{"slug": "show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex", "title": "Show HN: Qelvora, a local Mac writing tool I built by directing Codex", "summary": "A developer built Qelvora, a local macOS writing tool that uses Ollama models to correct, rewrite, and translate text without sending data to the cloud. The tool supports both text selection and OCR-based screen capture, emphasizing privacy and local-first processing.", "body_md": "**Local spell checker**\n\nCorrect spelling and grammar in selected macOS text with Ollama models running locally.\n\n[Read the guide](/blog/local-spell-checker-llm-mac/)\n\nLocal-first correction for macOS\n\nQelvora corrects, rewrites, and translates selected text across macOS using your local Ollama models. It is fast, native, and private by default.\n\nMail draft\n\nHey Laura, I pushed the update. this sentense need a cleaner correction before we send it.\n\nCorrection ready\n\nLocal result - English detectedThis sentence needs a cleaner correction.\n\nDiscord-first screen text\n\nDiscord's composer and message history do not always behave like a document editor, especially when you need one exact sentence or a quick translation. Built-in selection, spelling, and translation behavior also varies by app, surface, language, and context. Press Qelvora's global shortcut and a precise rectangle follows your mouse.\n\nQelvora immediately opens the screen-area selector over the app in front of you.\n\nDrag around exactly the draft, message, code comment, or visible words you need.\n\nLocal OCR reads the area, then your Ollama model corrects or translates the recognized text.\n\n**Prefer normal selection?** Highlight editable text and use Correct selection from Qelvora's menu bar or macOS Services. Both modes remain available.\n\nOne rectangular fallback\n\nUse the same capture path when normal text selection is awkward. Qelvora complements each app's own language tools; it does not claim to replace them.\n\nQelvora is an independent macOS utility and is not affiliated with these services.\n\nProduct demo\n\nWatch the selected-text flow: trigger Qelvora, run the correction locally with Ollama, review the result, and bring the clean version back into your work.\n\nOpen-model friendly\n\nLocal spell checker\n\nCorrect spelling and grammar in selected macOS text with Ollama models running locally.\n\nImprove tone, clarity, grammar, and short rewrites without opening a cloud writing editor.\n\nQelvora also targets the French search: correcteur orthographique local avec LLM local.\n\nTrusted local stack\n\nWhy Qelvora\n\n01\n\nUse Qelvora from browsers, notes, editors, chat apps, and other macOS surfaces.\n\n02\n\nYour selected text is corrected by a local LLM through Ollama on your Mac, not by a hosted writing service.\n\n03\n\nServices, clipboard, Accessibility, and OCR fallback help capture text reliably.\n\nRecommended for\n\nClean customer replies, investor updates, and internal notes without moving drafts into a hosted editor.\n\nKeep GitHub issues, support answers, and release notes polished while staying inside your local tools.\n\nUse local Ollama models when a cloud correction service is not appropriate for the text in front of you.\n\nWorkflow\n\nPress the global shortcut for a mouse-drawn rectangle, or highlight editable text for Correct selection.\n\nDrag around the visible words, or send the highlighted selection from the menu bar or macOS Services.\n\nLocal OCR reads a rectangle; highlighted text skips OCR. Your Ollama model then corrects, rewrites, or translates.\n\nReview the output and place the clean version back into your workflow.\n\nLocal-first\n\nQelvora is intentionally built around local model inference. macOS permissions are used to capture text and support OCR fallback, not to move your writing into a remote correction pipeline.\n\nGuides\n\nWhy local correction matters for drafts, customer replies, support notes, and sensitive writing.\n\nHow selected text can move from any macOS app to a local model and back into your workflow.\n\nHow to think about Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek, Kimi, Mistral, Llama, and Phi for local text cleanup.\n\nUse Qelvora as a local spell checker and grammar checker powered by Ollama models.\n\nA targeted guide for users searching for private local correction with a local LLM.\n\nCorrect grammar, tone, and short rewrites while keeping drafts inside your Mac workflow.\n\nFAQ\n\nQelvora is a private local AI writing assistant and local spell checker for macOS. It corrects, rewrites, and translates selected text using Ollama models running on your Mac.\n\nYes. Qelvora can act as a local grammar checker and local LLM corrector for selected text, using installed Ollama model tags instead of a hosted writing service.\n\nQelvora is built around local model inference. The product is designed for workflows where drafts, customer replies, or internal notes should stay on the machine.\n\nQelvora uses installed Ollama model tags. Local writing workflows can use model families such as Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek, Kimi, Mistral, Llama, and Phi.\n\nYes. When normal text selection is awkward in Discord, draw a rectangle around visible text. Qelvora runs OCR locally on the Mac, then uses the configured local Ollama model to correct or translate the recognized text. Native selection, spell-check, and translation behavior can vary by surface and context.\n\nQelvora is useful for founders, developers, support teams, and privacy-first operators who need fast writing cleanup inside normal macOS apps.\n\nCurrent release\n\nThe source is free to build. The official DMG is the clean install path with signing, notarization, packaging, and Sparkle updates.\n\nQelvora needs Ollama running locally. Install Ollama first, launch it once, then download the recommended Gemma 4 4B model from the app.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex", "canonical_source": "https://qelvora.app/", "published_at": "2026-07-17 12:40:22+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-17 12:52:02.313179+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "artificial-intelligence", "large-language-models", "natural-language-processing", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Qelvora", "Ollama", "Codex", "macOS"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-qelvora-a-local-mac-writing-tool-i-built-by-directing-codex.jsonld"}}