Built on Copy and Paste
You copy the way you always have. PinchBar keeps a searchable history and puts AI actions right next to it.
Last 200 copies kept by default
AI text actions for your Mac menu bar
Transform text in a pinch.
PinchBar keeps everything you copy and turns it into a better version with one shortcut. Fix it, summarize it, translate it or draft a reply — then paste.
- macOS 15.6 or later
- Free on Setapp
- 2,500 bonus AI credits
- 1Your copy history
- 210 actions on⌃1–⌃0Fix, Shorten, Translate…
- 3Result, ready to copy
- 4Credits leftTop up anytime
Made byMacPaw
Available onSetapp
Runs on-device withApple Intelligence
Why PinchBar
Your clipboard, with a few new tricks.
No keys, no setup
AI comes with Setapp, so there is no API key to paste and no account to manage. Pick an action and go.
2,500 bonus AI credits for new users
Private where it counts
History stays on your Mac. Text goes to AI only when you run an action — and with Apple Intelligence, it never leaves the Mac.
Keys and tokens saved as locked cards
Features
Four ways to work faster with text.
01 The panel
Copy as usual. Then press Control+C.
The PinchBar panel drops down from the menu bar with your recent copies on top and a row of actions below. Pick a card, pick an action, and the result appears underneath.
- Recent and Pinned tabs, plus search across your history
- Ten actions in one row, each with its own shortcut
- Copy the result when it looks right — nothing is pasted for you
⌃C opens the panel. Change it any time in Settings → Shortcut.
02 Selected Text Actions
Fix text right where you wrote it.
Select text in another app and a small PinchBar button appears next to it. Choose an action, check the result, and paste it straight back over your selection.
- Click the floating button, or press an action shortcut
- Read and edit the result before it goes anywhere
- Paste Text replaces your selection; Copy keeps it on the clipboard
Select text, press ⌃8 to Shorten it. Needs Accessibility access.
03 Your actions
Ten actions. All yours to edit.
Every action is a short set of instructions you can read and rewrite. Tune the built-in ones to your voice, or add actions for the jobs you repeat every week.
- Fix & Native
- Clarify
- Fact Check
- Summarize
- Translate
- Structure
- Action Items
- Shorten
- Expand
- Draft Reply
- Rename an action, change its icon, or rewrite its instructions
- Add your own actions; reset a built-in one in a click
- Import and export actions as Markdown to share with your team
The first ten actions get ⌃1 to ⌃0.
04 History & privacy
Your history stays on your Mac.
PinchBar remembers what you copied so you can find it again. It also knows what not to keep in plain sight.
- API keys, tokens and passwords are saved as locked cards — unlock them with your Mac's authentication
- One-time codes are skipped, and copies from password managers are ignored
- Add any app to the ignore list, or turn off saving AI results
Keeps your last 200 copies by default — set any limit from 10 up.
Try an action
Pick some text. Pick an action.
These are pre-written examples of what PinchBar returns. Real results vary with your text.
1 · Your text
2 · Action
Example outputFix & Native
How it works
Three steps. About a minute.
-
01
Get PinchBar on Setapp
Install it for free. New users start with 2,500 bonus AI credits.
Free · Setapp · 2,500 bonus AI credits
-
02
Copy or select text
In Mail, Slack, Notes, your browser — anywhere you write.
⌘C as usual
-
03
Pick an action, paste
Open the panel, choose an action, then Copy — or Paste Text over your selection.
⌃C opens PinchBar
Compare
Fewer tabs. Fewer steps.
- Built-in actions
- 10
- Action shortcuts
- ⌃1–⌃0
- Copies kept by default
- 200
- Bonus AI credits
- 2,500
The 10 built-in actions
- ⌃1
Fix & Native
Fixes grammar, spelling and awkward phrasing so it sounds natural.
- ⌃2
Clarify
Makes the main point obvious and the text easier to act on.
- ⌃3
Fact Check
Gives a verdict on factual claims, with reasons. No live web search.
- ⌃4
Summarize
Key facts, decisions and next steps for a busy reader.
- ⌃5
Translate
Idiomatic translation that keeps tone, names and formatting.
- ⌃6
Structure
Turns a wall of text into headings, bullets or steps.
- ⌃7
Action Items
Pulls out a checklist of clear, verb-first tasks.
- ⌃8
Shorten
Cuts filler and repetition — often 40–60% shorter.
- ⌃9
Expand
A fuller, clearer version, without invented facts.
- ⌃0
Draft Reply
A short reply that answers what was asked.
The shortcut
Seven steps. Or three.
