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Appshots let you send the frontmost app window to a chat in ZeroTwo. Use them when you’re actively working in another app on your computer and want to provide ZeroTwo with your current context so it can help you with the task. Appshots are available in the ZeroTwo desktop app on macOS. Press both Command keys, or your custom Appshots hotkey, to take one.

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What appshots capture

An appshot captures the frontmost window only. It can include:
  • An image of the visible window.
  • Available text from that window, including visible text and text the app makes available outside the visible scroll area.
After you add an appshot to a chat, it behaves like an attachment. ZeroTwo stores appshots locally in the session file, like files or images you attach manually.

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When to use appshots

Use appshots when ZeroTwo needs context from a Mac app before it can act. Examples:
  • Share an API reference page and ask ZeroTwo to write a script that uses it.
  • Share an email or calendar view and ask ZeroTwo to draft the next step.
  • Share an image editor, design, or preview window and ask ZeroTwo to revise the related assets or code.
  • Share an error, settings panel, or app state that’s easier to show than describe.

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Take an appshot

  1. Bring the app window you want to share to the front.
  2. Press both Command keys, or the custom hotkey you configured in ZeroTwo settings.
  3. Allow macOS permissions if ZeroTwo asks.
  4. Ask ZeroTwo to perform a task with the appshot.
ZeroTwo composer with a Calculator appshot and a prompt asking to verify the result
By default, ZeroTwo starts a new chat for the appshot. If you interacted with a chat in the last 60 seconds, ZeroTwo adds the appshot to that recent chat instead. Taking consecutive appshots adds them to the same chat. You can change the Appshots hotkey in the app settings.

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Permissions and safety

ZeroTwo may ask for permissions before it can take appshots:
  • Screen & System Audio Recording lets ZeroTwo capture an image of the frontmost window.
  • Accessibility lets ZeroTwo read available text from the frontmost window.
Taking an appshot shares the captured image and available text with ZeroTwo. Avoid taking appshots of sensitive content unless the task requires that content. Review appshots the same way you would review sharing screenshots and documents with ZeroTwo.

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Limits and troubleshooting

Appshots are available in the ZeroTwo desktop app on macOS. If you resume a chat in the CLI that already contains an appshot, the attachment is part of the chat history, but the CLI can’t create a new appshot. For some apps and websites, including Google Docs, Gmail, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, ZeroTwo may receive only the visible screenshot and may not receive the full document or off-screen text. In ZeroTwo Work or ZeroCode, ZeroTwo can use a matching installed plugin to access the relevant app content and help with your request. If appshots don’t work:
  1. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  2. Check Screen & System Audio Recording and Accessibility for ZeroCode Computer Use.
  3. Restart the app and try again.