Install and first launch

What you need#

• A Mac with macOS 13 Ventura or later.
• A Xeneric account. Signing in starts a 7-day free trial, no card needed (see Sign in and the free trial).
• For AI answers: an OpenAI API key, or Claude Code signed in on this Mac (see AI assistant).

Install Xeneric#

1. Download Xeneric

   Xeneric comes as a disk image (Xeneric.dmg) from xeneric.app. It's signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.

2. Drag it to Applications

   Open the disk image and drag Xeneric onto the Applications folder.

3. Open Xeneric from Applications

   Xeneric is a menu-bar app: it has no Dock icon. Look for its eye in the menu bar and the welcome tour on screen.

The welcome tour#

The first time Xeneric opens, a short tour sets it up:

1. Welcome to Xeneric

   Paste your OpenAI API key. Xeneric checks it and keeps it in the macOS Keychain, never on disk. No key yet? The tour links to platform.openai.com to create one.

2. Write anywhere

   Allow Accessibility so a small “Talk with Xeneric” button can appear beside any text box. Password fields are always ignored. See Permissions.

3. Make it yours

   All optional: open at login, Spotify in the notch, the left-edge sidebar, clipboard history, spoken replies and Xeneric's voice. You can change all of it later in the Dashboard.

4. You're all set

   A sheet of the keys to remember, starting with ⌥Space. Then sign in to your Xeneric account to start your trial.

Where Xeneric lives#

• The keyboard: ⌥Space opens the Xeneric bar anywhere.
• The notch: hover it for music, the date and a quick question (Notch).
• The menu bar: Xeneric's eye and the runner; their menus open the Dashboard.
• The left edge: a small handle opens a rail with every feature (Dashboard).

Moving from Vision#

Xeneric used to be called Vision. If Vision is installed on your Mac, the first launch of Xeneric moves it over for you:

• Your data folder, preferences, login item, right-click services and Claude Code hooks move to Xeneric automatically.
• macOS sees Xeneric as a new app, so it asks again for Accessibility, Screen Recording, Microphone and Full Disk Access.
• Each item Vision saved in the Keychain (such as your OpenAI key) may ask once for permission when Xeneric first reads it. Choose Always Allow.