Download Helpwing Desktop
Mac and Windows beta builds ship from GitHub Releases on each v* tag. No virtual cables. AGPL-3.0 desktop client. 15 free minutes.
macOS Apple Silicon
macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later · Apple M1, M2, M3, M4 · ~88 MB
Download for Apple Silicon (.dmg) Unsigned beta — Right-click → Open if Gatekeeper warnsWindows 64-bit
Windows 10 (2004+) and Windows 11. Same overlay, WASAPI loopback, no virtual cable. Built on each v* tag via GitHub Actions — public link after the first release.
macOS Intel
macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later · Intel Core processors · ~92 MB
Download for Intel Mac (.dmg) Unsigned beta · Same overlay as Apple SiliconUsing Linux or Chromebook?
We do not offer a Linux or Chromebook desktop build yet. Helpwing is the Mac and Windows overlay app — email support@helpwing.ai if you need updates on other platforms.
System Requirements
| Platform | Minimum Requirement | Recommended Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | macOS 14.2 Sonoma, 8 GB RAM (required for loopback-free system audio) | macOS 15 Sequoia or macOS 26, Apple Silicon (M-series), 16 GB RAM |
| Windows | Windows 10 64-bit (build 2004 or later), 4 GB RAM | Windows 11, 8 GB RAM, Core i5/Ryzen 5 or higher |
| Audio Setup | Any standard 3.5mm or USB headphones (prevents speaker feedback echo) | Wired stereo headset or low-latency Bluetooth earphones |
| Network | Stable 2 Mbps upstream and downstream (4G/5G mobile hotspot is supported) | Broadband Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection under 50ms latency |
3-Minute Setup & Permission Guide
Helpwing is engineered to be non-invasive. We respect your operating system's security sandbox and never ask for unnecessary root privileges.
macOS Installation
- Open the downloaded
.dmgarchive and drag Helpwing into your Applications folder. - Launch Helpwing. When prompted, grant Microphone access for your spoken answers and mock evaluations.
- Under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, toggle Helpwing ON. This enables the client to hear interviewer questions directly through macOS CoreAudio without needing virtual cable drivers.
- Click Quit & Reopen when macOS prompts you.
Windows Installation
- Run
Helpwing-Setup.exe. The installer is digitally signed with our verifiable publisher certificate. - If Windows SmartScreen displays an informational prompt for a newly released build, click More info and select Run anyway.
- Go to Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and confirm that desktop application access is toggled ON.
- Helpwing captures loopback audio natively through the Windows WASAPI audio engine. No additional virtual soundcards are needed.
System-wide audio
Helpwing listens to your entire desktop output, not just Google Meet or Zoom. Any sound your Mac or PC plays — a live call, YouTube, a recorded lecture, a practice video in the browser — can land in the transcript bar. You review the line, then submit it for an answer. No virtual audio cable and no per-app extension.
Default Background Hotkeys
Operate Helpwing without switching away from your IDE, browser, or call window:
| Action | Windows Shortcut | macOS Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshot | Ctrl + H | ⌘ + H | Queues a screenshot of the problem. |
| Solve queued shots | Ctrl + Enter | ⌘ + Enter | Sends the queue for an answer in the thread. |
| Show or hide | Ctrl + B | ⌘ + B | Toggles the overlay without stealing the call. |
| New chat | Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R | Clears the thread. Capture stays on. |
| Send the ask box | Ctrl + K | ⌘ + K | Submits typed text plus any queued shots. |
| System audio on/off | Alt + Q | ⌥ + Q | Listen to the interviewer. On by default after sign-in. |
| Submit interviewer line | Alt + A | ⌥ + A | Sends the system-audio row as a question. |
| Microphone on/off | Alt + W | ⌥ + W | Your mic. Off by default. |
| Submit your line | Alt + E | ⌥ + E | Sends the mic row as you speaking. |
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) Open Source Mode
Helpwing Desktop is free software released under the GNU AGPL-3.0 license. In addition to our zero-setup cloud managed minute packs, the desktop application offers a 100% free Bring-Your-Own-Key mode:
- Open Settings → AI Provider inside the Helpwing desktop application.
- Enter your personal API key from Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, or OpenAI.
- All API requests are routed directly from your local machine to the LLM vendor endpoint. Zero minutes are deducted from your Helpwing balance.
- The complete source code is publicly auditable on GitHub, allowing you to inspect every IPC bridge, network request, and memory allocation.
Frequently Asked Troubleshooting Questions
Why can't Helpwing hear the interviewer on my macOS system?
On macOS 14.2+ Sonoma and Sequoia, macOS requires explicit consent under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. Ensure Helpwing is toggled ON, and restart the desktop client once granted.
Why does Helpwing refuse to start during some testing platforms?
Our client includes ExamGuard™, an automated ethical protection shield. In compliance with the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, Helpwing automatically detects and halts execution if proctored assessment suites (such as HackerRank Tests, Mercer Mettl, or Codility) are detected. Read our Responsible Use Policy for details.
How do I prevent echo or audio feedback?
Always use headphones or earphones during live sessions. If your laptop microphone picks up audio coming out of your laptop speakers, speech recognition may hear words twice. Standard wired or Bluetooth headphones completely eliminate acoustic echo.
Can I customize my background hotkeys?
Yes. If your IDE (e.g. VS Code or Cursor) or window manager binds Ctrl+B or Cmd+H, navigate to Settings → Hotkeys in the desktop client and assign any custom combination.
Release Verification & Checksums
Verify your download integrity with standard SHA-256 cryptographic hashes:
# Verify on macOS Terminal:
shasum -a 256 Helpwing-arm64.dmg
# Verify on Windows PowerShell:
Get-FileHash .\Helpwing-Windows-1.0.19.exe -Algorithm SHA256