I wanted to ask AI about it, but the flow was annoying: switch to a browser, open a chat tab, copy or type the error, wait for an answer, then switch back.
After doing that too many times, I started building something that works directly on the desktop.
That became Xerolas.
The idea
Xerolas is an AI screen lens for your desktop.
It works like this:
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Space - Drag over any region of your screen
- Get an AI answer in a floating panel beside the capture
It works across apps, not just inside the browser.
What it helps with
I built it mainly for small moments where switching context feels wasteful:
- Explaining errors and stack traces
- Summarizing dense text from docs or PDFs
- Translating selected text
- Understanding code snippets on screen
- Asking follow-up questions about the captured region
- Getting source links when the answer needs the current web context
The part I cared about most
I did not want it to feel like another chat app.
The capture should stay visible while the answer loads.
The answer should appear beside the selected region, not replace it.
The user should not need to paste text, upload screenshots manually, create an account, or configure an API key.
It should feel like using a desktop shortcut, not opening another workflow.
What it does now
Current Xerolas features:
- Desktop-wide screen capture
- Floating answer panel
- AI overview mode
- Extract text
- Explain code
- Translate to a saved target language
- Summarize
- Ask follow-up questions about the same capture
- Web-aware answers with source links when needed
- Windows, macOS, and Linux builds
Linux note
For Linux users, the cleanest install path is through Snap / App Center.
Manual Linux packages are also available, but Ubuntu may show local .deb files as third-party packages.
Try it
Download:
https://xerolas.vercel.app/?ref=devto
Public downloads and releases:
https://github.com/ideepakchauhan7/Xerolas-downloads
Looking for feedback
I’m mostly looking for honest feedback from people who use developer or productivity tools daily:
- Does this capture flow feel useful?
- What would make you use it regularly?
- What would make you uninstall it?
- Which app or workflow would you want this for most?
Critical feedback is very welcome. That is usually the most useful kind.