Install ButterKeys
Local-first typing correction for macOS 14+. Five minutes, two permissions.
1. Get the app
- Download ButterKeys-1.0.0.dmg (or the latest from GitHub Releases).
- Open the DMG and drag ButterKeys into Applications.
- Eject the DMG, then open ButterKeys from Applications (not from the disk image).
2. Permissions (required)
Grant both for the copy in /Applications only:
- System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring → enable ButterKeys
- System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → enable ButterKeys
- Quit ButterKeys completely and open it again from Applications
If corrections never fire, you are usually looking at the wrong binary (for example an Xcode build) or a permission that was not re-granted after a re-sign.
3. Gatekeeper / “can’t be opened”
Early builds may not yet be Developer ID–notarized. If macOS blocks the app:
- System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, or
- Right-click ButterKeys → Open → confirm
4. Quick test
- Open Notes
- Type
tehand a space — it should becomethe - Undo with Control-Option-Z
- Teach a custom slip: select it and press Control-Option-T
What to expect
- High-confidence personal typos are smoothed automatically
- When unsure, ButterKeys leaves your text alone
- Code editors use a narrower “code-safe” mode
- Optional HUD + sound in Settings → General
- In-app updates via Sparkle (Settings → Check for Updates…)
Feedback
File issues on GitHub (false positive, missed correction, or install/permissions), or use Settings → About → Report a problem.
For support, you can paste Settings → Advanced → Copy redacted diagnostics (no sentences or raw keystrokes).
Privacy details: Privacy policy. Typing never leaves your Mac for correction.