What you need
- A Mac on macOS 26 or laterAtticus uses Apple's new on-device speech, so older macOS will not work.
- An AI planClaude Code on a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max), or the Devin CLI, Pi or a local model.
Copy this, give it to your AI
Paste or upload this file into Claude Code (or any AI assistant with a terminal) and say set this up for me. It checks your Mac, installs Atticus and walks you through the permissions.
Setup file for your AI
# Goal
Install Atticus on this Mac: a free, open source app (MIT) that lets you control your Mac by voice. Hold Control + Option + Space, say what you need ("code on my big screen, Chrome on the laptop"), let go, and it moves windows, finds files and writes replies.
Source: https://github.com/SaarthurR/atticus-mac
# Rules for you (the AI)
- This only works on a Mac. Check the OS first. If it is not macOS, stop and tell the human (on Windows, point them to the community port https://github.com/FindlayHi/atticus-windows).
- Check what is already installed before installing anything.
- Never overwrite existing settings or files without asking.
- Ask the human only for what only they can do (a macOS update, signing in, clicking permission prompts).
- On any error, stop and explain it plainly. Do not guess.
# Steps
1. **macOS version.** Run `sw_vers -productVersion`. Atticus needs macOS 26 or later. If it is older, stop and tell the human to update macOS in System Settings > General > Software Update.
2. **Apple command line tools.** Run `xcode-select -p`. If it fails, run `xcode-select --install` and wait for the human to finish the installer.
3. **AI client.** Atticus needs one of these:
- Claude Code signed in to a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max). Check with `claude --version`. If Claude Code is missing, tell the human it is at https://claude.com/claude-code.
- Or the Devin CLI, Pi, or a local model through Claude Code (see the repo README, "Use a local model").
Ask the human which one they have before going further.
4. **Install Atticus.** Run exactly:
```
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SaarthurR/atticus-mac/main/install.sh | bash
```
It downloads Atticus to `~/.atticus`, builds `~/Applications/Atticus.app` and opens it.
5. **Permissions.** The first launch opens a setup window. It checks the AI plan, then asks for each macOS permission (Accessibility, Microphone, Screen Recording and others). Tell the human to allow each one when macOS asks.
# Final check
Tell the human: hold Control + Option + Space, say "Open Spotify" (or any app they have), and let go. The app should open. Then try "Teach it focus mode": "When I say focus mode, close Slack and open my to-do list."
# Cost
Atticus is free. It runs on the human's existing AI plan; with Claude that is a paid Pro or Max plan. No API key is needed.
Then just talk
Hold Control + Option + Space, say what you need, let go.
Try this first
When I say focus mode, close Slack and open my to-do list.
It asks you first before anything deletes, sends or buys.
Open the Atticus site