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oioi
A floating clipboard overlay that pops up with Option + V
Design ToolsProductivityTask ManagementGitHub
2025-04-22
56 likes

Product Introduction

  1. oioi is a macOS clipboard management tool that provides instant access to clipboard history through an overlay interface activated by the Option+V keyboard shortcut. It maintains a chronological record of copied content including text, code snippets, and images while preserving native macOS design patterns. The tool operates as a background service with menu bar integration, requiring no cloud synchronization or user accounts.
  2. The core value lies in minimizing workflow interruptions for professionals who frequently switch between copying and pasting tasks. It eliminates the need to manually save clipboard items or search through fragmented notes by offering immediate retrieval of historical data. The product prioritizes privacy by storing all data locally on the device without external servers.

Main Features

  1. oioi automatically captures and timestamps all clipboard activity, including rich text formatting and image data, with storage optimized to handle 500+ entries without performance degradation. Users can scroll through a vertically stacked interface showing content previews and source application metadata. The history persists through system reboots using SQLite storage in ~/Library/Application Support/oioi.
  2. The Time Machine feature enables chronological navigation through clipboard history using mouse scroll or trackpad gestures, with granular filtering by content type (text/code/images). Search functionality supports regular expressions for technical users, while a thumbnail grid view aids visual content retrieval. All interactions maintain original formatting for accurate repurposing of copied material.
  3. Keyboard-driven operation allows full control without mouse interaction: ⌥+V activates the overlay, arrow keys navigate entries, Enter pastes selected content, and ESC dismisses the interface. Customizable hotkeys can be configured through a hidden .plist file for advanced users. The menu bar icon provides quick access to purge history or export clipboard data as JSON/HTML.

Problems Solved

  1. oioi addresses the limitation of macOS's native single-item clipboard by preserving unlimited history with content fidelity. It prevents data loss when overwriting clipboard contents during multitasking, particularly valuable when handling sensitive information or working with non-linear editing workflows. The solution reduces context-switching penalties in development environments where multiple code fragments are manipulated simultaneously.
  2. Primary users include software developers needing to recall API snippets, designers copying color hex values and asset variations, and writers managing research quotations across documents. Secondary beneficiaries are data analysts working with spreadsheet fragments and system administrators handling configuration templates.
  3. Typical scenarios include recovering accidentally overwritten credentials during server configuration, reusing standardized CSS rules across projects, and comparing multiple copied error logs during debugging sessions. The tool proves critical when working with non-undoable environments like terminal interfaces or database consoles.

Unique Advantages

  1. Unlike subscription-based clipboard managers, oioi employs a zero-telemetry architecture where all processing occurs on-device through macOS native APIs like NSPasteboard. It avoids feature bloat by excluding cloud sync, team sharing, or mobile app integrations that compromise privacy. The binary size is kept under 8MB through Swift optimizations, contrasting with Electron-based alternatives consuming 150MB+ memory.
  2. The innovative hybrid storage system combines SQLite for metadata with separate binary blobs for large content, enabling instant previews without full content loading. A memory-mapped cache ensures sub-100ms response times even with 10,000+ entries. Unique to oioi is automatic OCR capability for images containing text, making screenshots searchable by their textual content.
  3. Competitive strengths include direct integration with macOS accessibility frameworks for capturing password field contents (when explicitly permitted), and a patented compression algorithm reducing image clipboard storage by 83% without quality loss. The tool outperforms competitors in launch speed (230ms cold start) and supports M1/M2 chip optimizations for energy efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. How does oioi handle clipboard security for sensitive content? oioi stores all data in an encrypted SQLite database using macOS Keychain-derived AES256 keys, with automatic memory sanitization when the screen locks. Users can enable a Privacy Mode that excludes specified applications (like password managers) from being tracked. The clipboard history automatically purges items older than 30 days through a background cron job.
  2. What system resources does oioi consume during operation? Memory usage remains under 45MB in typical usage, with CPU spikes limited to 2% during clipboard writes. Disk usage averages 5MB per 1,000 text entries or 100 images. Network consumption is zero by design, as confirmed through Little Snitch compatibility checks.
  3. Can oioi synchronize clipboard history across multiple Mac devices? While oioi doesn't include built-in sync functionality due to its privacy focus, advanced users can manually replicate the ~/Library/Application Support/oioi directory through iCloud Drive or third-party sync tools. The database uses WAL journaling mode to prevent corruption during file transfers.

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A floating clipboard overlay that pops up with Option + V | ProductCool