Question 1

What is Criticly?

Accepted Answer

Criticly is an AI-powered thinking companion that helps you refine ideas and clarify your thinking. It lives in your menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows) and can be invoked instantly with a global shortcut (⌘⇧M on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+M on Windows).

Question 2

How do I invoke Criticly?

Accepted Answer

Press ⌘⇧M on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+M on Windows from anywhere to bring up the Criticly floating window. You can also click the menu bar icon (macOS) or system tray icon (Windows).

Question 3

Which platforms are supported?

Accepted Answer

Criticly supports macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and later (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows 10 or later (x64).

Question 4

Can I use Criticly on multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

Sure, but each license is tied to a single device for security. If you need to use Criticly on multiple devices, you'll need separate licenses for each device.

Question 5

What's the difference between Monthly and Lifetime plans?

Accepted Answer

The Monthly plan gives you unlimited usage(fair use) with a recurring subscription of our host api.
       The Lifetime plan is one-time purchase and can only use your own AI providers.

Question 6

Why does Criticly say 'please select some text first'?

Accepted Answer

On macOS, Criticly needs Accessibility permissions to read your selected text.
Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and add Criticly to the list of allowed apps.
On Windows, make sure the selected text can be copied to clipboard. Otherwise, the app is not supported.

Question 7

What's the difference between Think and Learn profile?

Accepted Answer

The Think profile is for critical thinking and analysis. The Learn profile is for learning and understanding. You can switch between profiles through the bottom right button.

Question 8

Which AI models are supported? Can I use my own API keys?

Accepted Answer

Criticly supports OpenAI (GPT), Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), and OpenRouter. You can use your own API keys via Preferences → AI Providers. Monthly subscribers can also use our hosted API (backed by GPT models), while the Lifetime plan requires using your own keys.

Criticly FAQ