desktopbuddy.

a cartoon pet that lives on your macOS dock and reacts to claude code. walks while you’re idle. wanders off when claude is working. comes back with a toy when the task is done.

see how it works →

¶ 01 — what it does

a cartoon pet on your dock that reacts to claude code activity.

pick a cat or a dog at first launch. the pet walks around when you’re idle, wanders off-screen when claude starts a tool call, returns with a fish or a ball when the task completes, and tilts its head when claude needs clarification. click it to bring claude code back into focus.

¶ 02 — requirements

macOS: 14 Sonoma or later
Chip: Apple Silicon · M1 or later
Tooling: Claude Code installed with your own credentials

¶ 03 — four states

walking

paces along the dock area while claude code is idle.

thinking

wanders off-screen on the PreToolUse hook.

returning

comes back on Stop with a ball or a fish. click to focus claude.

asking

tilts its head on the Notification hook when claude needs input.

¶ 04 — setup

three steps from download to walking.

01
install claude code
follow anthropic's installation guide if you don't have it yet. desktopbuddy needs claude code on your machine — it doesn't include or proxy any ai model.
02
install desktopbuddy
open the downloaded .dmg and drag desktopbuddy to applications. the app is signed and notarised — no gatekeeper bypass needed.
03
click “install hooks” in the menu bar
desktopbuddy adds itself to ~/.claude/settings.json as a hook handler. a backup of your previous settings is saved first.

¶ 05 — frequently asked

Do I need a Claude subscription to use DesktopBuddy?: You need Claude Code installed with your own credentials — either an Anthropic API key or a Claude Pro or Max subscription that supports Claude Code. DesktopBuddy reacts to Claude Code's hook events; it doesn't include or proxy any AI model.
Is DesktopBuddy an official Anthropic product?: No. DesktopBuddy is built by CTRLSZE (AURACO PTY LTD), an independent studio in Sydney. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Does DesktopBuddy see my prompts or responses?: No. The app reads Claude Code's hook events locally on your machine. Prompts and responses go directly between you, Claude Code, and Anthropic. We don't run a server, we don't log requests, we don't collect telemetry.
What if I lose my download link?: Each download link is signed and expires after 7 days. Re-issue a fresh one anytime at /projects/apps/desktopbuddy/resend by entering the email you bought with — buyers can re-download for life.
Does the app update itself?: Not in v1. When a new version ships we email every active buyer with a fresh download link. No upgrade fee, ever. Auto-update is on the list for a future version.
Can I get a refund?: Yes. See the refund policy at /refunds — email hello@ctrlsze.studio with your receipt and we'll process it.

¶ 06 — buy and install

$5 AUD · one-time, lifetime updates by email

tax handled by stripe. receipt and signed download link emailed instantly. refund policy at /refunds.

lost your link? re-issue a fresh one at /projects/apps/desktopbuddy/resend using the email you bought with.

license privacy hello@ctrlsze.studio

desktopbuddy is an independent project by auraco pty ltd trading as ctrlsze. not affiliated with anthropic. “claude” and “claude code” are trademarks of anthropic, pbc. desktopbuddy integrates with claude code via anthropic’s public hooks api. pet animations created with the assistance of higgsfield, runwayml, and google gemini.