Help with Tansei

What is Tansei?

Tansei is a simple shelf app for Mac. It sits at the edge of your screen and holds what you are working with right now: text, links, images, screenshots, files, PDFs, notes, colors and code.

You drag something on, switch apps, and drag it back off when you need it. Nothing has to be filed into a folder first, and your shelf stays on your computer.

What do people say about Tansei?

“Tansei is quickly becoming part of my everyday workflow.”

Brett Terpstra, Web Excursions, Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

“…Tansei is really a storage space for anything.”

Philip Michaels, Six Colors, Aug 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

What devices does Tansei support?

Tansei runs on macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later on an Apple silicon Mac.

How do I set up Tansei?

1. Buy Tansei and install the app.
2. Enter the license key sent to your email. If you bought it from the Mac App Store, no key is needed.
3. Press ⌥T to show or hide your shelf.

You can also open Tansei from the menu bar.

How do I get my shelf back after hiding it?

Click the Tansei icon in the menu bar or press ⌥T. You can also hover the small tab at the edge of your screen to peek at it.

How is Tansei different from a clipboard manager like Raycast or Paste, or a shelf like Yoink?

Tansei keeps what you're using visible instead of storing what you copied. Clipboard managers like Raycast and Paste keep a history. When you want something back you hit a shortcut, open a panel, search, and paste. That's a retrieval step, and it costs you the thread every time.

The shelf stays open beside your work. What you set down is on screen, so there's nothing to recall and nothing to search. Expand it into a full workspace when you're deep in something and tuck it away with a keystroke when you're not. Pin what you keep reaching for. Archive what you're done with. Tag and group things as you go.

It's built with native system materials, so it reads as part of the system rather than a panel sitting on top of it. Translucent, layered, out of the way until you reach for it.

The difference shows up when you're prompting. You're refining one prompt, holding two references, and waiting on an answer in another window. That's four things in flight at once, none of which you copied an hour ago. A history is the wrong shape for that. A shelf you can see is the right one.

Tansei differs from Yoink in a few ways:

• What you copy lands on the shelf automatically.
• It takes screenshots and screen or voice recordings, with transcripts.
• It picks colors and lets you write notes.

What doesn't Tansei do?

Tansei has no AI features built in, and that's deliberate. It's built for working with AI tools, not for being one. It isn't a launcher, an automation platform, or a new way of working you have to learn. Most shortcuts are ones your Mac already uses, and everything works by drag and drop if you'd rather use the mouse.

If what you want is a searchable history of the last thousand things you copied, Raycast is excellent and you should use it. Tansei is for people who'd rather see what they're carrying than go looking for it.

How do I uninstall Tansei?

Quit Tansei, then move it from Applications to the Trash. Your saved files stay on your Mac until you delete them.

What can I save?

Text, links, images, screenshots, files, PDFs, notes, colors and code.

How do I add something to my shelf?

The easiest way to add something is to copy it.

• Copy: Text, links, images, files, colors, and code appear automatically.
• Drag: Drop files or images directly onto the shelf.
• Add: Use the + button to add a file or link, or New note to write a note.

Pages copied or dragged from Preview are saved as PDFs.

How do I copy or move something?

Click an item to copy it, or select it and press ⌘C. Then paste it into another app. You can also drag it straight from the shelf.

To move a file out of Tansei without leaving a copy behind, hold Option while dragging. Press ⌘Z to put it back on your shelf.

How do I preview something?

Right-click an item and choose Preview, or select it and press Space.

How do I make more room?

Click the arrow at the top left of the shelf to open Full View, which shows your items in a list or grid.

Drag the shelf’s edges to resize it, or move it to the other side of your screen in Settings.

You don’t need to organize anything to use Tansei. Your recent items are always there.

Can I organize my shelf?

Yes. Search, tag, group, pin, archive or delete items whenever you need.

What happens to older items?

By default, each time Tansei opens, unpinned items older than three days move to the Archive. The shelf keeps 50 unpinned items and moves the rest there too. The Archive keeps your newest 200 and deletes older ones. Change this in Settings → Capture.

Can I recover archived items?

Yes. Restore them, delete them permanently, or press ⌘Z to quickly undo a recent archive.

How do I take a screenshot or record my screen?

Click the camera button in the shelf toolbar, or right-click the Tansei icon in the menu bar.

You can take a screenshot, record your screen with or without sound, or record an audio memo.

To find a capture’s file, open its preview and choose Show in Finder.

