Pixley Reader

Pixley Reader is a native macOS application designed to provide a dedicated interface for browsing and reading markdown files—such as specifications, documentation, and changelogs—that are automatically generated by AI coding tools. It eliminates the need to open a code editor just to review these documents, offering a streamlined, purpose-built reading experience.

Key Features

• Folder Tree Sidebar — A responsive file browser built with NSOutlineView that handles large directory structures without performance lag.
• Live File Watching — Automatically detects when files change on disk (e.g., when an AI tool updates them) and displays a reload indicator.
• Quick Switcher — Fuzzy file search accessible via Cmd+P, inspired by VS Code but implemented natively.
• Syntax-Highlighted Rendering — Supports 7 theme families with both light and dark variants for comfortable reading.
• On-Device AI Chat — Allows users to ask questions about the current document using Apple Foundation Models, ensuring privacy with no cloud or API keys required.
• Drag-and-Drop Support — Simply drop a folder or file onto the window to open it instantly.
• Zero External Dependencies — A self-contained application with no reliance on external libraries or services.

Philosophy

Pixley Reader is built on the principle of providing a focused, native, and dependency-free tool that respects user privacy by keeping all processing—including AI chat—on the device.