How to use Claude to build personal Mac apps
Claude Code built a menu-bar clipboard manager through several iterations and implemented a lightweight native markdown editor from a GPT 5.5 outline.
news.ycombinator.com
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Build a native Mac [application] for my personal use with [required functions]. Iterate with me until those functions work. Suggest additional features, wait for my selections, and implement the chosen additions.
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →What happened
The clipboard manager ran in the menu bar; the markdown editor opened, created, edited, and saved files but did not yet handle tables.
Reported by tkgally on Hacker NewsHow the agent did it
- Ask Claude Code to create a replacement Mac clipboard manager.
- Iterate until the clipboard manager works in the menu bar.
- Request feature suggestions, choose additions, and have them implemented.
Where a person stepped in
The author chose additional features and reported which editor functions worked and which remained missing.
A person approved each step before the agent continued.
The author described two personal Mac applications built with Claude Code. First, their existing clipboard manager became unreliable after an operating-system update. Similar App Store applications did not offer the functionality they wanted, so a blog post about building SwiftUI apps inspired them to ask Claude Code to create a replacement.
Getting the clipboard manager working took several iterations. The author reported that it was running in the Mac menu bar and doing everything they wanted, plus more. They then asked Claude Code for additional feature suggestions. It returned a long list; the author chose the ideas they wanted, and Claude Code implemented those selections.
For a second application, the author wanted a smaller, lighter dedicated markdown editor. They asked GPT 5.5 to prepare an outline and had Claude Code implement it. After two coding sessions, the native Mac app could open and create markdown files, provide a word-processing-like editing environment, and save canonical markdown formatting. Markdown tables remained unsupported at the time of the post.
Who it's for: Mac users with specific personal application requirements who can choose features and iterate on the results.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · tkgally
Frequently asked questions
How were extra clipboard features chosen?
Claude Code suggested a long list of ideas. The author selected the ones they wanted, and Claude Code implemented them.
Did the markdown editor support tables?
No. The author said markdown tables were not handled yet and planned to ask Claude Code to implement them later.
More details
Remaining steps
- Ask GPT 5.5 for a markdown editor outline and have Claude Code implement it.
About this account
Claude Code implemented applications and selected additions while the author directed requirements and iterations.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906202. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: tkgally on Hacker News
Source published 26 Apr 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Claude Code · GPT 5.5
Software development
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.