How do I turn a recording into text?

Right-click a recording and choose View transcript. Tansei creates a transcript on your Mac without uploading your audio.

You can search, edit, and copy the text.

Can I edit a screenshot or copy its text?

Yes. Right-click an image and choose Edit Image… to mark it up, or Copy Text from Image to copy its words.

Your shelf stays on your Mac. There’s no account and no cloud sync.

Where is my data stored?

Everything stays on your computer.

Your shelf is stored locally, and screenshots and files are saved in a Tansei folder in your Documents. Mac App Store copies keep them inside Tansei unless you choose a folder in Settings. Tansei does not require an account or upload your data.

Is my data private?

Yes.

Your shelf never leaves your computer. Tansei goes online for link previews, which you can turn off in Settings → Capture, for update checks, and for a license check that sends your key and an anonymous device code. In the Mac App Store version, Apple handles updates and the license.

Is Tansei safe?

The tansei.io download is signed with my Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple. The Mac App Store version is reviewed and signed by Apple.

What happens to passwords?

When you copy a password from a password manager app, such as Apple Passwords or 1Password, Tansei leaves it off your shelf.

A copy that only looks like a password shows as dots and clears after five minutes, unless you pin it. API keys and card numbers are hidden too. Nothing leaves your computer.

Can I pause automatic copying?

Yes. Pause it from the menu bar. You can also turn it off completely in Settings.

How do I choose what Tansei saves?

You can choose what Tansei saves under Settings → Capture. To skip an app completely, add it to Apps Tansei ignores there.

If Tansei hides something it thought was a password, right-click it and choose Stop Hiding.

What permissions does Tansei need?

None when you install it.

macOS only asks when you use a feature that requires permission, such as screenshots or voice memos.

Manage them in System Settings → Privacy & Security. If Tansei isn’t listed under Screen Recording, move it to Applications and reopen it.

Does Tansei work offline?

Yes. Your shelf works with or without an internet connection.

Where do I find Settings?

Open Settings from the + menu or the menu bar.

• General: Startup, shortcuts, and license.
• Capture: What Tansei saves and how it handles older items.
• Shelf: Appearance, position, text size, and storage.

To remove Tansei from the Dock, turn off Show Tansei in the Dock in Settings → General.

Can I move the shelf to the left side of my screen?

Yes. Click + at the top of the shelf, choose Settings…, then click the Shelf tab. Under Dock to, click Left edge. The shelf and its edge tab move right away.

What are the most useful shortcuts?

Find the full list in Settings → General → Keyboard shortcuts.

Can I make the shelf easier to read?

Yes. In Settings → Shelf, choose a larger Text size or turn on Solid background. You can also use the shelf with the keyboard and VoiceOver.

Where should I buy Tansei?

You can buy Tansei directly from tansei.io or through the Mac App Store (opens in a new tab).

tansei.io is cheaper at US$7 / A$9. You buy your license directly, download Tansei yourself, and updates come through the app. Direct purchases also tend to get updates first.

The Mac App Store is US$9.99 / A$14.99. Apple handles the purchase, installation, and updates through your Apple Account.

Is there a free trial?

No. Tansei is a one-time purchase: buy it once and keep it. Updates are free. If you have a code, enter it at checkout.

How many computers does one license cover?

Two Macs at a time. A Mac App Store purchase works on any Mac signed in with your Apple Account. Licenses are per person and per platform, so if you use both Mac and Windows, you need both.

Please don’t share your key: shared keys get switched off.

Can I use my license on another Mac?

Yes, on up to two Macs at once. Replacing one? Contact me and I’ll move it. For the Mac App Store version, sign in with the same Apple Account and choose Restore Purchases.

How do I activate Tansei?

Your license key is emailed the moment you buy, and shown on the thank-you page. Copy it, open Tansei, and paste it in.

The Mac App Store version is the exception. It unlocks automatically, and Restore Purchases brings it back on another Mac.

Is the Mac App Store version different?

It’s the same app. Only three things differ:

Files: App Store downloads stay inside Tansei unless you choose a folder in Settings. Direct downloads save to Documents → Tansei.

License: App Store purchases unlock automatically and can be restored on another Mac. Direct purchases use a license key sent by email.

Updates: The App Store version updates through Apple.

Are updates included?

Yes. Updates are free, and Tansei tells you when one is ready. See what’s new on the Updates page.

Can I get a refund?

Refund requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you have an issue or would like to request a refund, please get in touch.

