Support & Setup Guide
Everything you need to master SutraKey on macOS: gestures, system permissions, keychain browser authentication, and troubleshooting.
Gestures & Shortcuts
Highlight any text with a URL in any macOS app to spawn the interactive liquid wheel directly at your cursor.
Instantly closes the radial HUD without triggering any download action.
Configure cookie browser (Brave, Chrome, Safari), Keychain authorization, speed limits, and output path.
View real-time transfer speeds (MB/s), active download progress, ETA, and job cancellation.
Accessibility Permission Setup
SutraKey uses the macOS Accessibility API via CGEventTap to detect when you hold the Shift key while selecting text in any application. It does not monitor typing or read credentials.
Open Settings
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
Toggle SutraKey
Locate SutraKey in the list and toggle the switch to ON.
Ready to Use
Hold Shift and drag-select any URL in Safari, Chrome, or Notes. The wheel appears!
Browser Cookies & Keychain Access
Certain platforms (e.g. Instagram Stories, private feeds, or YouTube age-gated videos) require an active session. SutraKey can read cookies directly from your local browser without requiring manual export:
Conversion Engine Formats
Video (MP4)
Extracts highest resolution (up to 4K/8K 60fps) with audio streams multiplexed via ffmpeg.
Audio (MP3 / M4A)
Converts stream audio to 320kbps MP3 or lossless M4A with ID3 tags and album cover art embedded.
Subtitles (SRT/VTT)
Pulls clean closed captions or automated subtitle transcripts in your preferred language.
Web to PDF
Uses Apple WebKit to capture the target page into a searchable, print-optimized vector PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the radial wheel appear when I select text?
Make sure you are holding ONLY the Shift key while dragging your mouse over the text. SutraKey includes strict modifier exclusivity guardrails: if you hold Command, Option, or Control at the same time, the menu is intentionally suppressed to prevent conflicts with other system shortcuts. Also ensure SutraKey has been granted Accessibility permissions in System Settings.
How do I open Settings when the app is running in the background?
You can click the SutraKey menu bar icon and select 'Settings...', press ⌘ , while the menu bar popover is active, or simply re-launch SutraKey from your /Applications folder to bring the Settings panel forward directly.
Why do Instagram Stories or private posts fail to download?
Instagram Stories require active authentication cookies because they are restricted to logged-in accounts and expire after 24 hours. Open SutraKey Settings → Authentication, select the browser where you are logged into Instagram (such as Brave or Chrome), and click 'Authorize & Test Keychain Access'. When macOS prompts for Keychain access, choose 'Always Allow'.
How does the 'Web to PDF' option work?
SutraKey utilizes Apple's native WebKit rendering engine (WKWebView) in a headless vector pipeline. When selected, it renders the full webpage, awaits DOM layout stabilization, and produces a crisp, searchable, paginated vector PDF with functional hyperlinks straight to ~/Downloads.
Where are downloaded files saved?
By default, files are saved directly to ~/Downloads. You can choose any custom directory on your internal or external drive in SutraKey Settings > General.
Is SutraKey completely free and open-source?
Yes! SutraKey is 100% free and open-source under the MIT License, with zero ads, zero telemetry, and zero paywalls.
Still have questions or found a bug?
SutraKey is actively maintained and continually tested across macOS releases. Open an issue on GitHub or reach out to the developer directly.