# toolswitch

> toolswitch: Free desktop app with 9 everyday tools: clipboard history, text from screen (OCR), AI background remover, audio and WhatsApp voice notes to text, image and PDF compressor, PDF signing, wallpapers, reminders and breaks. The AI runs on your computer: nothing is uploaded, no account. Windows, macOS and Linux.

- Website: https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/
- Download: https://github.com/berchj/toolswitch-releases/releases/latest
- Source code (MIT): https://github.com/berchj/toolswitch
- Compared with Microsoft PowerToys: https://berchj.github.io/powertoys-alternative/
- Full text of the site: https://berchj.github.io/llms-full.txt
- En español: https://berchj.github.io/es/

## Tools

- [Clipboard history](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/clipboard-history/): Everything you copy, text and images, one shortcut away. Search it and pin favorites.
- [Text from screen](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/text-from-screen/): Select part of the screen and copy the text in it (OCR). Accents, ñ and tables included.
- [Wallpapers](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/wallpaper-changer/): Pick your wallpapers and switch them with a shortcut or every few minutes.
- [Reminders](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/reminders/): Write “in 20 min call Juan” and get a notification then. No calendar, no account.
- [Breaks](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/break-reminder/): Rest your eyes every 20 minutes (20-20-20), or work with a Pomodoro timer.
- [Compress files](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/compress-files/): Smaller JPG, PNG, PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files. Your originals stay untouched.
- [Remove background](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/remove-background/): Transparent PNG of any photo, with an AI model that runs on your computer.
- [Sign PDF](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/sign-pdf/): Draw your signature once, drag it to its place on the page and sign PDFs without printing.
- [Audio to text](https://berchj.github.io/toolswitch/audio-to-text/): Voice notes, WhatsApp audios, recordings and videos into text, offline, in ~100 languages.

## Questions

- What is toolswitch? A small desktop app with 9 everyday tools — clipboard history, text from screen (OCR), wallpapers, reminders, breaks, file compressor, AI background remover, PDF signing and audio to text — that waits in your tray.
- Do the AI tools upload my files? No. Background removal (BiRefNet), audio to text (OpenAI Whisper) and text from screen (PaddleOCR) run on your computer. Their models are downloaded once and then work offline. Your photos, recordings and screenshots never leave your computer.
- Is it like Microsoft PowerToys? It’s in the same spirit, but it works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it focuses on everyday tasks instead of developer tools.
- Can it transcribe WhatsApp voice notes and videos? Yes. Save them to your computer and drag them into Audio to text; it reads Spanish, English and about 100 other languages.
- How heavy is it? The program is about 15 MB and uses about 90 MB of memory and almost no processor while it waits in the tray. A tool that’s off does nothing at all.
- Is toolswitch free and open source? Yes. It’s free, with no account and no ads, and its code is open source under the MIT license on GitHub. If it helps you, you can support it with a coffee.

## Earlier apps

- wallswitch (wallpaper changer) is now the Wallpapers tool in toolswitch: https://berchj.github.io/wallswitch/
- clipswitch (clipboard manager) is now the Clipboard history tool in toolswitch: https://berchj.github.io/clipswitch/
- tinyswitch (image & document compressor) is now the Compress files tool in toolswitch: https://berchj.github.io/tinyswitch/