helix-anywhere

Edit text from any macOS application using Helix editor.

How it works

1. Select text in any application (Outlook, Slack, Teams, VS Code, etc.)
2. Press Cmd+Shift+; (configurable hotkey)
3. Edit in Helix - a terminal opens with your selected text
4. Save and quit (:wq) - edited text is pasted back automatically

If you quit without saving (:q!), the original text is preserved.

Installation

Direct Download

1. Download Helix.Anywhere.app.zip from the latest release
2. Unzip and drag Helix Anywhere.app to /Applications
3. Double-click to launch (you may need to right-click → Open on first launch)

From source

git clone https://github.com/sylvainhellin/helix-anywhere
cd helix-anywhere
cargo bundle --release
cp -R "target/release/bundle/osx/Helix Anywhere.app" /Applications/

Start at Login

To have Helix Anywhere start automatically when you log in:

1. Go to System Settings → General → Login Items
2. Click + under "Open at Login"
3. Select Helix Anywhere from Applications

Requirements

• macOS 11.0 or later
• Helix editor installed (brew install helix)
• One of the supported terminals:
  • Ghostty (recommended)
  • WezTerm

Future versions may add support for Kitty, Alacritty, iTerm2, and Terminal.app.

Configuration

Configuration file location:

~/Library/Application Support/com.helix-anywhere.helix-anywhere/config.toml

Default configuration

[hotkey]
modifiers = ["cmd", "shift"]
key = "semicolon"

[terminal]
name = "ghostty"  # or "wezterm"
width = 100
height = 30

Available hotkey modifiers

• cmd / command
• shift
• alt / option
• ctrl / control

Available keys

Letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and special keys: semicolon, comma, period, slash, backslash, quote, grave, space, return, tab, escape

Permissions

The app requires Accessibility permissions to simulate copy/paste keystrokes.

On first run, macOS will prompt you to grant permissions. You can also enable them manually:

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → Helix Anywhere

Important: If the hotkey doesn't work after installation:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
2. Find Helix Anywhere in the list
3. Toggle it OFF then ON again (or remove and re-add it)
4. Restart the app

Usage Tips

• Quick edit: Select text, press hotkey, edit, :wq to save and paste back
• Cancel: Press :q! to quit without pasting (original text preserved)
• Change terminal: Click the menu bar icon → Terminal → select your preferred terminal
• Change hotkey: Click the menu bar icon → Hotkey → Record New Hotkey...

Troubleshooting

Hotkey not working (app launched from Spotlight/Finder)

The app needs Accessibility permissions to detect the hotkey. If the app works when launched from Terminal but not from Spotlight:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
2. If Helix Anywhere is already in the list:
   • Remove it (select it, click -)
   • Add it again (click +, navigate to /Applications/Helix Anywhere.app)
3. If it's not in the list:
   • Click + and add /Applications/Helix Anywhere.app
4. Make sure the toggle is ON
5. Restart the app

Note: Each time the app is updated/rebuilt, you may need to re-grant permissions.

Hotkey not working (other causes)

1. Check if another app is using the same hotkey
2. Try a different hotkey in the config file

Terminal not opening

1. Ensure the selected terminal is installed
2. For Ghostty: ensure it's in /Applications/Ghostty.app
3. Try switching to a different terminal in the menu

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

See DEVELOPMENT.md for build instructions and project structure.