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Alter doesn’t just chat – it actually does things. Connect with 17+ local Mac apps and 2000+ external services.

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Local Tools

Alter provides 17+ powerful local tools that integrate directly with your Mac applications. Unlike other AI assistants, Alter actually controls your Mac through natural language.

100% Free

All local tools are available to everyone at no cost

Works Offline

No internet required – completely private

Native Control

Actually controls your apps, not just reads about them

Privacy First

Your data never leaves your Mac

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How to Use Local Tools

1

Open Tools Manager

Click the three dots in Alter → Tools Manager
2

Enable tools

In the Local Tools section, search and enable tools (Calendar, Maps, etc.)
3

Use natural language

Ask Alter to perform actions:
  • “Send a message to John saying I’m running late”
  • “Add a meeting to my calendar for tomorrow at 2 PM”
  • “Show me my unread emails”
Toggle all tools on/off using the global switch in Tools Manager (Settings > Tools)

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Video Demo

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Available Mac Apps

  • Notes: Access and manage your notes
  • Reminders: Manage your reminders
  • Calendar: Create, edit, remove and list events
  • Finder: List and open apps
  • Alter: Use Quick Actions as tools, copy to clipboard
  • System Settings: Send system notifications
  • Shortcuts: Call Apple Shortcuts with AI reply as input
  • Script Editor: Run Apple Scripts
  • Maps: Search places, get directions, points of interest
  • Safari: Web search powered by DuckDuckGo
  • Contacts: Manage and search contacts
  • Mail: Draft emails
  • Messages: Send messages

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External Services

Connect with 2000+ external applications for advanced automation.
Early Access: External integrations are in preview for Yearly and Lifetime subscribers

Notion

Notes & databases

Linear

Project management

GitHub

Code repositories

Slack

Team messaging

Google Calendar

Scheduling

Gmail

Email

Salesforce

CRM

HubSpot

Marketing
And 2000+ more through integration platforms!

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Video: External Integrations

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Automation Workflows

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Webhooks

Set up webhook integrations for custom workflows:

Custom Workflows

Connect with any webhook-compatible service

External Actions

Trigger services from Alter conversations

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Apple Shortcuts

Connect with thousands of Apple Shortcuts:
1

Enable Shortcuts tool

In Tools Manager, turn on the Shortcuts tool
2

Create shortcut

In Shortcuts app, create automation
3

Configure input

Make it accept the AI’s last message as input
4

Trigger from Alter

“Run my [shortcut name] shortcut”

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Quick Actions

Create custom actions for your integrations:

Insert Action

Auto-place AI replies into active apps

Webhook Actions

Send data to external services

Apple Script

Run custom scripts

Form Builder

Create interactive forms

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x-callback-url Integration

Alter supports the x-callback-url protocol for inter-app communication.

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What is x-callback-url?

A standard that lets apps trigger actions in each other using special URLs. Pass data, perform actions, and return seamlessly.

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Triggering Alter from Other Apps

1

Get the URL

In Action Editor, select an action → “URL Callback” section
2

Copy scheme

Copy the alter:// URL for that action
3

Use anywhere

Paste in Shortcuts, Notes, browser, etc.
Example: 
alter://action/ask-web?input=What+is+Alter+MacOS

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Triggering Other Apps from Alter

Create clickable links using target app URL schemes:
AppExample URLAction
Bearbear://x-callback-url/create?title=DemoCreate note
Thingsthings://add?title=TaskAdd task
Draftsdrafts://x-callback-url/create?text=HelloCreate draft

Supported Apps

Bear, Things, Drafts, OmniFocus, 1Writer, Agenda, and hundreds more
See the URL Callbacks Guide for complete documentation

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Setting Up

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Access Tools Manager

1

Open Alter

Use your global shortcut or mouse
2

Open menu

Click three dots on the right
3

Select Tools Manager

Enable/disable integrations as needed

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Privacy & Security

Local Tools

Data stays on your Mac – completely offline

External Tools

Enable only what you need

No Background

Alter only accesses data when requested

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

Check what parameters are required. Create custom prompts or add explainers to your profile for better tool usage.
Make sure your model supports tools. Recommended:
  • Alter Best
  • Gemini 2.0 Flash
  • Claude Sonnet
Ensure shortcuts accept the last assistant message as input parameter

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Getting Help

Ask Alter

“How do I use the Calendar tool?”

Community

Join Discord for team and community support
Pro Tip: Start with local tools to get familiar before setting up external services

Tool Manager

Detailed tool configuration

URL Callbacks

Deep dive into x-callback-url

Troubleshooting

Fix tool issues

Actions

Create custom workflows