How to Use Stir: A Mac Wake-Up App, as Friend, Assistant, or Offline
The setups I actually use: Stir as a friendly nudge, as a sharp full-screen wake-up, and…
Tuesday, August 4
19:47
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Your Mac
password is 0000 · just press ↵
Stir
your Mac greets you every time it wakes. Free, native macOS.
Stir is a free native macOS menu bar app that brings your Mac to life every time it wakes from sleep. It displays a cinematic greeting overlay with one of 22 visual themes and an optional AI-generated or preset message for a few seconds before disappearing. It is not a screensaver, alarm clock, or Wake-on-LAN tool. Built with native SwiftUI, it requires macOS 15.0 or later and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel, with no telemetry and no account required.
or scroll to see what Stir is
Two Heartbeats
Presence & Echo
A gentle pulse or a full breath. Pick how your Mac comes alive, or choose Random and let it decide each time. Both are free, and it bows out on its own after 1–8 seconds.
Echo Full-screen. Your Mac fills the room with a single breath.
22 Personalities
It changes with you.
Minimal, cinematic, typographic. Animated particles or pure silence. Your Mac, your character.
MinimalHerTerminalPaperPulseGrainGraphitePROIvoryPROCreamPRODriftPRONocturnePROInkPROPrismPROMistPROEmberPROSignalPROTapePROSilkPROVoidPROARIPROJUNOPROMILOPRO
AI-Powered· free, no Pro needed
It has something
to say.
Connect an AI provider and your Mac finds its own words. Fresh, unique, every single time. Set the tone: motivational, poetic, funny, or professional.
Multiple AI Providers
OpenAI, Ollama, and more. You pick the voice.
Custom Presets
Write your own words for morning, afternoon, evening, night. No AI needed.
8 Languages
It greets you in yours: English, 한국어, 日本語, 中文, Español, Français, Deutsch, or just follow your system language.
08:12 AM
Good morning.
14:33 PM
system resumed. welcome back.
09:45 AM
The world waited for you.
07:30 AM
오늘도 화이팅.
22:15 PM
おかえりなさい.
18:50 PM
You made it through another day.
Alive, not annoying.
Quiet Hours
It knows when to stay silent. Set your own schedule. Your Mac sleeps when you sleep.
Wake History
Every heartbeat logged. Timestamps, greetings, streaks. All private, all local.
Menu Bar Native
Lives in the menu bar, not the Dock. Lightweight, native, out of your way.
Auto-Dismiss
Says its piece and leaves. Set how long it lingers, from 1 to 8 seconds.
Time-Aware
Different tone for morning, afternoon, evening, night. It reads the room.
Free is generous. Pro is $2.99.
Everything Stir does is free. Both overlay modes, AI greetings, your own presets, Quiet Hours, wake history: all of it, no account. Pro is only about how it looks.
$2.99one-time · pay once, keep forever
All Themes
Unlock all 16 Pro visuals, including the Metal-accelerated orbs.
Future Updates
Every new theme after this one is included. No upgrade fee.
One Purchase
Pay once, keep forever. No subscription, no account.
Download Free
Free tier included. Upgrade inside the app whenever you want.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is Stir for Mac?+
Stir is a free native macOS menu bar app that brings your Mac to life every time it wakes from sleep. It displays a cinematic greeting overlay with one of 22 visual themes for a few seconds, then gets out of the way. It is not a screensaver, alarm clock, or Wake-on-LAN tool. It simply gives your Mac a voice.
Does Stir keep my Mac awake or prevent sleep?+
No. Stir does not prevent sleep and is not a caffeinate-style keep-awake utility. It only responds after your Mac wakes up on its own, like a heartbeat that shows your Mac is alive, then fades away.
Is Stir free to use?+
Yes, and every feature is free. The free version includes all three overlay settings (Presence, Echo and Random), 6 visual themes, AI-generated greetings in 8 languages, your own custom greeting presets, Quiet Hours, and wake history. Pro is a one-time $2.99 in-app purchase (not a subscription) that unlocks the remaining 16 visual themes plus any themes added in future updates. It is purely cosmetic: no feature is locked behind it.
Does Stir require an internet connection?+
No, not by default. Stir works fully offline with custom greeting presets by time of day. An internet connection is only needed if you connect an AI provider (such as OpenAI or Ollama) so your Mac can find its own words.
What is Quiet Hours in Stir?+
Quiet Hours tells Stir when to stay silent. Set your own schedule (default 22:00–07:00) and your Mac won't greet you in the middle of the night.
Does Stir collect data or telemetry?+
No. Stir has no telemetry, no analytics, and no account requirement. Wake history stays on your Mac and never leaves your device. It's yours alone.
What are the system requirements for Stir?+
Stir requires macOS 15.0 or later and runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It is a native SwiftUI app of under 1 MB that lives in the menu bar, and it is distributed through the Mac App Store.
How is Stir different from KeepingYouAwake or Amphetamine?+
KeepingYouAwake and Amphetamine prevent your Mac from sleeping. Stir does the opposite: it only reacts after your Mac wakes up naturally, showing that your Mac is alive with a cinematic greeting. The two types of app are unrelated and can be used together.
Blog
From the blog
Tips, guides, and updates about Stir.
No telemetry. No analytics. No account. Everything stays on your Mac. It's yours alone.