How it works
From wake word to finished task
Three layers, two of them invisible. We describe them because it is worth knowing what happens to what you say.
Install and first use
Grant permissions
Call it, or press the shortcut
What happens when you speak
The wake word is heard by speech recognition built into macOS. Until it is spoken, no audio leaves the computer — nothing is sent and nothing is stored.
After the wake word, the conversation goes to the voice model that speaks and listens. When you ask for something a conversation cannot settle, it hands the work to the execution layer — and tells you it is working.
The execution layer has access to files, the shell, mail, the home and plugins. It does the work and returns the result, which the voice model relays in a plain sentence.
Decisions made for listening, not looking
A few choices that only show up when you are not watching the screen.
- Esc stops speech and a running task — always, from any app.
- If a task takes more than a moment, Ariadne says so in one sentence and then keeps quiet. It does not report that nothing has happened yet.
- While a tool is working the microphone is closed, so the assistant does not answer what you say to yourself.
- It updates itself quietly and holds the install until the conversation ends.
Common questions
Does Ariadne replace VoiceOver?
No. VoiceOver reads the screen and Ariadne does not. Ariadne carries out requests. They work together.
Do I have to memorise commands?
No. You speak in plain sentences, as you would to a person. If something is unclear, it asks.
What if it gets it wrong?
Before anything irreversible it asks first. During a task, Esc stops it. Afterwards it tells you what it did.
See it in practice
Download and try it on your own machine.
Requires macOS 26 or later. The app updates itself quietly and holds the install until your conversation ends — nothing interrupts you mid-sentence.