# Screen Awareness

> Attach the window in front, its selection and optionally its screenshot.

Screen Awareness captures context from the app in front before bringing Redcast forward. The capture can include the app and window title, a browser URL, selected text, the focused field and readable window text.

## Enable and capture

1. Open the **Screen Awareness** section in AI settings and enable it.
2. Grant Accessibility so Redcast can read the active window's text.
3. Choose **Open captures in**: AI Chat or Quick AI.
4. Put the app you want to ask about in front and double-tap **right ⌘** using the configured shortcut.
5. Review the staged context, type your question and send.

The capture becomes an attachment. It is not a continuous recording of your desktop. Redcast does not monitor the window between captures.

## Include a screenshot

Enable **Include a screenshot** to add the captured window's image. macOS asks for Screen Recording access. Without that permission a capture can still carry text, with an explanation of why the image is missing.

Choose a model with image support. A text-only route receives text rather than an unsupported image. Protected fields and apps that do not expose useful Accessibility text can leave the text capture incomplete; a screenshot is a separate opt-in.

## What gets captured

The target is the window you were using before Redcast opens. If you trigger the action from the palette, Redcast uses the app behind it. It avoids capturing its own window and excludes secure text fields from the readable text walk.

Long text is bounded and marked when cut. Ask the model about the attached excerpt rather than assuming it has the whole document or website.

## An agent's Screen tool

A native agent can have the optional **Screen** tool family. Its `screen_context` call reads window text only after a dialog names the app. It is available for user-submitted foreground chat turns, not unattended runs or delegated sub-agents. This is separate from the screenshot capture shortcut.

## Voice and privacy

[Ask by Voice](/docs/voice/ask) uses the same capture path while recording your question. Depending on the selected route, the window's text and screenshot are sent to your chosen model along with the question. Check for private information before asking.

If a capture fails after reinstalling or changing the bundle ID, remove the stale Accessibility entry and grant access to the current Redcast app. A checked but stale macOS permission can still fail.