{"slug": "hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai", "title": "HN: FlowShelf –free,native macOS shelf/clipboard/screenshot app,on-device AI", "summary": "FlowShelf, a free native macOS app that combines clipboard management, screenshot tools, window snapping, and on-device AI into a single menu-bar utility, is now available. The app, which is notarized by Apple and uses 100% on-device processing, replaces paid tools like Paste, Magnet, and CleanShot X with a single free download. FlowShelf 1.4.0 is Developer ID signed and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.", "body_md": "# The temporary workspace your Mac deserves.\n\nA free menu-bar app that auto-captures your clipboard, summons a shelf at your cursor, turns screenshots into text, and previews your windows — without the clutter.\n\n- Notarized by Apple\n- 100% on-device\n- Source-available\n- No subscription\n- — downloads\n\n## One app. Everything you juggle all day.\n\nThe shelf is just the start — FlowShelf folds a whole stack of Mac utilities into one lightweight, private menu-bar app.\n\n## Everything you copy, in one place\n\nCopies, screenshots, files, and links all land on a self-cleaning shelf. Search it, pin what matters, and it clears itself after 24 hours so it never becomes clutter.\n\n## A shelf that comes to your cursor\n\nA glass shelf appears wherever you're working. Drop files in, carry them between apps, and drag them out at the destination — no window-juggling.\n\n## Summon it with a quick shake\n\nGive your mouse a little shake and the shelf pops up right where you are — no hotkey to remember, no menu to hunt for.\n\n## Carry things between apps\n\nPark files, text, and images on the floating shelf, switch apps, then drag or paste them out exactly where you need them.\n\n## Your notch, finally useful\n\nA Dynamic-Island-style shelf lives right in your MacBook notch — and on external monitors too. Swipe down to open, drop files in, click a tile to copy.\n\n## Snap windows with a keystroke\n\nHold ⌃⌥ and tap an arrow to snap the focused window to halves, quarters, or fullscreen. The one Mac feature you'd usually pay for — built in.\n\n## Preview windows without clicking\n\nHover a Dock icon for live thumbnails of its windows. See what's open and jump straight to the exact window you want.\n\n## See every window at a glance\n\nHold the key and your windows fan out as live previews. Pick the one you want and switch to it instantly — no fumbling through ⌘-Tab.\n\n## Reusable text, one click away\n\nSave signatures, addresses, and canned replies once. Paste them anytime from the dashboard or straight from the menu-bar menu.\n\n## A full screenshot toolkit, built in\n\nGrab a region or a window, then mark it up with arrows, shapes, a real highlighter, numbered steps, and text. Blur, pixelate, or black out anything sensitive. Drop a spotlight, add a magnifier callout, measure in pixels with the ruler, or wrap the shot in a gradient backdrop. Pin it on top of everything, scan a QR code, or stitch a before/after — then copy, save, or drop it on your shelf.\n\n## Private AI that never leaves your Mac\n\nSummarize, rewrite, translate, and smart-search your shelf — powered by Apple's on-device models. No accounts, no cloud, no cost, and it runs only when you ask.\n\n## Uninstall apps completely\n\nDrag an app in and FlowShelf finds every leftover — caches, preferences, support files — and moves them to the Trash. It even tells you what it couldn't remove.\n\n## One app, instead of five.\n\nFlowShelf does what you actually used these popular Mac apps for — in one free, private menu-bar app.\n\n| What you’d reach for | Typical price | FlowShelf |\n|---|---|---|\n| Paste / Maccy clipboard & shelf | $29.99/yr | ✓ Included |\n| Magnet window snapping | $4.99 | ✓ Included |\n| AltTab window switcher | Free | ✓ Included |\n| CleanShot X screenshots & annotate | $29 | ✓ Included |\n| AppCleaner uninstaller | Free | ✓ Included |\n| … plus snippets, a notch shelf & on-device AI | $60+/yr value | Free |\n\n## Easy installation.\n\nDrag, drop, and you're good to go.\n\n- 1\n**Open the branded installer** Double-click the\n\n`.dmg`\n\nfile. - 2\n**Drag to Applications** Install FlowShelf like any native Mac app.\n\n- 3\n**Launch & Go** FlowShelf is ready. No setup. No signup.\n\n**FlowShelf 1.4.0 is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple.** Its polished drag-to-install window opens normally on macOS.