Quickstart

How to install Cue from source and get the menu-bar icon up.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• An Anthropic API key
• macOS or Windows

Install

git clone https://github.com/cloneisyou/cue.git
cd cue

# macOS
uv venv && uv pip install -e ".[macos]"

# Windows
uv venv && uv pip install -e ".[windows]"

Run

uv run python -m cue

A ◈ icon appears in the menu bar (macOS) or the system tray (Windows).

First-launch checklist

Things to expect on the very first run

• API key prompt — paste your Anthropic key. It is stored in config.json under your platform's app-support directory and never sent anywhere except api.anthropic.com.
• macOS Accessibility permission — required for the global hotkey. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → add the running interpreter (or Cue.app for a built bundle).
• macOS Screen Recording permission — required for screen capture, prompted on first hotkey use.
• Windows — no permission prompts; the global hotkey registers immediately.

Once permissions are granted, press the hotkey from any app and Cue's popup appears.

Next steps

• Hotkey & popup — what the trigger captures and how the popup behaves.
• Privacy controls — the manual pause hotkey, secure input, blocked apps, browser URL filters.
• Preferences — Settings window walkthrough.