Quick Start

To use Nerw, activate the main panel with your global hotkey (default: Cmd + Shift + Space) and start typing. As you type, Nerw dynamically filters and ranks results called Actions. An action can be executed directly by pressing Enter, or it may accept input—either by typing arguments inline after a trigger word, pressing Tab to enter a secondary Quick Action mode, or filling out a structured form. Every action also features a dedicated Action Context panel (accessible via Cmd + K or the 3-dot row button), which opens a compact inline overlay where you can run secondary operations, configure custom aliases, record global hotkeys, or toggle action visibility.

🤖 Nerw AI

Nerw integrates a powerful, privacy-aware AI assistant that can be invoked on demand or directly from search. Rather than requiring manual copy-pasting, Nerw AI intelligently interacts with your live macOS environment.

  • tip: press tab in the initial nerw panel to quickly launch NerwAI panel.

⭐️ Perform Actions

  • Performs real macOS actions directly from chat, such as scheduling calendar events, executing menubar action of an app, composing email, writing notes, setting timer, creating reminders and asking to remember things.
  • Can also perform multiple actions in-series.

Precise Context Injection (PCI)

  • Automatically detects what you are asking about and injects relevant context for efficient token usage.
  • Supported context: your active browser tab, foreground application, clipboard history, calendar events, reminders, local notes/files, menubar, and an instant screen capture.

Semantic Long-Term Memory

  • Automatically identifies and remembers key user facts, preferences, and personal details across conversations.

Dual Backend Support

  • Run locally with Apple Intelligence on Apple Silicon, or connect custom Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYOK) providers including OpenAI-compatible APIs, OpenRouter, Claude, and local Ollama.

🛠 Built-in Actions

Nerw comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of native built-in actions, covering system control, file search, knowledge lookup, clipboard management, and automation.

Applications

  • Search and launch installed applications on your system.
  • Hybrid App Actions (via Tab): Certain applications offer powerful secondary modes when you press Tab.(eg. Activity Monitor)

⭐️ Clipboard History

  • Clipboard Management (clipboard): Automatically tracks your last copied text items and images. Search your history, pin important entries (Cmd + P), and paste directly into your active app (Enter).
  • Clear Clipboard History (clearclipboard): Supports natural language time range for clearing the clipboard history.

⭐️ Text Snippets

  • System-wide text expansion that replaces short trigger words (e.g., ;sig) with full templates in any macOS app. Supports dynamic placeholders like {{clipboard}}, {{time}}, and custom dates ({{yyyy-MM-dd}}).

⭐️ Bookmark Website

  • Add Bookmark (add bookmark): Save a website to your bookmarks directly from Nerw. Automatically detects the active browser’s URL and title to pre-fill the form.
  • Bookmark Management: Search saved bookmarks instantly and press Enter to open them in your browser.
  • Quick Actions: Use the Action Context (Cmd + K) on any bookmark to easily Edit or Delete it.
  • Find File: Near-instant file and document lookup without indexing lag, automatically excluding developer clutter like node_modules and .git.
  • Supports nested file or directory name matching using space-separated search terms.
  • empty downloads: Instantly moves all contents of your Downloads folder to the Trash.
  • eject [volume] / eject all: Safely unmounts a specific external disk or all connected external drives.
  • Get instant Wikipedia article summaries right inside the search list with Peek cards; press Enter to open the full article in your browser.

Dictionary & Menubar Search

  • Dictionary Lookup (define): Look up word definitions instantly with rich Peek expandable previews; press Enter to open the Dictionary app.
  • Menubar Search (menubar): Search and trigger any clickable menu command for your currently active frontmost application without reaching for the mouse.

System Commands

  • shut down (shutdown / poweroff): Safely shut down your computer.
  • restart (restart / reboot): Safely restart your Mac.
  • sleep (sleep): Put your computer to sleep immediately.
  • lock screen (lock / lockscreen): Lock your display instantly.
  • log out (logout / log off): Log out of your current user session.

macOS Shortcuts Integration

  • Search, run, and pass input into your native macOS Shortcuts instantly.

Math, Units & Currency Conversion

  • Evaluate math expressions, convert measurement units, and check real-time currency conversions right in the search bar.

🔍 Search Engines

Nerw provides a dedicated web search and search-engine routing system designed for speed and flexibility.

Web Search and Bangs

  • Instant searches across your favorite web engines using short prefixes (e.g., !g for Google, !yt for YouTube, !ddg for DuckDuckGo).

⭐️ Search Modifier Mapper

  • Map keyboard modifier keys (Shift, Command, Option, Control) to specific search providers in Settings > Search. By default, Shift + Enter triggers Google Lucky Search.

Adding Search Engines & Auto URL Detect

  • Add custom search engines on the fly by searching for addsearch in Nerw. Simply paste or type a website URL, and Nerw’s auto URL detect automatically formats the query link for you. You can also add, edit, or remove custom engines anytime in Settings > Search.

Fallback Search Engines

  • When your search doesn’t match an application or local command, Nerw automatically provides your configured fallback search engines at the bottom of the list so you can launch a web search instantly.

Smart Recency & Suggestions

  • When searching without a bang prefix (e.g., swift), Nerw remembers your preferred search engine for that term and automatically suggests it at the top of results.

Natural Language Query Categorizer

  • Intelligently recognizes questions ("how to install docker") or URLs ("github.com") and automatically elevates web search results without overriding exact keyword triggers.

🔌 Extensions

Nerw is designed for unlimited extensibility via native Swift extensions.

⭐️ Native Speed & Access

  • Built as native macOS extensions that run with lightning speed and integrate smoothly with macOS apps and services.

Process & Daemon Modes

  • Extensions can run on-demand or as background daemons for continuous monitoring and instant execution.

Unified UI Theming

  • Extensions automatically adopt Nerw’s design themes, rendering native panels, forms, and lists that look and feel right at home.

CLI Control

  • Includes a terminal command (nerw) to manage extensions directly from your shell.

⚙️ Search Backend & Performance

At the core of Nerw is NerwSearchBackend, an ultra-efficient search engine built specifically for macOS.

Fuzzy Matching

  • Smart typo-tolerant searching ensures you find the right application, file, or command even if you misspell a word.

Frecency Ranking Algorithm

  • Automatically adapts to your habits by ranking search results based on how frequently and recently you use them.

Natural Language Query Categorizer

  • Under-the-hood language intelligence that instantly identifies questions and URLs to show the most relevant actions first.

Async Icon & Thumbnail Rendering

  • Previews and application icons load asynchronously in the background so your search panel never stutters or lags.

Daemon Resource Monitoring

  • Background extensions are monitored continuously to keep CPU and memory usage minimal.