Install catu and give it permission

catu lives in your Mac's menu bar, not in the Dock. This page takes you from download to your first screenshot, and explains each permission macOS asks you for.

What you need#

• A Mac with macOS 15 or later.
• For dictation: macOS 26 and a Mac that supports Apple Intelligence. See Dictation.

The Mac app is free. You only need an account if you want to share captures as links, which is part of the Web app plan. See Plans and billing.

Download and open catu#

1. Get catu from the Mac App Store. The “Download for macOS” button on catu.app takes you there.
2. Open catu from your Applications folder, Launchpad or Spotlight.
3. The “Welcome to catu” window opens. Follow its three steps (below).

catu has no Dock icon and no main window. If you open it again while it is running, the Settings window opens instead.

The welcome window#

The welcome window has three steps. Move between them with “Continue” and “Back”.

1. The first step lists what catu does and the main shortcuts: ⇧⌘2 for a screenshot, ⇧⌘5 for text from the screen, ⌃⇧⌘2 for a scrolling capture, ⇧⌘3 to record the screen and ⌥⇧⌘P for Private mode.
2. “One permission” asks for Screen Recording, which screenshots, scrolling capture and text from the screen need. Click “Continue…” next to it, then allow catu when macOS asks. A green tick appears once it is allowed.
3. “Keep it on this Mac” shows two macOS features that send your clipboard elsewhere, with a button to each setting, and the “Launch catu at login” switch. Click “Start Using catu” to finish.

The welcome window shows only once. To see it again, open Settings › General and click “Show the Welcome Again…”.

Find the menu-bar icon#

Look for the small catu cat near the clock, at the top right of your screen. Click it to open your clipboard history and every capture tool. See The menu-bar menu.

The icon changes to tell you what is happening:

• A green tick for a moment: catu just recorded a copy.
• A red lock that blinks: you copied a password or key, and catu deliberately did not keep it.
• A crossed-out eye: Private mode is on, so nothing you copy is recorded.
• A red dot and a timer: you are recording the screen. Click the icon to stop.
• An arrow and a percentage: a capture is uploading.

The permissions catu asks for#

macOS asks you once for each permission, the first time catu needs it. catu works without any of them, just with fewer features.

Permission	What it is for	When macOS asks
Screen Recording	Screenshots, scrolling capture, text from the screen and screen recording	In the welcome window, or the first time you capture
Microphone	Your voice in a screen recording, and dictation	The first time you record with the microphone on, or set up dictation
Camera	The camera bubble in a screen recording	The first time you turn the camera on in the recording bar

catu only uses the camera and microphone while you record or dictate. Nothing is captured until you press a shortcut.

After you allow Screen Recording, macOS may ask you to quit and reopen catu. Click “Quit & Reopen” when it does.

Change permissions later#

1. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security.
2. Click the permission: Screen & System Audio Recording, Microphone or Camera.
3. Switch catu on or off.

For dictation, Apple Intelligence must be on, in System Settings › Apple Intelligence & Siri. The Dictation page in catu's Settings has a button to it. See Dictation.

Keep your clipboard on this Mac#

catu never sends your clipboard anywhere. Two macOS features can, unless you turn them off:

• Universal Clipboard sends what you copy to your other Apple devices through iCloud. Turn off Handoff in System Settings › General › AirDrop & Handoff to stop it.
• Spotlight clipboard history keeps its own copy of your clipboard for hours or days. Turn it off or clear it in System Settings › Spotlight.

The welcome window's last step has “Open Handoff Settings…” and “Open Spotlight Settings…” buttons that take you straight there.

Start catu when you log in#

1. Click the catu icon in the menu bar and choose “Settings…”.
2. On the General page, switch on “Launch catu at login”.

If something doesn't work#

• “Allow Screen Recording for catu, then try again” appears when you take a screenshot: switch catu on in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording, then quit and reopen catu.
• You can't see the icon: on a Mac with a notch, it may be hidden behind it when the menu bar is full. Hold ⌘ and drag other icons off the menu bar to make room. On macOS 26, also check catu is allowed in System Settings › Menu Bar.
• “Allow the camera for catu in System Settings” appears in the recording bar: switch catu on in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera.
• A shortcut does nothing: macOS may be using it for its own screenshots. See Keyboard shortcuts.