Yap CLI
A macOS app with a CLI and skill: record screen and voice, then an agent studies the recording and edits the video.
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Broad access
Why this level
- The app records the screen, microphone, system audio and camera, and passwords or personal data may end up in a recording.
- The downloaded app is not notarized, edits the shell profile and copies the skill into every agent it finds.
Install
- Works in
Manual install
Install Yap (the Mac app, which sets up the yap CLI and skill) by following https://justyap.io/llms.txt
The agent instruction from the README: it downloads the release and verifies `SHA256SUMS`, and the app installs the CLI and skill.
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The app records the screen, microphone, system audio and camera, and passwords or personal data may end up in a recording.
- The downloaded app is not notarized, edits the shell profile and copies the skill into every agent it finds.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Yap records the screen, microphone, system audio and camera on a Mac, transcribes the recording locally and gives an agent the `yap` CLI and a skill. The agent reads the transcript with word timings, looks at frames, your drawings, numbered pins and clicks, and uses them to fix the bug you showed or to cut a video. Yap itself makes no editing decisions. It is a set of operations (cuts, captions, crop and zoom, noise reduction, music, export to MP4, WAV, M4A, SRT and VTT), and the agent decides. The source recording never changes, and every edit is saved as a separate revision you can undo. Claude Code, Codex and any agent work through the CLI or MCP.
Who it is for. Developers and creators on an Apple Silicon Mac who find it easier to show a bug or a demo by voice and screen than to describe it in text.
Good fit when
- A bug is easier to show than to describe: the agent reads the pinned recording and fixes the code.
- One take with false starts should become a tight 60-second demo with captions.
- A podcast or talk should become short captioned clips with show notes.
- A misspoken word should be replaced in the recording with your own voice through a local model.
Not a fit when
- A timeline with manual track layout is expected, while Yap has no editor for humans.
- The computer lacks Apple Silicon or runs a macOS older than 26.
- The recording cannot be stored on disk even locally.
Example request
Here is the checkout bug recording. Fix the button I pinned.Limitations
Apple Silicon and macOS 26 or newer are required. Releases are built locally and are not notarized, so a browser download needs Open Anyway in security settings. The user grants screen and microphone recording permissions. The repository does not state a licence. The app itself installs the `yap` command into `~/.local/bin`, appends a PATH line to the shell profile and copies the skill into every agent it finds.
How to disable. Quit and delete `Yap.app` from `~/Applications` or `/Applications`, then remove `~/.local/bin/yap`, the PATH line in the shell profile and the `yap` skill folder in agent directories.
FAQ
How do I install Yap for Claude Code or Codex?
Tell the agent to install Yap by following `https://justyap.io/llms.txt`. It downloads the GitHub release, verifies `SHA256SUMS` and opens the app, which then installs the CLI and skill.
Which keys record the screen?
Option+Shift+S starts and ends a recording, Option+Shift+V pastes the prompt for the agent, Option+Shift+Z undoes the last mark and Option+Shift+X cancels. The shortcuts can be rebound in settings.
Do recordings stay on my computer?
Yes. Recordings, transcripts and voice models are stored locally and do not go to the cloud.
Does editing change the source recording?
No. The agent works on project revisions, the original stays as captured and any edit can be undone.
How do I check that installation worked?
Run `~/.local/bin/yap cli.status`, `~/.local/bin/yap skill.status` and `~/.local/bin/yap service.health`. The skill is picked up in a fresh session: `/yap` in Claude Code or `$yap` in Codex.
Discussion
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README in short
Installation is handed to the agent through an `llms.txt` link, and the manual route goes through a GitHub release with checksum verification. Scenarios for agents and for people, the product boundary (operations with no editorial decisions) and the source build order on macOS are described.