layman Buy

One shortcut away.
Your computer answers.

A private AI assistant for Windows and Mac that opens over whatever you're doing. It runs on your computer, so nothing leaves your machine.

Download for Windows Also for Mac ›

Windows 10 & 11 · macOS, Apple silicon & Intel · One-time $29

Qwen3 4B · On this PC layman can make mistakes
Watching Click the bar to type your own

Describe a file and it finds it. Ask it, and it answers from your own documents. No commands to learn.

01 · What it does

More than a chat box. Much more.

Context

It already knows what you're looking at.

Summon layman and it reads your selection, the window behind it, or the files you picked. It's attached as a chip, and every question in the chat uses it.

Aa Selected text · Chrome ▢ Window text ⎘ report.pdf · 12 pages

Actions

Ask it to do something. It does it.

♪
Volume42% → 30%

Launcher

Results while you're still typing.

⌨Visual Studio CodeApp
⌕Search the web for “vsc”Web

Find anything

Describe the file. It finds it.

“The lease PDF from last month.” “Photos from the Goa trip.” “That screenshot from yesterday.” A small model on your computer knows every file by name, folder, date, kind and what's inside, so you never need the exact name.

⎘Lease agreement.pdfDocuments · last month
▢IMG_beach_sunset.jpgPictures › Goa trip

Live controls

Your controls, the way you like them.

Volume, brightness, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, dark mode, keep awake and more, as tiles that move as you drag. Pick which ones show, in your order. Changes made anywhere else show up in the bar at once.

☀
Brightnesslive as you drag

Your documents

Ask your files. Get the answer.

“When does my lease end?” layman finds the lease, reads it on your computer, and answers with the page it came from.

One click

Apps, Files, Tasks, Clipboard.

Four buttons beside the bar. Every installed app, your recent files, the controls you use most, and everything you copied.

Models

Your models, on your computer.

Qwen3, gpt-oss, Gemma, Phi and Mistral through Ollama, installed for you during setup. Want a cloud model as well? Bring your own key. layman takes no cut.

Qwen3 4BRuns fast
Qwen3 14BRuns slower
Claude · ChatGPT · GeminiYour key

02 · Privacy

Nothing leaves your machine.

That's the default, not a setting. The model runs on your computer, and layman only looks at your screen when you press the shortcut.

  • Local by defaultAnswers come from a model on your computer, through Ollama.
  • Shortcut onlyContext is read when you summon it. Never in the background.
  • Passwords skippedPassword fields and password managers are never read.
  • You press RunCommands wait for you, and never run as administrator.

Choose a cloud model and your messages go to that provider, labelled in the model menu. Your keys stay encrypted on this computer.

03 · Models

Made to fit your computer.

layman checks your memory and graphics card, and only lists the models your computer can run.

Memory16 GB
Hand-me-down laptopSpace heater
Keep the model warm30 min
Frees memory right awayNever cools down
Think before answeringAnswers right away

A rough guide. On your computer, layman measures the real numbers.

ModelSizeHere

    04 · And also

    The small things, done well.

    Lives in the trayNo window until you want one. It opens in a quick wave and tucks away when you're done.
    You see it workingZipping, converting, saving: “Working…”, then a check and what happened.
    Pick up where you left offOne small button reopens your last chat. Off in Settings if you'd rather not.
    Ready when you areStarts with Windows or your Mac, quietly, in the tray.
    SuggestionsNotices your routines; press ↓ in the empty bar to see them.
    SnippetsType ;sig in any app and it expands.
    To-dos & reminders“remind me at 4 to call mum.” Done.
    CalendarYour next meeting, one click from its call link.
    Meeting notesTaken from live captions. layman never listens to audio.
    Voice inputTalk instead of typing.
    HistoryEvery chat saved and searchable.
    Screen regionDrag a box, ask about what's in it.
    Window layoutsSnap your windows into a saved arrangement.
    Developer toolsJSON, Base64, JWTs, hashes, UUIDs, regex. Offline.
    IntegrationsGitHub, Notion, Slack, Jira, Home Assistant.
    AltSpaceShow or hide
    EnterAsk
    EscStop or close
    CtrlNNew chat
    CtrlHHistory
    Ctrl⇧CCopy answer

    05 · Roadmap

    Where it's going.

    1. Next release The new bar

      v1.3. A calmer glass design, Apps, Files, Tasks and Clipboard one click away, find any file by describing it, answers from your own documents, and live controls you choose.

