# The Redcast handbook

> A native macOS launcher. Your apps, models, agents and voice, one shortcut away.

Redcast lives in your menu bar. Open its palette, type a few letters, and press Return to launch an app, find a file, paste a clip or run a command. When a task needs more than a command, open a chat, speak a question, or give it to an agent working in a folder.

Redcast is a fork of [Tinycast by Abue Ammar](https://github.com/abue-ammar/tinycast). It keeps the native SwiftUI and AppKit foundation and adds a larger AI workspace, agents, voice workflows and a built-in extension store. [What changed in the fork](/docs/redcast) explains the differences.

## Start in five minutes

1. [Build and install Redcast](/docs/install). You need macOS 26 or later and Xcode 26. The current distribution is a source build.
2. Open **Settings → General → App Launcher** and record a shortcut, such as Option–Space. No launcher shortcut is claimed before you choose one.
3. Open the palette and search for an app. Try a partial name, then press Return.
4. Press **⌘K** on a result. This is the action menu; it lists the actions available here and their shortcuts.
5. Enable the features you want in Settings. Clipboard history starts on; features such as AI, snippets and extensions require their own opt-in.

The app has no Dock icon. Use its menu bar item to reach Settings or quit. **Launch at login** makes it available after a restart.

## Choose a path

| I want to… | Read this |
| --- | --- |
| Replace my launcher and bring my setup | [The palette](/docs/palette), [Raycast import](/docs/reference/import-from-raycast) |
| Find things and work with text | [Launcher](/docs/launcher), [clipboard](/docs/features/clipboard), [snippets](/docs/features/snippets) |
| Connect my own model or ChatGPT plan | [Providers](/docs/ai/providers), [ChatGPT sign-in](/docs/ai/chatgpt) |
| Organize chats like projects | [AI Chat workspace](/docs/ai/workspace) |
| Give an agent a project folder | [Create an agent](/docs/agents), [skills](/docs/agents/skills) |
| Continue coding work from my terminal | [ACP agents](/docs/agents/acp), [Agent Sessions](/docs/agents/sessions) |
| Dictate or ask about my screen | [Voice overview](/docs/voice), [screen awareness](/docs/ai/screen-awareness) |
| Run a Raycast extension | [Extension Store](/docs/extensions/store), [compatibility](/docs/extensions/compatibility) |
| Move to another Mac | [Backup and restore](/docs/reference/backup), [migration](/docs/reference/migration) |
| Build or contribute | [Developer guide](/docs/developers) |

## A few useful habits

Use aliases for commands you repeat. Give frequently used entries a hotkey. Keep **⌘K** as your way to discover an unfamiliar screen. [Settings → Shortcuts](/docs/reference/shortcuts-overview) collects your hotkeys and aliases and helps find conflicts.

For a short AI question, type it in the launcher and press Tab to open **Quick AI**. For a conversation you want to keep, use the separate **AI Chat** window. Both use the providers you connect; Redcast does not sell model access.

## Local storage and optional connections

Your settings, chats, clipboard, notes and histories live on your Mac. Enabling a cloud provider sends the messages and attachments you submit to that provider. Agents can call the tools you give them, and cloud dictation sends audio to the connection you approve. Read [privacy and data](/docs/reference/privacy) for the boundaries and retention settings.

The docs use English labels from Settings so you can find the exact controls. Redcast itself also has German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Simplified Chinese translations.