Aqtopus Companion

Screenshot to your phone, instantly

Press a hotkey on your computer — the screen goes straight into your live session for AI analysis. Nothing visible on the desktop.

Checking…

How to set up

Requires macOS 12.3 or newer. Universal binary — runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel.

  1. 1

    Download the .dmg

    Click the button above — about 13 MB.

  2. 2

    Move to Applications

    Open the .dmg and drag the app into Applications.

  3. 3

    First launch — allow it in Settings

    The app isn't Apple-signed, so macOS will refuse to open it on the first try. On macOS 15+ the right-click → Open trick no longer works — use one of these paths: Option A (System Settings): 1. Double-click Aqtopus Companion in Applications — you'll see a warning saying "cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it…". Click Done. 2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security. 3. Scroll down to the Security section — you'll see "Aqtopus Companion was blocked…". 4. Click Open Anyway → confirm with your system password. 5. Onboarding will launch. Option B (faster, Terminal): xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Aqtopus Companion.app" open "/Applications/Aqtopus Companion.app"

  4. 4

    Grant 3 permissions in order

    The in-app onboarding walks you through Screen Recording → Microphone → Accessibility. Screen Recording is mandatory — without it the audio engine cannot start. After granting Screen Recording you need to restart the app (there's a button right in the onboarding).

  5. 5

    Get a code from your phone

    Open a live session in Aqtopus on your phone, tap Connect computer, and copy the 6-digit code.

  6. 6

    Pair

    Enter the code in Companion's window. After pairing, the window hides into the menu bar.

How to use it

During a call, press Cmd+Shift+X. The screenshot lands on your phone with an AI analysis that streams in seconds. The desktop stays completely quiet.

FAQ

Where is the icon in the Dock?
Nowhere — Companion is a menu-bar app to stay out of sight. Launch it from Spotlight (Cmd+Space → "Aqtopus") or Launchpad.
How do I update?
Companion auto-updates: on launch it polls S3 and silently installs the new version. You can also trigger it manually from the menu bar → About → Check for updates. After an update macOS may reset Screen Recording — if so, Settings → Permissions will show a 'Permissions changed' banner with a one-click fix.
How do I unpair?
Click the menu-bar icon → Settings → Unpair, or remove the device from your phone in the live session.
Will anything appear on my screen?
No. By design — no window, no sound, no Dock icon while it's running.