# Hey Neko > Hey Neko is a voice-first desktop assistant for Windows and macOS that answers out loud, remembers your context, and orchestrates coding agents like Claude Code and Codex in the background. Hey Neko (also called Neko) is "your ai assistant and orchestrator". It is free during its beta, runs on Windows and macOS (Apple Silicon), and uses the AI accounts a person already has rather than reselling model access. ## Assistant - Wake it by voice: Say “Hey Neko” and talk normally. The wake word is detected on your computer. - Answers out loud: A natural voice that runs locally, with 54 voices to choose from. Talk over it to interrupt. - Remembers you: Memories you can see, edit and switch on and off, grouped by client, brand or project. - Knows your documents: Add guides and specs to a memory group; Neko uses them while that group is on. - Live web and weather: Web search, page reading and current weather when a question needs them. - Dictation and to-dos: Hour-long recordings transcribed locally, plus a keyboard-first task outline. ## Orchestrator - Delegates to coding agents: Claude Code, Codex or any CLI agent builds and changes apps as background jobs. - Runs your apps: Next.js, Vite, Expo and more: start, stop, restart and open them by name. - Ships by voice: “Commit and push” is handed to the coding agent; force pushes and branch deletes are refused. - Survives restarts: Unfinished coding tasks pick up where they left off the next time Neko starts. - Plugs into your tools: Apps in your folder can expose MCP tools or Claude Code skills to Neko, on an allow-list. - Scriptable: A token-protected local API on 127.0.0.1 for your own scripts and devices. ## Models and agents - ChatGPT subscription: Default, through OpenAI's official Codex CLI. No API key needed. - Claude subscription: Use your Claude plan as Neko's brain. - Ollama: A local model, so nothing leaves your computer. Also the automatic fallback. - Claude Code: Default coding agent, run headless inside the project folder. - Codex: Sandboxed to the project's workspace. - Any CLI agent: For example aider: put {task} where the task goes. ## Who it is for - The multi-agent builder: AI developers who already pay for Claude Code or Codex and keep several projects going at once on one machine, usually alone or in a team of two or three. - The fractional technical consultant: Independent technical and AI consultants running three to six client engagements at the same time, each with its own codebase, vocabulary and rules. - The marketer who ships: Growth and content marketers on small teams who build their own landing pages, microsites and campaign tools with AI, and would rather not live in a terminal. - The PM who prototypes: Product managers and product-minded founders who test an idea with a working prototype before writing the ticket. - Not for: teams needing admin controls or single sign-on, phones, Intel Macs or Linux (as of the beta). ## FAQ ### What is Hey Neko? Hey Neko is a voice-first AI assistant for Windows and macOS that lives in your system tray. You say “Hey Neko”, it answers out loud, remembers your context, runs your local apps, and hands building work to coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex in the background. ### What does “AI orchestrator” mean here? Neko doesn't try to be the only AI you use: it coordinates the ones you already pay for. It sends a conversation to your chosen model, delegates coding tasks to Claude Code, Codex or any CLI agent, tracks those jobs, and tells you when they're done. ### Is Hey Neko free? Yes, Neko is free while it's in beta. It uses an AI account you already have (a ChatGPT or Claude subscription) or a free local model through Ollama, so there is no separate API bill. ### Who is Hey Neko for? Hey Neko is for people who build with AI on their own computer: AI developers running several coding agents, independent technical consultants with multiple clients, marketers who ship their own pages, and product managers who prototype. It isn't a team product: there is no admin console or single sign-on. ### Is Neko always listening, and is my audio uploaded? The microphone is on, but only to hear the wake word, and that check happens on your computer. Speech that isn't “Hey Neko” is discarded immediately and never stored or uploaded. Your requests are transcribed locally too. Only the text goes to the model you chose, and with Ollama nothing leaves your computer. ### What can Neko change on my computer? Only what's inside your Apps folder. Neko's own code, not the AI model, blocks files, commands and paths outside it, refuses credential files such as .ssh, .aws and .env, and asks before deleting or overwriting anything. ### Which coding agents does Neko work with? Claude Code (the default), OpenAI Codex, or any command-line coding agent. Neko runs two coding tasks at a time, shows what each is doing, and resumes unfinished tasks after a restart. ### Do I need to know how to code? No. A setup wizard connects your AI account and microphone, and Neko starts and opens your apps without a terminal. Knowing your way around a project helps when you review what a coding agent built. ### Which systems does it run on? Windows, and macOS on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). The beta isn't code-signed yet, so the first launch needs one extra click: “More info → Run anyway” on Windows, or “Open Anyway” under Privacy & Security on macOS. ### Can I change its name, voice or language? Yes. Pick an animal and a name and the wake phrase follows (“Hey Mochi”). Choose from 54 natural voices or your system's voices. Neko understands and answers in English and Korean. ## Links - [Website](https://hey-neko-site.vercel.app) - [Downloads and release notes](https://github.com/mcaleerkj/neko-releases/releases)