FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Orbit.
What is Orbit?
Orbit is a free Codex-native assistant for macOS. It lives in your menu bar, attaches one fresh screen capture to each request, works in your browser and files, and points to native-app controls when direct operation is unavailable.
Do I need to know what Codex is?
No. Orbit is built on OpenAI's Codex under the hood, but you never need to interact with Codex directly. Think of Orbit as the friendly front door — you just talk to it and it handles the rest.
What can Orbit actually help with?
Browsing with your existing Chrome state or deterministic Playwright flows; running commands and editing files; creating documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDFs; and learning unfamiliar software from a current screenshot with direct pointers.
How does voice work?
Local Voice is the default and requires Apple on-device recognition. Orbit selects the exact Siri Natural Nora / Voice 4 identifier used by Shortcuts and verifies that its installed macOS speech asset is available; otherwise it identifies and uses a compatible Apple fallback. Cloud Voice is optional, explicitly selected, sends audio to OpenAI, and uses your Keychain-backed OpenAI API key.
What does it cost?
Orbit itself is free to download. It requires a ChatGPT subscription to power the AI. If you use Cloud Voice, that uses your own OpenAI API key with standard OpenAI pricing.
When does Orbit capture my screen?
Every submitted request requires one fresh current-screen capture. If capture fails, Orbit blocks the request. The private temporary file is deleted at every terminal or cancellation state. There is no continuous recording or background buffer.
Is my data private?
Orbit has no hosted backend or bundled telemetry. Local Voice recognition and Siri Natural Nora narration stay on-device; narration streams through the local macOS audio subsystem without an Orbit narration file. Explicitly selected Cloud Voice sends audio to OpenAI. Per-request captures are private temporary files, and bounded local support logs redact sensitive context.
What model does Orbit use?
Orbit treats the Codex account model catalog as authoritative and shows only the models, reasoning efforts, and service tiers returned for your account. Changing those connected settings applies to the next turn while the current Codex thread stays warm.
What access does Orbit have?
Codex runs with unrestricted filesystem and command access plus automatic approvals. Browser tools can operate supported web flows. For unsupported native-app interaction, Orbit points and guides instead of claiming an action happened. You can interrupt the current task immediately.
Is it open source?
Yes. The main Orbit repository is public on GitHub, and signed macOS releases are published alongside the source.
Why isn't it on the Mac App Store?
Orbit requires Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions and runs a bundled local runtime — all of which conflict with App Store sandbox restrictions. Direct download ensures full functionality.
How do I update Orbit?
Download the latest PKG from the website for the simplest upgrade path. Your settings, API keys (stored in Keychain), and preferences persist across updates.
What's the difference between Orbit and Siri?
Siri is a system assistant. Orbit is a visible Codex work surface: it sees one current capture, can use browser tools, runs commands, edits files, creates artifacts, and explains native software in context.
Is it safe to let Orbit control my computer?
Treat unrestricted automation seriously. Orbit states the access contract during onboarding, shows current task and child-agent activity, requires a fresh capture per request, and provides immediate interruption. Review requests before submitting sensitive work.