Install Lucy in minutes.
Click the Lucy ZIP for a smooth Mac download, or copy the one-line command if you prefer Terminal. The Chrome Bridge is now one click from the Chrome Web Store and is only needed when you want Lucy to read the webpage you choose.
Requires macOS 12 or newer. The current download is a universal Mac app for Apple Silicon and Intel. Apple Silicon uses MLX by default; Intel Macs can use local GGUF models through llama.cpp. Python 3 is needed for bridge mode and Intel local-model setup.
Fastest path
Want the least manual setup? Copy this into Terminal. It downloads the latest Lucy release to ~/Downloads, unzips it, and runs Lucy’s included local repair helper. Public browser downloads should be built by Lucy’s notarized release workflow; private no-cert builds use the helper path below.
cd ~/Downloads && rm -rf Lucy-v0.1-beta Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip && curl -L -o Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip https://github.com/momantic/Lucy/releases/latest/download/Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip && unzip -q Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip && cd Lucy-v0.1-beta && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --direct-launch
Tip: For the current private no-cert build, use the Terminal command above. If you later publish a notarized Developer ID build, users can also double-click Lucy.app or use right-click → Open for the first launch.
Private no-cert install
Do this for local beta testing if you do not have Apple Developer ID signing and notarization yet. It avoids the broken browser-download path by building or repairing Lucy on your own Mac, clearing browser quarantine metadata where macOS allows it, ad-hoc signing the app locally, and opening it.
cd ~/Documents/Lucy && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh
To repair a private ZIP you already downloaded, run:
cd ~/Documents/Lucy && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --zip ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip
If the private ZIP already includes the helper, you can run it from the extracted folder:
cd ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --direct-launch
If macOS says “Apple could not verify Lucy is free of malware” after you unzip: do not double-click Lucy.app. Open Terminal and run this from the unzipped folder instead:
cd ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --direct-launch
If Finder still blocks the ad-hoc signed app, launch Lucy directly from Terminal:
cd ~/Documents/Lucy && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --zip ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta.zip --direct-launch
Important: This is for private/local installs only. Public downloads still need Developer ID signing and notarization for the normal macOS double-click Gatekeeper experience.
Manual install
Download Lucy
Click Download Lucy for Mac above and unzip it. Keep the folder in Downloads or move Lucy.app to Applications.
Open the app
Open Lucy-v0.1-beta/Lucy.app. The release build targets macOS 12+ and includes both Apple Silicon and Intel slices. If macOS shows a security prompt, use right-click → Open for the first launch.
Start using Lucy
Ask Lucy to draft, summarize, or help with local tasks. Add the Chrome Bridge below only when webpage reading is needed.
Optional: Intel / older Mac local models
Lucy now supports non-Apple-Silicon Macs by using local GGUF models through llama.cpp instead of MLX. Chat, drafting, self-development, and LinkedIn drafting stay local without cloud API keys.
Run the Intel setup helper
This creates a local Python environment for llama-cpp-python and prepares assets/models.
cd ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta && tools/setup_local_llm_intel.sh
Add GGUF models
Place small quantized GGUF files in assets/models, or edit data/model_provider.json to point at your model paths. Older Macs should start with 1.5B-class Q4 models.
Open Lucy normally
After the setup helper creates .venv-local-llm and you add a GGUF model, the downloaded app auto-detects that local Python/model path from the same release folder. You can launch Lucy from Finder or with the private no-cert helper; no separate PYTHON=... launch is required.
Still local: Apple Silicon users keep MLX by default. Intel users get local GGUF inference through the same Lucy provider layer.
Optional: Chrome Bridge for webpage reading
Install Lucy Bridge from the Chrome Web Store, then run Lucy’s local bridge server when you want webpage reading. Lucy only receives page text when you click the extension icon on a page.
Add the extension
Click Add Lucy Bridge to Chrome, then choose Add to Chrome on the Chrome Web Store page.
Start Lucy’s local server
Keep this Terminal window open while you want webpage reading.
cd ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta && python3 browser_bridge/server.py
Send a page to Lucy
Open the page you want Lucy to read, then click the Lucy Browser Bridge extension icon. A checkmark badge means the page was sent to your local Lucy bridge. An exclamation badge means the local server is not running or Chrome blocked the page.
Quick fixes
- Lucy will not open: use the Fastest path Terminal command above for the private no-cert build.
- Apple could not verify Lucy is free of malware: after unzipping, run
cd ~/Downloads/Lucy-v0.1-beta && zsh ./install_lucy_local_no_cert.sh --direct-launchin Terminal instead of double-clicking Lucy.app. - Lucy says “damaged”: use the private no-cert installer for local beta testing, or delete the old ZIP/app and download the latest ZIP published by the notarized release workflow.
- Older Intel Mac local model fails: run
tools/setup_local_llm_intel.sh, add a small GGUF model underassets/models, then reopen Lucy from the same extracted release folder. - Chrome Bridge will not send the page: start the local server command above, then click the extension icon again.
- Chrome Web Store does not open: use the direct bridge link above or search for “Lucy Bridge” in the Chrome Web Store.
- Lucy cannot see the page: confirm the Python bridge server is still running, then click the Lucy Browser Bridge icon again.
- Exclamation badge on the extension: start the local server or try an ordinary
https://webpage.
Privacy model
Lucy runs locally. The bridge server listens on localhost, and the Chrome extension sends page text only when you ask it to.
Lucy does not automatically post to websites or send browser content to a cloud API.