KeyType: Free system-wide AI autocomplete for macOS that actually works

I installed KeyType on my MacBook last week and it's been running in the background ever since. The concept is simple: hit a keyboard shortcut, get an AI completion anywhere you can type — Notes, VS Code, Slack, browser forms, anywhere.

It's not a full writing assistant. It won't rewrite paragraphs or generate blog posts. What it does is more focused — when you're mid-sentence and stuck, it offers 1-3 completions in a floating popup. Pick one, keep typing. It's fast because everything runs through Ollama locally.

The setup is the rough part. You need Ollama installed, a model pulled (I used qwen3:4b), and the KeyType app granted Accessibility permissions. The README walks through it but it's not a one-click install. Once it's set up though, it Just Works.

I found it most useful in Slack and email. When I'm writing a long message and lose my train of thought, the completion is usually good enough to unstuck me. It's less useful in code editors because Copilot already does this better there, but for everything else — text fields, Notes, browser — it's genuinely helpful.

Biggest limitation: macOS only, Apple Silicon recommended. If you're on Intel or another OS, this isn't for you. Also, the completions quality depends entirely on the model you pick. Qwen 3.5 4B is snappy but sometimes suggests nonsense. Gemma 4 9B is better but needs more RAM.

For a free tool that's been out less than two weeks, KeyType is surprisingly usable. It's not a Cotypist killer yet, but if you're willing to tinker and already run Ollama, it's a solid addition to your macOS setup.