ⌘J for the full chat — on Apple's on-device model, or Claude Code and Codex with your own sign-in. Then hand the coding to an agent.
Show it what you see
Attach the selection, the window you were in, a page or a file. Nothing goes unless you attach it.
Memory you control
It keeps only the facts you approve — each one editable, and encrypted on your Mac.
On autopilot
A morning brief or a meeting follow-up, on a schedule or when something happens. Answers wait on top of the launcher.
Privacy
What you type stays on your Mac.
Exchange rates and holidays are downloaded whole and worked out on your Mac, so your question never leaves it. Everything that does go online, and when, is listed below.
Stays on your Mac
- Clipboard and chat history
- Encrypted on disk
- Translation and dictation
- Done by your Mac, not a server
- Meeting notes
- Transcribed on your Mac; the audio isn't kept
- Calendar and reminders
- Read on your Mac, never sent
Leaves your Mac, and when
- Exchange rates and holidays
- Whole tables, fetched anonymously; your amounts stay here
- GIFs, stocks and weather
- Only what you searched for, only when you search
- Link titles and album covers
- Only when you save a link, or search your music
- Update check
- At most every six hours, and you can turn it off
- Claude Code or Codex
- Only if you choose them, through your own sign-in
- Accounts you connect
- Linear, Slack, Google or Microsoft 365 — read-only, with your own sign-in
Rates, holidays, GIFs, stocks, weather, link previews, Google sign-in and updates go through Vela's own server. It keeps no record of what you asked, stores nothing and sets no cookies.
Questions
Asked, and answered plainly.
When can I download it?
Not yet — it's in closed alpha. It opens up once it's fully signed and updates itself safely. An app you can't keep current isn't ready to hand out.
Which AI does it use?
Your choice. Apple's built-in model needs no account and keeps everything on your Mac. If you'd rather use Claude Code or Codex, it uses your own sign-in — Vela never stores a key.
What permissions does it ask for?
Only what a feature needs, the first time you use it: Accessibility to paste into the app you came from, the microphone for dictation, your calendar for meetings. Say no, and only that feature stays off.
I use Raycast. Can I bring my setup?
Yes. Your snippets, hotkeys and settings come across. Extensions don't, since there's no store — the tools come built in.
Is it just for developers?
No. Apps, answers, clipboard, windows and meetings are for everyone. The coding agents stay out of the way until you turn them on.
Which Macs?
Any Mac on macOS 26.4 or later.