I built iPhone-style text-selection smart menu I wanted in macOS [ Giving away 20 lifetime licenses]
Hi r/MacOSApps! I’m Advait, the developer behind ActionClip.
# 1. The problem:
Selecting text on a Mac often turns a tiny task into:
**Copy → switch apps → paste → do the task → copy the result → switch back**
The iPhone puts useful actions beside selected text. I wanted the same experience on macOS, so I built ActionClip.
# 2. What ActionClip does:
ActionClip opens a compact widget beside selected text and suggests relevant actions—rewriting, translating, formatting, converting currencies and units, creating notes or events, opening links, running AI prompts and more.
There are now **250+ ready-to-use actions and extensions** across ActionClip and its Marketplace. It integration natively with all Mac apps, Shortcut app and many popular third party apps too. I'm adding new integrations weekly. Just tell me what you need to integrate ActionClip with and you'll get it.
# 3. 👉 Best part: create actions by chatting :D
If an action is missing, describe what you want to the AI Custom Action Builder.
For example:
* “Turn an angry email into a calm, professional reply.” * “Extract every task from this text and format it as a checklist.” * “Create and add tasks in my Jira from these loose notes.” * “Turn these rough notes into clear next steps.”
It builds the action and adds it directly to your selected-text widget, **no automation knowledge required.**
# 4. Built with the Mac community:
I first launched ActionClip on r/ macapps 2 months back (July). The launch received 100+ upvotes and generated 300+ comments filled with workflows, feature requests and brutally useful feedback.
That feedback shaped multiple releases and helped grow ActionClip to **250+ actions and extensions**. We also now have an active [Discord community](https://discord.gg/GuzdYUSdhv) where users suggest actions, report issues and help shape the roadmap.
# 5. How it compares:
**PopClip** is the closest and most established comparison. ActionClip focuses on contextual suggestions, upfront results and creating personal actions easily through AI.
**Raycast** is broader and keyboard-first. ActionClip stays attached to the text you are already working with.
# 6. What’s coming next:
The next major additions are:
* *Full keyboard navigation for searching, selecting and running actions without touching the mouse. -* it's released in 2.2.2 ver * Custom widgets for different apps and websites, so ActionClip can show the actions that fit your current workflow.
# 7. Tech, privacy and AI:
ActionClip is a native, local-first macOS app. It requires no account, and your selected text, prompts and results are not included in anonymous product events.
For AI actions, you can use:
* On device Apple Intelligence and local Ollama * Connect your own OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter and Perplexity * Even bring your ChatGPT subscription :D
# 8. Why it isn’t on the Mac App Store:
System-wide text selection and user-created Shell or AppleScript actions require capabilities outside Apple’s App Sandbox. ActionClip is **signed with my Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple**, allowing Gatekeeper to verify it before installation.
# 9. Giveaway: 20 lifetime licenses 🎁
I’m giving away **20 Individual lifetime licenses**.
* To enter\*\*, comment with the custom action you would create.\*\* * I’ll **randomly** select 20 qualifying comments after 48 hours, announce the winners in an edit and send the license codes by DM.
# 10. Pricing:
* ActionClip is free for up to **30 actions per day**. * Lifetime licenses start at **$9 for one Mac**, with no subscription. * It's still in the Early Bird pricing mode so grab it if you think you'll be using it in future too :D
# 11. Links & Transparency
* Download: [https://actionclip.app](https://actionclip.app) * Explore the Marketplace - [https://actionclip.app/marketplace](https://actionclip.app/marketplace) * Changelog: [https://actionclip.app/changelog](https://actionclip.app/changelog) * My LinkedIn: [https://in.linkedin.com/in/advait-vaidya-7380ab97](https://in.linkedin.com/in/advait-vaidya-7380ab97) * My X: [https://x.com/AdvaitVaidya2](https://x.com/AdvaitVaidya2) * New Discord community: [https://discord.gg/GuzdYUSdhv](https://discord.gg/GuzdYUSdhv)
I’m the person building the app and answering support, so ask me anything or share the wonderfully specific action your workflow is missing. ⬇️
🎉 **ActionClip Giveaway Winners :D**
Thank you to everyone who shared their custom-action ideas! The 20 winners of an **ActionClip Individual lifetime license** are:
u/gooseredberry, u/tagtech414, u/Upbeat_Connection641, u/NegativeZone9910, u/bigdog1401, u/LimpVermicelli2901, u/Stubborninmate, u/kevinlam_02, u/macnatic0, u/n_v40, u/GrilledBurritos, u/alemutti, u/soexulf, u/datura_mon_amour, u/New-Ad-8811, u/thanhharry, u/WatchMySixWillYa, u/moonjongil, u/karkiuttam, u/Paarkhi
Congratulations! Please contact me in my DM to get your license. Thanks for participating and helping shape ActionClip with your ideas. Please also join the discord our discord to be part of my community to get further giveaways
When I first posted ActionClip in here in [macApps](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1v92puo/i_built_the_iphonestyle_textselection_menu_apple/) ([link to last post](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1v92puo/i_built_the_iphonestyle_textselection_menu_apple/)), I thought I was launching a useful selected-text utility.
Then this community left more than 300 comments filled with workflows, missing integrations, bug reports and ideas I had never considered. Let me introduce ActionClip again:
# The problem:
Whenever I selected text on my Mac, even a tiny task became:
**Copy → switch apps → paste → do the task → copy the result → switch back**
The iPhone already solved it by putting useful actions beside the selected text. I wanted that same flow on Mac, so I built ActionClip.
# What ActionClip does:
ActionClip appears beside selected text and surfaces the most relevant actions. It includes 32 built-in actions for copying, paste variations, formatting, spelling and grammar, rewriting, translating, unit conversions, word counts, links, Maps, notes, events, and AI prompts.
**With this community 💜, I got my roadmap. Let me bring to you the major upgrades I did to ActionClip in last month.**
# 1. A rich, community-led Action Marketplace