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Features

The Pluely v1 Overlay Window

The overlay is the heart of Pluely v1 — a small, always-on-top window that sits above whatever you're doing and gives you instant access to Ask and Listen without ever needing to switch apps or lose your place.

What it is

The overlay is a compact, floating window with two tabs at the top: Ask and Listen. It's designed to stay visible and available no matter what else is on your screen — it shows over full-screen apps and follows you across every Space (or virtual desktop), so it's there whether you're in a browser, an IDE, a video call, or a full-screen presentation.

A status pill on the overlay tells you at a glance what Pluely is doing: Ready when it's waiting for input, Capturing screen… while a screenshot is being taken, Answering while a response streams in from Ask mode, and Listening (with the elapsed time) while a Listen session is actively transcribing.

Quick-action chips

Right beside the status pill sit small chips in the same style:

  • Dashboard — opens the full Pluely dashboard window (settings, prompts, files, history).
  • Docs — opens this documentation site, so help is always one tap away.
  • Upgrade — shown only when you don't have an active license; takes you straight to checkout to unlock Pluely Pro.

Pluely also surfaces occasional announcements as a slim dismissible banner at the top of the overlay — release notes, tips, or anything time-sensitive. Dismiss it and it stays gone unless the announcement changes.

Non-activating on macOS

On macOS, the overlay is non-activating — clicking on it does not steal focus away from whatever app you were using. This means you can click to type a question, attach a screenshot, or scroll a transcript without your underlying app (a document, an IDE, a call) losing focus or coming to the background. This is a deliberate design choice so Pluely feels like a companion to your work rather than an interruption to it.

Sizes and positioning

The overlay supports four sizes — S, M, L, and XL — so you can pick how much screen real estate it takes up depending on what you're doing. A short Ask question might only need the smallest size, while reviewing a long Listen transcript benefits from L or XL.

  • Drag the overlay by its top area to reposition it anywhere on screen.
  • Resize between S/M/L/XL from the overlay's size control.
  • The overlay remembers your preferred size and position between sessions.

Appearance

Pluely's overlay theme and transparency are configurable, so you can tune how much it blends into or stands out from your desktop — useful both for aesthetics and for keeping it unobtrusive during screen shares.

How it works

  1. Launch Pluely — the overlay appears automatically and stays on top of other windows.
  2. Switch between Ask and Listen using the tabs at the top of the overlay.
  3. Watch the status pill to see whether Pluely is Ready, Answering, or Listening at any moment.
  4. Drag to reposition, or use the size control to switch between S, M, L, and XL as your needs change.
  5. Adjust theme and transparency from Pluely's settings to match your preference.

Tips

  • Pick a smaller size (S or M) for quick Ask questions, and switch to L or XL when reviewing a long Listen transcript or a long answer.
  • Position the overlay in a screen corner that doesn't overlap content you're actively working on.
  • Because the overlay is non-activating on macOS, you can safely interact with it mid-task without worrying about losing your place in another app.
  • If you're sharing your screen, review Stealth Mode & Screen-Share Privacy for how to keep the overlay discreet.

Last updated 2026-07-10 · pluely.com