The usual way 7 steps
- ⌘CCopy
- ⌘TNew chat tab
- ⌘VPaste
- typing…Write a prompt
- ⌘CCopy the answer
- ⌘⇥Switch back
- ⌘VPaste
With PinchBar 3 steps
- ⌘CCopy
- Press an action shortcut, for example Control 4 to Summarize
- ⌘VPaste
Any action has its own key, ⌃1–⌃0. Or press ⌃C to pick from the list.
Custom actions
Your actions. Your words.
An action is just a name and a few lines of instructions. Add as many as you need in Settings → Actions, or edit a built-in one until it fits the way you write.
New action
Release Notes
Turn the selected changelog into short release notes for users. Group them under New, Improved and Fixed. Skip internal changes. Return only the notes.
New action
Bug Report
Turn the selected text into a bug report: a one-line title, steps to reproduce, expected result and actual result. Return only the report.
New action
Friendlier Tone
Rewrite the selected text so it sounds warm and friendly but still professional. Keep every fact and every ask. Return only the rewritten text.
Edited built-in
Fix & Native
…Do not over-polish, explain, or add new information.Use British spelling and keep my short sentences.Return only the rewritten text.
- Rename any action, change its icon, or rewrite its instructions
- Turn off the actions you don't use; reset a built-in one in a click
- Export actions as Markdown and import them to share with your team
These are examples — write whatever you repeat every week. The first ten actions get ⌃1 to ⌃0.
Get PinchBar
Free to install. Credits included.
On Setapp
Free
plus 2,500 bonus AI credits for new users
- All 10 actions, plus your own
- Share your actions as Markdown, or import a teammate’s
- Clipboard history with locked secrets
- Selected Text Actions in other apps
- Setapp AI, or Apple Intelligence on-device
Try PinchBar free
macOS 15.6 or later · English interface · 19.8 MB · See PinchBar on Setapp
How AI credits work
- 01
Setapp AI is the default. Each action you run with it uses AI credits from your Setapp account.
- 02
Your balance is always visible at the bottom of the panel. Click Get more to add credits through Setapp.
- 03
Apple Intelligence uses no credits. On Macs that support it, switch to it in Settings → AI and everything runs on-device.
AI Provider
Free trial
Your free start goes through Setapp.
Setapp is MacPaw's app platform. It installs and updates PinchBar for you.
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Step 1: Sign in or create an account
Use Google, Apple or your email. New accounts are created on the spot.
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Step 2: Install Setapp and PinchBar
Setapp downloads to your Mac and installs PinchBar for you.
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Step 3: Open PinchBar from the menu bar
Copy something, press ⌃C and run your first action.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Want the full app details? See PinchBar on Setapp.
How much does PinchBar cost?
PinchBar is free to install on Setapp, and new users get 2,500 bonus AI credits. Actions you run with Setapp AI use credits; you can add more through Setapp. Actions you run with Apple Intelligence use none.
What exactly is PinchBar?
A menu bar app that keeps your clipboard history and runs AI actions on text: fix, clarify, fact check, summarize, translate, structure, pull out action items, shorten, expand or draft a reply. It is not a chat app — you give it text, it gives you back a better version.
Do I need an API key or an AI account?
No. AI access comes with Setapp, so there is nothing to sign up for besides your Setapp account.
Can PinchBar work on-device with Apple Intelligence?
Yes, on Macs that support Apple Intelligence. Switch to it in Settings → AI. Your text stays on your Mac and no credits are used. If you choose Apple Intelligence, PinchBar never sends your text to the cloud instead.
Where is my clipboard history stored?
Locally, on your Mac. PinchBar keeps your last 200 copies by default; you can set any limit from 10 up. Text is sent to an AI provider only when you run an action.
What happens when I copy a password or an API key?
Text that looks like a secret — API keys, tokens, JWTs, private keys, passwords in connection strings — is saved as a locked card you unlock with your Mac's authentication. One-time codes are skipped, and copies from apps like 1Password, Bitwarden and Keychain Access are ignored. You can ignore any other app too.
Which apps do Selected Text Actions work in?
Most Mac apps where you can select text, including browsers and chat apps. PinchBar needs Accessibility access to read your selection and paste the result back; macOS asks once.
What do I need to run it?
macOS 15.6 or later and a Setapp account. PinchBar's interface is in English. Apple Intelligence on-device needs a Mac that supports it.
Ready to pinch some text?
Copy, press ⌃C, pick an action. That's the whole trick.
- Clipboard history
- 10 AI actions
- Selected Text Actions
- Locked secrets
- Apple Intelligence