If a refund is issued, the associated license key will be deactivated.

How do I update Tansei?

If you bought Tansei from tansei.io, choose Check for Updates… from the menu bar or Settings.

If you bought it from the Mac App Store, updates come through Apple.

What’s new in the latest version?

See the What’s New page for the latest features and the full version history.

Who created Tansei?

Hi, I’m Pooja, the solo founder behind Tansei.

I built it after realizing how much context gets lost between the apps we use every day. My work involved constantly switching between tools, copying information back and forth, and trying to remember where everything came from.

Tansei is my attempt to make that workflow feel effortless by quietly remembering what matters.

Read more about why I built it on my blog.

Can I share feedback?

Absolutely. As an indie creator, I appreciate hearing about feature ideas, bugs, and ways to make Tansei better.

Suggest a feature or report a bug.

Can I provide a testimonial?

Absolutely. If Tansei has improved the way you work, I’d love to hear your experience. Honest testimonials help other people discover the app and help shape future updates.

Share your experience.

What is Tansei?

Tansei is a simple shelf app for Windows. It sits at the edge of your screen and holds what you are working with right now: text, links, images, screenshots, files, PDFs, notes, colors and code.

You drag something on, switch apps, and drag it back off when you need it. Nothing has to be filed into a folder first, and your shelf stays on your computer.

What do people say about Tansei?

“Tansei is quickly becoming part of my everyday workflow.”

Brett Terpstra, Web Excursions, Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

“…Tansei is really a storage space for anything.”

Philip Michaels, Six Colors, Aug 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

What devices does Tansei support?

Tansei runs on Windows 11.

How do I set up Tansei?

1. Download Tansei from the Microsoft Store (opens in a new tab).
2. Buy a license from tansei.io and enter the key sent to your email.
3. Press Alt+T to open your shelf.

You can also open Tansei from the system tray beside the clock. If you don’t see the icon, select the small up arrow (^).

How do I get my shelf back after hiding it?

Click the Tansei icon beside the clock or the small tab at the edge of your screen, or press Alt+T.

How is Tansei different from a clipboard manager like Windows Clipboard History or Ditto?

Tansei keeps what you're using visible instead of storing what you copied. Clipboard managers keep a history. When you want something back you hit a shortcut, open a panel, search, and paste. That's a retrieval step, and it costs you the thread every time.

The shelf stays open beside your work. What you set down is on screen, so there's nothing to recall and nothing to search. Expand it into a full workspace when you're deep in something and tuck it away with a keystroke when you're not. Pin what you keep reaching for. Archive what you're done with. Tag and group things as you go.

It's built with native system materials, so it reads as part of the system rather than a panel sitting on top of it. Translucent, layered, out of the way until you reach for it.

The difference shows up when you're prompting. You're refining one prompt, holding two references, and waiting on an answer in another window. That's four things in flight at once, none of which you copied an hour ago. A history is the wrong shape for that. A shelf you can see is the right one.

What doesn't Tansei do?

Tansei has no AI features built in, and that's deliberate. It's built for working with AI tools, not for being one. It isn't a launcher, an automation platform, or a new way of working you have to learn. Most shortcuts are ones your PC already uses, and everything works by drag and drop if you'd rather use the mouse.

If what you want is a searchable history of the last thousand things you copied, Raycast is excellent and you should use it. Tansei is for people who'd rather see what they're carrying than go looking for it.

How do I uninstall Tansei?

Uninstall it from Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Your saved files stay on your PC until you delete them.

What can I save?

Text, links, images, screenshots, files, PDFs, notes, colors and code.

How do I add something to my shelf?

Copy text, links, images, files, colors, or code, and they appear on your shelf automatically.

You can also drag things onto the shelf, use the Add menu to add a file or link, or use New note to write a note.

For screenshots and recordings, click the camera button in the shelf toolbar.

1234

1. Full View
2. Screenshots and recordings
3. New note
4. Add

How do I copy or move something?

Click an item to copy it, or select it and press Enter or Ctrl+C. Then paste it into another app. You can also drag it straight from the shelf.

Hold Shift while dragging a file to move it off the shelf.

How do I preview something?

Double-click an item to see a larger preview.

How do I make more room?

Click the arrow at the top left of the shelf to open Full View, which shows your items in a list or grid.

Drag the shelf’s inner edge to resize it, or move it to the other side of your screen in Settings.

You don’t need to organize anything to use Tansei. Your recent items are always there.

