TL;DR:
On a Mac the key is fn. On Windows and Linux it is Ctrl+Shift+Space.
The assistant works the same way across the three systems. What differs is the permissions each system asks you to grant.
Learn where your system lists permissions so you can check or revoke them.
Plenty of people use more than one computer: a Mac at home, a Windows laptop at school, a Linux machine for a hobby. A tool that behaves differently on each one is a tool you will half-learn. An assistant that works the same way everywhere, from the first press, is much easier to use.
This article walks through what stays the same, the one thing you need to remember per system, and where the systems differ in ways you should know about.
What stays the same
The idea of DuckyHelper is identical on all three. You press a key in whatever app you are in, ask out loud, and close the pill when you are done. It answers out loud while you keep working. It can see your screen and draw on it to show you something. It looks and listens only while the pill is open and for that answer.
You do not learn three products. You learn one habit and a different key.
Walk-through: the key you press on each system
Say you are stuck on a line of a form and want to ask what it means. The sequence is the same, and only the key changes.
System | Key to press | Then |
|---|---|---|
Mac | fn | Ask out loud, close the pill |
Windows | Ctrl + Shift + Space | Ask out loud, close the pill |
Linux | Ctrl + Shift + Space | Ask out loud, close the pill |
Stay where you are: You do not switch apps. The form stays open.
Press the key: On your Mac you press fn. On Windows or Linux you press Ctrl+Shift+Space.
Ask: "What does this field want me to enter?" You can point at the field.
Let go: When you press the key again or close the pill, it stops listening.
Keep working: It answers out loud while your hands go back to the form.
If you move between machines in one day, it is the same action with a different key. A sticky note on the monitor for the first week is enough.
Where the systems differ
Each operating system has its own rules for what an app may do, and its own place to manage them. That is not a quirk of the assistant. It is how the system protects you.
Mac. The system asks you to grant permissions for things like the microphone and for seeing the screen, and you manage them in System Settings. The article on macOS permissions walks through it.
Windows. Microphone access is managed in the privacy settings, and a microphone icon appears while an app is using it.
Linux. Details depend on the desktop environment you use. Some setups ask for permission before an app can capture the screen, and where the settings live varies.
Note: Menu names and layouts change between system versions. If the setting is not where an article says, search your system settings for "microphone" or "screen" instead.
Two machines in one day
Suppose you start on a Mac at home and finish on a Windows laptop at school. At home you press fn, ask about a maths problem, and close the pill. At school you press Ctrl+Shift+Space for the next problem. Same sentence, same short wait, same answer out loud, and your hands do a slightly different thing. That small difference is all the cross-system learning there is, and it shows up in the first minute.
For the first few times, say the key to yourself as you press it. It takes a day or two before your hands pick the right one by themselves.
Habits that carry across
Close private windows before you ask, on any system.
Check your system's microphone indicator the first few times to see it match.
Review the permission list once in a while and remove anything you no longer use.
Keep your system updated so privacy controls are current.
What differs in practice
Fonts, window styles and menu bars look different, so an answer such as "the settings icon at the top right" may not match across systems. When it points at something on your screen, you can see exactly which one it means, which solves most of that confusion. The assistant's help with a document or a problem is the same in all three.
Privacy and control
The same rules hold on every system: DuckyHelper listens and looks only while the pill is open and for that answer, and it's built not to type your passwords or card numbers. You can download it for Mac, Windows or Linux, and try it for 10 minutes with no card.
Try it yourself
If you use two systems, install on both and practise the key on each for a day. Try one question on each machine. After the second day the key will come without thinking.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to learn anything else on each system?
Only the key and where your system lists permissions. The way you ask is the same.
What if the key clashes with another shortcut?
Another app may use the same combination. Check your system's shortcut settings, and look at the help pages for options.
Is it identical on all three?
The experience is meant to match. Permissions and system menus are the parts that differ.
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