Frequently Asked Questions
Jump to: Overview · Sources · Using it day to day · Data & privacy · Pricing & the trial · Installing & requirements · Open source · Support
Overview
What is Inbox & Chill?
A macOS menu bar app that pulls everything waiting on you out of the apps you already use: Linear, GitHub, Slack, and the rest, into one queue you can work through and empty. It doesn't replace those apps. It tells you what needs your attention across all of them, so you're not checking each one for a red dot.
Who is it for?
Anyone juggling more than a couple of sources of "someone needs something from you": a Linear mention, a GitHub review request, a flagged email, a Slack ping. One list to check instead of several apps' badges.
Is it powered by AI?
No. Every item you see is exactly what the source reported. Nothing is summarized or filtered by a model on your behalf. Don't miss an important notification because your agent didn't catch it. Built for folks who want to see & review everything quickly, themselves.
Does it replace Linear, Slack, GitHub, and so on?
No, it sits on top of them. You notice something needs doing here. Doing it usually still happens back in the source app, except for the handful of actions Inbox & Chill can take for you directly (see "Using it day to day" below).
Sources
What can it pull from?
Thirteen sources today:
- Linear: mentions, assignments, comments, with real remote snooze.
- GitHub: review requests, mentions, assignments.
- GitLab: assigned, mentioned, review requested, broken pipeline.
- Trello: mentions and card moves, cleared in Trello too.
- Asana: tasks assigned to you, checked off directly.
- Slack: mentions, unreads, and an emoji-reaction save for later.
- Sentry: unresolved issues nobody has triaged yet.
- Apple Mail: flagged and/or unread messages across every connected email account.
- ntfy: push over a topic's WebSocket.
- Apple Reminders: reminders from your lists; mark complete from the menu bar.
- Todoist: tasks from your projects; mark complete from the menu bar.
- JSON feeds: any URL that returns a JSON array.
- Local coding agents: Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI session updates.
Can I request a new source, or add one myself?
Both. Email [email protected] with what you'd want to see, or, since the app is open source, contribute the connector yourself on GitHub.
Is this an official Linear, Slack, GitHub, or Sentry app?
No. Inbox & Chill isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of the services it connects to. It reads what their APIs report, using credentials you provide yourself.
How does the local coding agent integration work?
A listener runs on localhost, guarded by a random port and a bearer token, so a Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI session on your own machine can push updates into your queue. It only accepts connections from your own Mac and never sends anything out.
Using it day to day
If I snooze, archive, or complete something here, does that change anything in the original app?
Where it can, yes. Snoozing a Linear item snoozes it in Linear, not just here. Dismissing an Apple Mail item marks the message read; completing it archives the message in Mail. Completing an Apple Reminders or Todoist task completes it at the source too. Terminal and coding agent items don't have a remote state to sync back to, so they group by session instead.
How does grouping work?
Related rows from one source fold together automatically: same Slack channel, same repo, same sender. You can also select any rows yourself and name them into a topic.
What do the menu bar badge counts mean, and can I change them?
The menu bar can show a total count, a high-signal-only count, a plain dot, or nothing. Every source decides for itself what counts as high signal, and every source can opt out of the badge entirely. Change any of it per source in the app's settings.
Are done items gone for good?
No. Done items go to a searchable 90-day archive and then purge themselves. Pinned items survive everything until you unpin them.
Is it keyboard-first? What are the shortcuts?
Yes:
- ↑↓ Move
- ⏎ Open
- ⌘⏎ Open and mark done
- D Expand details
- E Dismiss
- C Mark to-do complete
- S Snooze
- U Read / unread
- ⌘P Pin
- ⌘Z Undo
Type anything to filter the list. The full map is in the app's settings pane.
What's journal export?
An optional feature. Turn it on and the app appends a line to a Markdown file you choose, commonly an Obsidian daily note. That file is written on your Mac and goes nowhere else.
Data & privacy
Does the app collect analytics or telemetry?
No. The app contains no analytics, no telemetry, no advertising identifiers, and no usage tracking of any kind. It does have a Diagnostics pane that shows you the crash reports macOS already writes for it, so you can send one to me if you choose to. That is a file on your Mac until you press the button; nothing is sent on its own. Details in the Privacy Policy.
Where are my credentials stored?
In your macOS Keychain, protected by the operating system. They're used only to make requests from your Mac directly to the service they belong to. I'm not in the middle of that connection and have no visibility into it.
Does the app have an account or a server?
No. There's no account and no server. Your queue, archive, settings, and credentials all live locally on your Mac.
Does the website track me?
It counts page views, but sets no cookies and can't reassemble a single visit back to you. Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.
Pricing & the trial
What does it cost?
A one-time US$15, after a free 14-day trial. No subscription and no account. That purchase includes every 1.x update. Payment goes through Lemon Squeezy, and the full terms are in Terms of Use, clause 3.
How does the trial work?
It starts the first time you open the app, and for 14 days you have the whole thing. When it ends, syncing pauses. Your queue, archive and settings stay exactly where they are, and buying turns syncing back on: the purchase email has a licence key to paste into Settings.
I used the beta. Do I have to pay?
Yes, after the same 14-day trial, which starts when your copy updates to 1.0. Using the beta didn't include a free licence for the release.
What if I pay and it doesn't work out?
Email [email protected] within 30 days of purchase and I'll refund you. No argument required.
Installing & requirements
What do I need to run it?
A Mac running macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later.
How do I download it?
The Download button on the home page — no email required.
Or grab it straight from
GitHub
Releases: the app is open source, so releases are public. Homebrew works
too: brew install --cask brandonlucasgreen/tap/inbox-and-chill,
and brew upgrade keeps it current.
How do updates work?
The app checks for updates itself using Sparkle, a widely used open-source updater for macOS, and keeps itself current without you doing anything. You can turn automatic update checks off in settings if you'd rather update by hand.
Open source
Is Inbox & Chill open source?
Yes, under the MIT licence, on GitHub. Downloading it here gets you a signed, notarized build of the same code that keeps itself up to date. Building it yourself works too.
How do I request a feature or report a bug?
Open an issue on GitHub, or email [email protected].
Support
I want to connect a work account. Is that OK?
Check with your employer first. You're responsible for having the right to connect any account or credential that isn't personally yours. See Terms of Use.
Something's not working, or I have a question that isn't here.
Email [email protected]. It reaches me directly, not a support queue.