From a goal to work you can keep.
How Neo, Chats, Surf and Studio work together—and where to start with your first task.
Shift is an AI workspace for Mac. Neo helps organise a goal into a plan. Chats carry out the individual tasks, Surf keeps browser research in view, and Studio saves the result as an editable page.
Start small: a useful guide, a sourced brief, or a checklist you can review. You bring a supported AI account, an API key, or a local model through Ollama. The Mac app is free during public beta; provider charges and limits are separate.
Try a learning guide
Open Neo and ask for something with a clear result:
Make me a beginner’s Blender shortcut guide for Mac.
Review the plan.
Neo proposes the research and writing steps. Check the scope and the intended result before approving. If you use a particular Blender version or keyboard layout, include that context.
Follow the research.
Open the linked Chat to see the work, or Surf to inspect the pages it reads. For software instructions, prefer the official manual and check that its version matches the one you use.
Open the saved page.
Once the writing step completes, open the linked Studio result. Read the guide, follow its source links, and correct anything that does not match your setup. A failed step should be resolved before you rely on its result.
Make it yours.
Edit the Studio page directly, or ask AI for a change and review the proposed edit. Export Markdown or PDF when you want to share it.
The useful outcome is a saved guide you have checked. A plan or a running status alone is not a finished task. Runtime and results depend on your model, the sites involved, and the scope you choose.
You don’t need a whole workflow for every question.
Ask a question in Chats, ask about an open page in Surf, or request an edit in Studio. Use a Neo plan when a goal needs several connected steps and a result worth keeping.
You can reach Shift from elsewhere on your Mac by holding Command, shaking the cursor, saying “Hey Shift”, or using the notch. Choose the triggers you want in Settings. Screen observation, app control and voice use the permissions you grant.
For another small workspace task, ask Neo to prepare a short research brief on a topic you know. Give it a scope you can check, then compare the Studio result with its linked sources.
Use Agents for work that comes back.
If a task becomes recurring, ask Neo to propose an Agent with a specific role and instructions. Review its setup, the apps or sources it needs, and what it may do on your behalf.
Creating an Agent does not automatically enable monitoring, schedules, or replies. Configure those separately. A plan to research and write a brief is not permission to publish it or contact someone.
What you need to get started
The Mac beta requires Apple silicon and macOS 26.2 or later. Install Shift, sign in, and connect your AI. Account sign-in is offered where supported for this use; a chat subscription does not automatically include API credit.
Start with the permissions needed for your task. Your AI provider receives the prompts and context sent to it, which may include browser pages, document text, or screen observations. Read the Privacy Policy for the details.
The Mac setup guide covers installation, AI connections and permissions. The iPhone and Apple Watch guide explains how the TestFlight companions connect to your Mac.