Reply Assist · macOS Setup
This page covers the one-time setup for Reply Assist on a Mac: the system permissions it needs and a couple of small per-app steps. Reply Assist is currently macOS only, so everything here is Mac-specific.
Once this is done, turn the feature on under Settings → Assistant Intelligence → Proactive (see the main guide).
Granting the macOS permissions
Reply Assist needs to (a) notice new messages and (b) tell which conversation is on your screen. On macOS that requires three permissions. You can grant them all under System Settings → Privacy & Security:
| Permission | Why Reply Assist needs it |
|---|---|
| Full Disk Access | To notice incoming message notifications. |
| Accessibility | To tell which chat you're currently looking at, and to place the draft into the message box. |
| Automation → System Events | To paste the draft for you. macOS pops this request up automatically the first time — just click Allow. |
After granting Full Disk Access and Accessibility, quit and reopen Violoop so the new permissions take effect. You can confirm everything is green under Settings → System Permissions.
Heads up: macOS ties these permissions to the exact app you granted them to. If you later install a fresh Violoop update that changes its signature, macOS may ask you to grant them again — that's normal.
Getting the most out of it, app by app
Each chat app exposes information a little differently, so a couple of small setup steps help:
- Lark / Feishu — Turn on system notifications for Lark. Notifications are Violoop's main signal here. One quirk: Violoop figures out who you're chatting with from the empty message box's "Send to Name" hint — so if you've already typed a draft in the box, it can't read who the chat is with, and the chip won't appear. Clear the box (or send your message) and it works again.
- WeChat — WeChat clears its notifications instantly, so Violoop instead takes a quick read of the screen when you switch back to WeChat. That means the WeChat window needs to be in the foreground with the conversation open for it to catch the request.
- Superhuman and other supported apps work similarly.
- Other apps are ignored. By default only a short list of apps is watched (Lark, WeChat, Superhuman). You can add or remove apps in the Proactive settings.
Troubleshooting
No chip ever appears.
- Check permissions are green under Settings → System Permissions — Full Disk Access and Accessibility especially. Remember to reopen Violoop after granting them.
- Confirm the feature is on and you're logged in (see the main guide's troubleshooting).
The chip won't appear in Lark even for a real request.
- Is there already text typed in the message box? Clear it — Violoop reads who the chat is with from the empty box's hint.
Nothing in WeChat.
- Bring the WeChat window to the front with the conversation open — WeChat needs to be visible for Violoop to catch the request.
The draft won't drop in when I press Tab.
- You may have clicked into a different conversation in the meantime (a safety check blocks it from landing in the wrong place). Click back into the right chat and press Tab again.
- For file drafts, if pasting fails, the file is usually already on your clipboard — just press Cmd+V. If it keeps failing, check the Automation permission (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → allow Violoop to control System Events).
Related
- Reply Assist (Commitment Loop) — what the feature is and how to use it.
- Operating Your Computer — more on the macOS permissions Violoop uses.