Ollama + Apple Shortcuts + Voice Control (Hey Mac! 🚀)

ijayasurya — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:48:54 +0000

Hey there, fellow tech explorer! 👋 Ever wished your Mac could just listen and do what you ask? Like:

"Hey Mac, generate an AppleScript for me!"

Well guess what? You can make that happen — without any cloud magic. It's all local, private, and totally in your control 😎

Let me walk you through how I created a simple AI agent using:

🦙 Ollama (running AI models locally)
🍏 Apple Shortcuts (automation awesomeness)
🗣️ Voice Control (so I can just speak commands)
🎩 Custom phrase: “Hey Mac!”

🎯 What We’re Gonna Build

"Hey Mac, write an AppleScript to mute the volume."

This command will:

Use your voice to trigger a shortcut
Send the task to Ollama
Return just the AppleScript
Run it automatically!

Boom. Magic. 🔮✨

🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide

1️⃣ Install Ollama & Run a Model Locally

Go to ollama.com and install it.

Then, open Terminal and run:

ollama run llama3

(Or any model you like — Mistral, Llama 2, etc.)

It’ll start a local API at:

📍 http://localhost:11434/api/generate

2️⃣ Create the Shortcut in Apple Shortcuts

Here’s what the shortcut does (you saw this in the screenshot):

🎙️ Dictate Text – You speak the task
📝 Sends: "Return only valid AppleScript code. Do not explain. The task is: <your task>"
🌐 GET request to: http://localhost:11434/api/generate
🪄 Extracts the pure AppleScript (removes backticks and tags)
🖥️ Runs it using osascript
✅ Done!

3️⃣ Connect Voice Control with Custom Command

Here’s the cherry on top 🍒

Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control
Turn it ON
Click Commands…
Click ➕ to create a new command:
- When I say: Hey Mac
- While using: Any app
- Perform: Run Shortcut → Select your shortcut (e.g., "AutoLama")

Now say:

"Hey Mac"

It triggers your shortcut 🎤🤖

😍 Example in Action

Let’s say I want to create a new folder on my Desktop. I say:

“Hey Mac, create a folder named LlamaMagic on desktop.”

Your shortcut will:

Send that to the local LLM
Receive:

  tell application "Finder"
      make new folder at desktop with properties {name:"LlamaMagic"}
  end tell

Run it instantly!

You just spoke an idea and your Mac obeyed like a friendly genie 🧞‍♂️

🧠 Bonus Tips

You can change the prompt to ask for shell scripts, Python, or whatever!
Add more automation, like asking for confirmation before running
Use clipboard instead of voice if you're shy 😅

🥳 Final Thoughts

This was super fun to build, and it makes your Mac feel like a personal AI assistant. Everything is local — no internet, no tracking, no middleman!

All you need is:

Ollama 🦙
A Shortcut ⚡
Voice Control 🎙️
A little creativity 💡

Now go impress your friends and make your Mac say "Your wish is my command." 😄

If you liked this guide, share it with your geeky friends 🧙‍♀️ and tell them:

“You don’t need Siri. You need Shortcuts + Ollama!”

Need help setting it up? Drop your questions below! 💬👇

Helo

ijayasurya — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 09:55:34 +0000

DEV Community: ijayasurya