Install it, connect an AI or run one free on your own machine, and learn the hotkeys. Windows and macOS are both covered below, and they differ in a few places that matter.
Last updated 15 August 2026.
Open PowerShell and run one line. It handles the download, the integrity check and the first launch.
powershell -Command "irm https://ghostnoteai.dev/install.ps1 | iex"
Here is exactly what that does, in order:
Desktop\GhostNote and installs into it, so the app is easy to find and easy to delete.GhostNote for Windows is not code-signed yet. Windows Defender or SmartScreen may warn about it on first download or first run, the way they do with any unsigned build from a small developer. That is what the optional Defender exclusion above is for. If you would rather not run an unsigned app, this is the moment to decide.
No permissions to grant. Windows does not gate screen reading or keyboard input behind a permission prompt, so there is nothing to approve. Install, sign in, and it works.
To uninstall, close GhostNote and delete the Desktop\GhostNote folder and the shortcut.
Download the macOS zip from the site, unzip it, and drag GhostNote into your Applications folder. Requires macOS 12 or newer, on Apple Silicon.
If macOS blocks the app on first open, right-click it and choose Open, then confirm. You only have to do this once. Uninstalling is the same as any other Mac app: drag it to the Trash.
Under System Settings → Privacy & Security, GhostNote asks for up to three things depending on which features you use:
If you dismiss a prompt by mistake, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, enable GhostNote under the relevant heading, and relaunch the app.
GhostNote does not resell AI access. You bring your own key from whichever provider you already use, and your usage is billed by that provider's account, not by GhostNote. Add or change a key any time from Account Settings → API Keys. You only need one to get started, and there are 47 models across four providers to choose from.
ollama pull llama3.3), then choose Local (Ollama) as your provider inside GhostNote. No cost, and nothing leaves your machine. GhostNote just talks to Ollama on localhost:11434. See the full offline guide for model options and tradeoffs.GhostNote is driven by global hotkeys that work from inside any app. There is no continuous recording in the background and no keyboard or mouse logging in between. It only looks at your screen when you press a key and ask it to.
| Hotkey | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Show or hide the GhostNote window |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Capture the screen and attach it to your next message |
| Ctrl + Shift + Enter | Send what you have to the AI |
| Ctrl + Shift + P | Toggle click-through, so clicks pass to the app underneath |
| Ctrl + . | Stop auto-typing immediately |
The first three can be changed in Settings. The last two are fixed.
| Hotkey | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd + Shift + G | Show or hide the GhostNote window |
| Cmd + Shift + S | Capture the screen and attach it to your next message |
| Cmd + Shift + Return | Send what you have to the AI |
All three can be changed in Settings.
Inspect sits in the app's button row next to Screenshot. It reads the text of the window in front of you directly instead of taking a picture of it, which is sharper and cheaper than a screenshot for anything text-heavy.
On Windows it works on any app that exposes its text to the accessibility layer, which is most of them. On macOS it works in supported browsers, and needs the Accessibility and Automation permissions above. If Inspect cannot read a window it tells you why rather than failing silently.
On your own monitor you see the GhostNote window the whole time and can adjust how transparent it is with a slider. Nobody else sees it at all, not as a black box and not as an outline. To anyone watching a screen share or a recording, your screen looks completely normal.
Every release is published with a SHA256 hash. The Windows installer pins that hash and compares it to what it actually downloaded before extracting anything. If the two do not match, or if no valid hash is available at all, the installer deletes the file and stops rather than guessing. It fails closed on purpose.
This is an integrity check, not a code signature. It proves the file you received is byte-for-byte the file we published. GhostNote for Windows is not code-signed yet, which is why Defender may still warn you on first run.
Sales calls, client meetings, live support, interviews and studying are the main uses people report. Anywhere you want an answer without the other person watching you look one up. It works the same way fully offline through Ollama if you would rather nothing ever touch the network.
Free plan, no card required. 15 minutes a month, every feature working.