BEAM: ChatGPT App for macOS
BEAM is a native macOS ChatGPT application that provides a seamless, low-latency experience, keeping you in your workflow without juggling windows or losing context. It offers floating ChatGPT panels, powerful hotkeys, screen-level interactions, and privacy-focused local data handling.
Key Highlights
- Native macOS app (not Electron) with a snappy, macOS-like UI
- Floating chat panel (Ctrl + Space) to chat without leaving your current app
- Select text, chat about it, and insert the response back with a single keystroke
- Screen-aware chat: summarize websites, translate texts, explain concepts directly from your screen
- Templates to save prompts as AI Profiles for quick reuse
- Floating ChatGPT+ window for quick access over other apps
- Chat with PDFs to summarize, answer questions, and bring documents to life
- Create AI Profiles to tailor GPT behavior to your needs
- Minimal, distraction-free UI with a strong focus on privacy
- Regular updates and active user feedback integration
How to Use BEAM
- Launch BEAM. Open the native macOS app and sign in if required.
- Open a floating chat. Use the hotkey (Ctrl + Space) to bring up the chat panel over your current app.
- Chat about selected content. Highlight text or area on your screen, chat about it, and insert the response back with a single action.
- Use templates. Save common prompts as AI Profiles or templates for faster future use.
- Chat with PDFs. Drag and drop a PDF to begin summarization, querying, or extracting insights.
Features and Capabilities
- Native macOS experience with optimized memory usage and performance
- Floating chat panel accessible via a single hotkey
- Screen-aware chat: select content, ask questions, translate, summarize, or explain concepts
- AI Templates and AI Profiles for customizable, repeatable prompts
- Floating ChatGPT+ window for quick access across apps
- PDF integration: summarize, question-answering, and document exploration
- Local data handling: data is saved locally on your machine; no unnecessary data leakage
- Privacy-focused: no broad data harvesting; conversations are kept private on-device
- Regular updates with user-driven improvements
How It Works
- BEAM communicates with OpenAI servers to process prompts and responses. It uses native macOS features to provide a lightweight, responsive experience without bundling a heavy Electron runtime.
- You can save and reuse prompts via AI Profiles and templates to maintain context and improve productivity across tasks.
Safety and Privacy
- Local data storage on your device; the app minimizes data exposure and avoids unnecessary data synchronization.
- Standard OpenAI usage policies apply to prompts and responses processed by the service.
Core Features
- Native macOS app (not Electron) for optimal performance
- Floating chat panel accessible via Ctrl + Space
- Screen-aware interactions: summarize, translate, explain, and discuss selected content
- AI Templates and AI Profiles for quick, repeatable prompts
- Floating ChatGPT+ window for cross-app accessibility
- PDF support for summaries and Q&A
- Local data storage with privacy-focused design
- Regular updates and active user feedback integration
- Distraction-free, minimal UI designed for productivity