Can I organize my shelf?

Yes. Search, tag, group, pin, archive or delete items whenever you need.

What happens to older items?

By default, each time Tansei opens, unpinned items older than three days move to the Archive. The Archive keeps your newest 200 and deletes older ones. Change this in Settings → Capture.

Can I recover archived items?

Yes. Restore them, delete them permanently, or press Ctrl+Z to quickly undo a recent archive.

How do I take a screenshot or record my screen?

Click the camera button in the shelf toolbar to take a screenshot, record your screen, or record an audio memo.

You can record with your voice, your PC’s sound, both, or neither.

Screen recordings stop automatically after 30 minutes.

Screenshots and recordings are saved in Documents → Tansei. Change this in Settings → Shelf.

How do I turn a recording into text?

Right-click a recording and choose Transcribe….

Tansei creates the transcript on your PC without uploading the recording. You can search, edit, and copy the text.

Can I edit a screenshot or trim a recording?

Yes. Right-click an image and choose Edit Image…, or Copy Text in Image to copy its words. To shorten a recording, right-click it and choose Trim….

Your shelf stays on your PC. There’s no account and no cloud sync.

Where is my data stored?

Everything stays on your computer.

Your shelf is stored locally, and screenshots and files are saved in a Tansei folder in your Documents. Tansei does not require an account or upload your data.

Is my data private?

Yes.

Your shelf never leaves your computer. Tansei goes online for one thing: a license check that sends your key and an anonymous device code.

Is Tansei safe?

Tansei comes only from the Microsoft Store, which verifies and signs the package.

What happens to passwords?

When you copy a password from a password manager app, such as 1Password, Tansei leaves it off your shelf.

Text that looks like a password is hidden. Nothing leaves your computer.

Can I pause automatic copying?

Yes. You can turn it off completely in Settings.

How do I choose what Tansei saves?

You can choose what Tansei saves under Settings → Capture.

What permissions does Tansei need?

None when you install it.

Tansei only uses the microphone, and only when you record your voice.

If your voice isn’t recorded, turn on microphone access in Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.

Does Tansei work offline?

Yes. Your shelf works with or without an internet connection.

Where do I find Settings?

Open Settings from the Add menu or system tray.

• General: Startup, shortcuts, and license.
• Capture: What Tansei saves and how it handles older items.
• Shelf: Appearance, position, text size, and storage.

What are the most useful shortcuts?

Can I make the shelf easier to read?

Yes. In Settings → Shelf, choose a larger Text size or turn on Solid background. You can also use the shelf with the keyboard and Windows Narrator.

A new text size applies the next time Tansei starts.

Where should I buy Tansei?

Install Tansei from the Microsoft Store (opens in a new tab), then buy a US$7 / A$9 license from tansei.io to unlock it.

Is there a free trial?

No. Tansei is a one-time purchase: buy it once and keep it. Updates are free. If you have a code, enter it at checkout.

How many computers does one license cover?

Two PCs at a time. Licenses are per person and per platform, so if you use both Mac and Windows, you need both.

Please don’t share your key: shared keys get switched off.

Can I use my license on another PC?

Yes, on up to two PCs at once. Replacing one? Contact me and I’ll move it.

How do I activate Tansei?

Your license key is emailed the moment you buy, and shown on the thank-you page. Copy it, open Tansei, and paste it in.

Are updates included?

Yes. Updates are free and delivered automatically. See what’s new on the Updates page.

Can I get a refund?

Refund requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you have an issue or would like to request a refund, please get in touch.

If a refund is issued, the associated license key will be deactivated.

How do I update Tansei?

Updates come through the Microsoft Store automatically.

To check yourself, open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and choose Get updates.

What’s new in the latest version?

See the What’s New page for the latest features and the full version history.

Who created Tansei?

Hi, I’m Pooja, the solo founder behind Tansei.

I built it after realizing how much context gets lost between the apps we use every day. My work involved constantly switching between tools, copying information back and forth, and trying to remember where everything came from.

Tansei is my attempt to make that workflow feel effortless by quietly remembering what matters.

Read more about why I built it on my blog.

Can I share feedback?

Absolutely. As an indie creator, I appreciate hearing about feature ideas, bugs, and ways to make Tansei better.

Suggest a feature or report a bug.

Can I provide a testimonial?

Absolutely. If Tansei has improved the way you work, I’d love to hear your experience. Honest testimonials help other people discover the app and help shape future updates.

Share your experience.