Fixel

Screenshot anything you're stuck on. Get unstuck.

Double-tap Right Option ⌥, drag over an error, a math problem, an email or a webpage,
and an AI answers in your terminal: the fix, the steps, the draft, or the code.

Why Fixel

You don't copy and paste anything. Screenshot the problem, and Fixel reads it, works out what kind of problem it is, and answers in the format that fits.

It remembers what worked. When something you've solved before shows up again, Fixel hands the AI the fix that worked last time. Type /worked to tell it which fixes to trust.

It runs on your own Claude, Gemini or OpenAI key, kept in the macOS Keychain. There's no account, no server and no subscription.

It also has a learn mode that gives hints instead of answers, a built-in IDE for Python, Java, JavaScript and C++, and Canvas homework planning that syncs to Notion.

What it answers

You screenshot…	You get…
an error, stack trace, or broken code	the cause, plus the fix as a paste-ready command or diff
a math or homework problem	numbered steps and a final Answer:
an email, doc, or spreadsheet	a short summary plus a ready-to-use draft or formula
a confusing app screen	exact click-by-click steps
a webpage or design	its fonts, colours, layout and likely libraries, plus one HTML file that recreates it (⌃P opens it live)

What sets it apart

• Gets smarter with use: Fixel reads each screenshot on your Mac, finds similar problems you've solved before, and hands those fixes to the AI. Type /worked when a fix works so Fixel prefers it next time, and use /remember <fact> to teach it about you (your classes, tools, setup).
• One-step actions: /copy copies the fix, /run runs the suggested command (only after you type y), /save saves a Markdown note. Type / to see every command.
• Stack shots: double-tap again before asking to add more screenshots (error + code + config) to one question.
• Learn mode: /learn switches to hints and guiding questions instead of answers; /answer reveals the full solution.

Meet Pix. Fixel's mascot is a little face made from screenshot-selection corners. It focuses in when Fixel starts, blinks and glances around while Fixel waits for the AI (Reading your screenshot… 4s), cheers when you type /worked, and frowns at errors. Set animations = false in ~/.fixel/config.toml to keep it still.

Install

You need macOS and Python 3.11 or newer (brew install python@3.12).

git clone https://github.com/Kiddo4993/fixel.git && cd fixel
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -e '.[dev]'
ln -sf "$PWD/.venv/bin/fixel" /opt/homebrew/bin/fixel   # makes `fixel` work everywhere

Set up (once)

Run this in Terminal.app, because macOS grants permissions to the app Fixel runs inside:

fixel setup

It will:

1. Ask for your Anthropic API key (console.anthropic.com) and, optionally, a Gemini key (aistudio.google.com) or OpenAI key (platform.openai.com). Keys go into the macOS Keychain, never into a file.
2. Check that the key works and the model exists.
3. Open System Settings for Input Monitoring (the hotkey) and Screen Recording (screenshots). Switch Terminal on in both, then quit and reopen Terminal.

Use

fixel           # opens Fixel in its own Terminal window
fixel --here    # runs in the current terminal instead

Do this	To
⌥⌥ (Right Option twice)	screenshot a region into the tray
Enter	ask (type a question first, or just press Enter)
/	see every command in a menu
/deeper	re-answer the last question with deep thinking
/copy · /run · /save	copy the fix · run its command (asks first) · save a note
/worked	mark a fix as proven, so Fixel prefers it next time
/learn [on|off] · /answer	learn mode: hints instead of answers · show the full solution
/follow	add the tray to this case instead of starting a new one
/remember <fact> · /memory · /forget <n>	teach Fixel about you · list · remove
/cases <words> · /open [n]	search past cases · show one
/play	open the answer's code in the playground
/canvas · /canvas setup · /canvas notion	your Canvas assignments with AI priority, hours, start-by and a tip · connect Canvas · add a Notion database (see Canvas)
/ide [language] · /ide web · /code	the IDE in its own Terminal window · in the browser · in this window (see Playground)
/new · /model sonnet|opus|gemini|gpt · /api [provider] [key] · /help · /exit	new case · switch model · set an API key · help · close Fixel
Ctrl+C	stop an answer that's streaming

Prefer keys? Every one-step command also has a Ctrl shortcut (Ctrl+T /deeper, Ctrl+G /worked, Ctrl+Y /copy, Ctrl+R /run, Ctrl+S /save, Ctrl+N /new, Ctrl+F /follow, Ctrl+L /learn, Ctrl+O /open, Ctrl+P /play), listed at the bottom of /help. /instruction lists every command and key in one place, including the terminal IDE's.