    2. Done Smart search & suggestions

      v1.2. A redesigned launcher, loose wording understood, suggestions with reasons, snippets, calendar, integrations, voice.

    3. Done Replace selection with the answer

      Select a paragraph, ask for a rewrite, and the rewrite goes back where the paragraph was.

    4. Next Agents that live on your computer

      Ask for something bigger and a local agent gets it done: “tidy my downloads and zip last month's screenshots”, “find every invoice from this year and total them”. It plans the steps, shows you the plan, and works through it on your computer, with the model on your machine. Nothing risky runs without your OK.

    06 · Under the hood

    Overengineered for a text box.

    Glass in one frame
    Just before it appears, layman snapshots the screen behind the bar at quarter size and paints it blurred. Then the window is revealed, fully formed.
    Warm before you finish typing
    The model loads when you press the shortcut, so the first word streams sooner.
    Selection without the clipboard
    Windows UI Automation first. For apps that hide their selection, a copy, then every clipboard format restored exactly.
    OCR that stays home
    Nothing selected? The operating system's own OCR reads the window, on your computer.
    A small model that knows your files
    A 274 MB embedding model turns every file's name, folder, date, kind and opening text into numbers, on your computer. “Yesterday” and “PDF” become exact filters; the rest is matched by meaning.
    Stop means stop
    Esc drops the stream mid-sentence.
    One press, start to finish
    1. 1
      SummonFrom the tray to a fully drawn bar, in one frame.
    2. 2
      ReadSelection→Window text→Files
    3. 3
      MatchApps, settings, files and answers while you type.
    4. 4
      Think
      DefaultOn this computerWarm before you finish typing OptionalCloud, your keyEncrypted here, sent only to that provider
    5. 5
      ActApps, volume, media, power. Commands wait for Run.

    07 · Pricing

    $29 once.

    Cheaper than two months of the AI subscription you forgot to cancel.

    • Every feature, on Mac or Windows
    • One license, one computer. Move it anytime.
    • Local models, free forever
    • Cloud models with your own key. No markup.
    • No account. No subscription.
    Buy layman Download for Windows ›

    Checkout by Lemon Squeezy. Your license key arrives by email.

    From the guides

    Private AI, in plain words.

    All guides ›

    08 · Questions

    Asked, answered.

    Does it really run offline?

    Yes. Once setup has downloaded a model, layman answers with no internet at all. It needs the internet for web searches, cloud models (if you add one), and a license check every few days. It keeps working offline for up to 30 days between checks.

    How does it find a file from a description?

    A small model (274 MB) runs on your computer and learns every file in your Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music and Videos: its name, folder, date, kind and, for documents, the opening text. Words like “yesterday”, “last month”, “PDF” or “photos” narrow it down exactly; the rest is matched by meaning. It downloads by itself the first time and never sends your files anywhere. You can turn it off in Settings.

    Do I need a fancy graphics card?

    No. The default model, Qwen3 4B, is 2.3 GB and runs on ordinary laptops. With a good graphics card, or an Apple silicon Mac's shared memory, bigger models get comfortable too. layman checks your hardware and marks each model Runs fast or Runs slower.

    What does setup install?

    layman itself, plus Ollama, the free local AI engine. Setup downloads Ollama's official installer, checks its signature, and installs it for you. Then it downloads the default model. On a Mac it also asks for the Accessibility and Automation permissions it needs to read your selection.

    Will it run things without asking?

    Simple things you asked for, like volume or opening an app, just happen. Power actions (sleep, restart, shut down) ask first. Anything that needs a command is shown to you and waits for Run. Commands never run as administrator.

    Can I use ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini?

    Yes, with your own API key: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Mistral, DeepSeek, Groq and OpenRouter. You pay the provider directly. layman adds no markup. Signing in with a ChatGPT or Claude subscription isn't possible: neither company allows it for third-party apps.

    I got a new computer.

    On the old one, open the dashboard and choose Profile → Deactivate this PC. Then activate on the new one. Old computer lost or dead? Reply to your purchase email and we'll reset the key.

    One license for Mac and Windows?

    One license covers one computer at a time, and it can be either. Need both at once? That's two licenses.

    I lost my license key.

    It's in your purchase email. You can also look it up on Lemon Squeezy's order page with the email you bought with.

    Why “layman”?

    Because it explains things in plain words, and you shouldn't need to be an expert to use it. The logo is an “l” and a full stop. That's the whole joke.