\n\n#### Privacy First\n\nYour data stays on your Mac.\n\n#### Native Performance\n\nBuilt with Swift, ~7 MB, light on memory.\n\n#### Apple Silicon + Intel\n\nAll modern Macs.\n\n#### No Subscription\n\nOne-time, yours forever.\n\n## Built in the open.\n\nFlowShelf's source is public. Read every line, verify the privacy claims for yourself, and open a pull request — no black boxes, no hidden network calls.\n\n## Made by one person, not a corporation.\n\nHi, I'm **Mahin Kadery** — a solo developer. I built FlowShelf because I was tired of running five separate apps (and paying five subscriptions) for the little things a Mac should just do. No investors, no growth team, no data collection — just an app I use every day and keep improving. If something breaks, the person reading your bug report is the person who wrote the code.\n\n## Loved by people who hate clutter.\n\nReal reviews from FlowShelf users — no account needed to read or leave one.\n\nLoading reviews…\n\n## Reclaim your Mac's clutter.\n\nFree, native, and yours forever. macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon & Intel.\n\n**Download for macOS** One-time download · No subscription[Support FlowShelf](https://buymeacoffee.com/mahinkadery)\n\n- ✓ Signed & notarized by Apple (Developer ID)\n- ✓ Source-available —\n[read the code](https://github.com/mahinkadery/FlowShelf) - ✓ 100% on-device — no account, no tracking, no servers\n\nThe button copies: `brew install --cask mahinkadery/tap/flowshelf`\n\n## Verify your download (SHA-256)\n\nEvery release ships with its checksum in the [release notes](https://github.com/mahinkadery/FlowShelf/releases/latest). Current version 1.6.1:\n\n`e51f9bc153eb1bc0ca3dbffdaa0ca53296ec128534debdf69eb3e9f8829b6250`\n\nIn Terminal, run `shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/FlowShelf.dmg`\n\n— the output must match exactly.\n\n## Questions & answers\n\nEverything you need before your first launch.\n\n## Is FlowShelf really free?\n\nYes. FlowShelf is free and source-available, with no subscription and no account required. Download it once and it's yours.\n\n## Can FlowShelf turn a screenshot into text (OCR)?\n\nYes. Press ⌘⇧O to select any region of your screen and FlowShelf extracts the text straight to your Shelf and clipboard. Press ⌘⇧7 for a plain region screenshot.\n\n## What is the floating shake-to-summon shelf?\n\nShake your cursor (or use a global hotkey) and a floating glass shelf appears right at your pointer, so you can drop and grab items without leaving what you're doing. You can also use the menu-bar popover or the dashboard.\n\n## Does FlowShelf have a private mode?\n\nYes. Private mode pauses clipboard capture whenever you want, so sensitive copies never land on your Shelf.\n\n## How do updates work, and why do my permissions persist?\n\nFlowShelf checks for updates daily and installs them with Sparkle, the standard macOS auto-updater. Version 1.3.4 and later use the same Apple Developer ID identity, helping Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions persist across future updates.\n\n## Is FlowShelf signed and notarized by Apple?\n\nYes. FlowShelf is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple, so the app opens normally on macOS.\n\n## Where is my data stored?\n\nEverything stays on your Mac. FlowShelf has no servers and no tracking — your clipboard, screenshots, files, links, and text never leave your device.\n\n## How does auto-delete work?\n\nShelf items expire automatically after 24 hours to keep today's workspace light. Pin anything you want to keep, or clear items manually whenever you like.\n\n## Which Macs are supported?\n\nmacOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, as a universal binary for both Apple Silicon and Intel.\n\n## How is FlowShelf different from Yoink, Dropover, or a clipboard manager?\n\nFlowShelf combines a drag-and-drop shelf, automatic clipboard capture, screenshot OCR, and live window previews in one private menu-bar app — and it auto-cleans daily so it never becomes clutter. It's free and source-available.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai", "canonical_source": "https://flowshelf.app/", "published_at": "2026-07-24 07:33:38+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-24 07:52:36.607858+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["FlowShelf", "Apple"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hn-flowshelf-free-native-macos-shelf-clipboard-screenshot-app-on-device-ai.jsonld"}}