Playground

• /ide [python|java|js|cpp] opens the terminal IDE in its own Terminal window, so Fixel stays free in yours. Press ⌃A there and your code and its output land in Fixel's tray, and Fixel's window comes to the front so you can ask. The IDE stays open with your code; Esc closes the window. Outside Terminal.app (or without permission to control it), it opens in Fixel's window instead.
• /ide here [language] (or /code) opens the same IDE inside Fixel's own window.
• The terminal IDE has:
  • a file sidebar (F4), and line/column plus a modified marker in the status bar
  • ⌃Space completion and auto-indent (Shift+Tab dedents)
  • ⌃F find and ⌃G go to line
  • F5 run, F3 input (stdin), F2 next language
  • ⌃A to ask Fixel about the code and its output
• /ide web [language] (or /web) opens the IDE in your browser, using the VS Code editor: live HTML preview, a Run button for the same four languages, and Ask Fixel. /ide html always goes here, since only the browser can preview HTML.
• /play (Ctrl+P) opens an answer's code: HTML in the browser, everything else in /code. Nothing runs until you press Run.
• Code runs on your Mac with your permissions (it's a scratchpad, not a sandbox). Runs stop after playground_timeout seconds (default 10). Your scratch code lives in ~/.fixel/playground/.

Canvas

/canvas lists what's due in the next canvas_days days (default 14), soonest first. Your current AI model adds a priority, an hours estimate, a start-by date and one tip to each new assignment, and it can keep a Notion database in sync. It runs on your own tokens: nothing goes through anyone else's server.

1. /canvas setup asks for one of these:
   • An access token (best). In Canvas: Account → Settings → + New Access Token. You'll also type your school's Canvas address, e.g. myschool.instructure.com.
   • Your calendar feed (fallback). If your school hides the token button: Calendar → Calendar Feed, then copy the link. The feed can't tell Fixel what you've handed in.
2. /canvas notion (optional): make an integration at notion.so/my-integrations and copy its secret. Then in Notion, open the page that should hold the database, choose ••• → Connections and add your integration, and paste the page's link. Fixel creates a Canvas database there.
3. /canvas syncs. Re-syncing is safe:
   • Canvas facts (title, due date, link, points, submitted) follow Canvas.
   • The AI fields are written once, so your edits stick.
   • Status is set when a row is created and never touched again.
   • A row you delete stays deleted.

/canvas forget removes both tokens from the Keychain. /api canvas and /api notion also open the setup steps. Tokens and the feed link are secrets: they live only in the macOS Keychain (or the CANVAS_TOKEN and NOTION_TOKEN environment variables), never in a file. ~/.fixel/canvas.json keeps only your school's address, the database id, and the AI plans.

Use it from Claude Code

Fixel ships as a Claude Code plugin, so Claude can use it too. Ask Claude Code "look at my screen" and it opens the screenshot selector for you to drag. Ask "what's due this week?" and it reads your Canvas plan. Ask "have I fixed this before?" and it searches the fixes Fixel remembers.

/plugin install fixel --marketplace Kiddo4993/fixel

On older Claude Code: /plugin marketplace add Kiddo4993/fixel, then /plugin install fixel@fixel. The plugin calls three commands you can also use in your own scripts:

Command	Prints
fixel shot [--out file.png]	the path of the region you drag over (exit 1 if you press Esc)
fixel canvas --json	your upcoming assignments with priority, hours, start-by date and tip
fixel cases [words] --json	matching past cases, and whether each fix worked

Customize

• ~/.fixel/config.toml sets the default model, model IDs, the backup Gemini models used when Google is busy or slow (gemini_fallbacks, slow_model_seconds), the double-tap speed, the notes folder, and how closely a past problem must match before Fixel reuses it (recall_threshold).
• fixel/prompts.py holds Fixel's personality and answer formats. Edit it to change how Fixel talks.

Privacy & cost

Screenshots go only to the model provider you've selected (Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI). /canvas sends that same provider your assignment titles, classes, due dates and points (never your token), and sends Notion only the rows it writes. The case file, notes, and screenshots stay in ~/.fixel and ~/Fixel Notes. Claude bills per use, typically a fraction of a cent to a few cents per question; Opus costs more than Sonnet. Gemini has a free tier with rate limits.

FAQ

What does it cost? Fixel is free. You pay your AI provider per question: typically a fraction of a cent to a few cents with Claude Sonnet, more with Opus. Gemini has a free tier.

Does my screen get uploaded somewhere? Only the region you select, only when you press Enter, and only to the provider you picked. Reading the text in a screenshot happens on your Mac (Apple's Vision framework), and your past cases stay in ~/.fixel.

Why not just paste it into a chat app? Fixel saves the copy-paste and the context switch. It also remembers your fixes, so the second time an error shows up it starts from what worked, and /run and /copy act on the answer directly.

Windows or Linux? Not yet. The hotkey, screenshots and text reading use macOS frameworks. A port of those three small modules would be a welcome contribution.

Is it OK for school? Turn on /learn, and Fixel gives hints and guiding questions instead of answers. Follow your class's rules on AI tools.

Do I need Canvas or Notion? No. Both are optional, and Fixel works without them.

The hotkey does nothing. Run fixel setup in Terminal.app and switch Terminal on under Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring, then quit and reopen Terminal.

Develop

.venv/bin/pytest -q                     # the full suite; no network, no API keys needed
.venv/bin/python scripts/screenshots.py # redraw the README's screenshots from Fixel's real rendering code
.venv/bin/pip install -e '.[docs]' && .venv/bin/python scripts/demo_gif.py   # redraw the demo GIF

Contributions are welcome. Please read the code of conduct. CONTRIBUTING.md covers the house rules (one command registry, fakes instead of the network, plain-English messages). If Fixel helps you, a ⭐ helps other people find it.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.