MacBridgeWin

Windows 10/11 · Version v0.1.1 · Released 2026-08-07

MacBridgeWin is a lightweight Windows 10/11 tray application for people who move between macOS and Windows. It brings selected macOS-style interactions to Windows while deliberately preserving native Windows behavior.

简体中文 · Privacy · Security · Contributing

Status: early, source-first release. The project is functional but does not yet provide an installer or signed binaries.

Download for Windows

Most users should download the ready-to-run release, not the repository source code.

Download MacBridgeWin v0.1.1 for Windows (ZIP)

1. Download the ZIP above and extract the entire archive.
2. Run MacBridgeWin.App.exe from the extracted folder.
3. MacBridgeWin starts in the notification area; open Settings from its tray menu.

Warning

Do not use GitHub's green Code → Download ZIP button or the automatically generated Source code (zip) asset unless you intend to build the application yourself. Those downloads contain source code, not a runnable release.

View the v0.1.1 release page · SHA-256 checksum

Release date: 2026-08-07

What it does

• Maps selected Alt shortcuts to familiar Ctrl shortcuts, while preserving native Ctrl shortcuts, Alt+Tab, and Alt+F4.
• Recognizes right-button mouse gestures, including multi-segment paths such as Left,Up.
• Replays a normal right-click when no valid gesture is recognized.
• Runs from the system tray and provides a focused Settings window.
• Stores configuration locally as JSON, with import/export support.
• Supports per-application profiles matched by foreground process name.
• Offers an optional current-user Windows auto-start setting.

Requirements

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• .NET SDK 8.0.422 or a compatible later feature band (for building from source)

Run from source

Clone the repository, then build and start the WPF application:

dotnet build MacBridgeWin.sln -c Release
dotnet run --project src\MacBridgeWin.App\MacBridgeWin.App.csproj -c Release

The app starts in the notification area. Open Settings from its tray menu to enable keyboard remapping or mouse gestures.

Build and test

dotnet build MacBridgeWin.sln
dotnet test MacBridgeWin.sln

Publish a local build

dotnet publish src\MacBridgeWin.App\MacBridgeWin.App.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false

Published output is intentionally excluded from Git. Build it locally or obtain it from a future GitHub Release.

Install a release build

1. Download the MacBridgeWin-<version>-win-x64.zip file from GitHub Releases.
2. Optionally verify its SHA-256 value against the adjacent .sha256 file.
3. Extract the entire archive to a folder you control.
4. Run the single MacBridgeWin.App.exe file; the app starts in the notification area.

MacBridgeWin does not currently ship an installer or a code-signed executable. Windows SmartScreen may therefore show a warning. Review the source and release checksum before deciding whether to run it. Never disable Windows security software to install MacBridgeWin.

To uninstall, disable Start with Windows, exit MacBridgeWin from the tray, and delete the extracted folder. User configuration and logs remain under %LocalAppData%\MacBridgeWin and can be removed separately.

Privacy and security

• MacBridgeWin processes shortcut and mouse-gesture events locally. It has no telemetry, account system, analytics, advertising, or network service.
• It does not store typed text. Diagnostic logs contain lifecycle events, configured shortcut/gesture names, and exception details, but avoid foreground process names and configured application paths.
• Configuration and logs are stored under %LocalAppData%\MacBridgeWin. Exported configuration may contain application names or paths selected by the user.
• Keyboard remapping and mouse gestures are disabled by default.

See PRIVACY.md for the complete data boundary and SECURITY.md for reporting vulnerabilities.

Important behavior and limitations

• Keyboard remapping and mouse gestures are disabled by default.
• Global hooks may not affect applications running with higher privileges unless MacBridgeWin is run at a matching elevation level.
• The application does not record typed content. Local diagnostic logs are stored under %LocalAppData%\MacBridgeWin\Logs.
• This release does not include installer packaging, signed executables, or a broad built-in action system.

Project layout

src/MacBridgeWin.App/   WPF application, tray UI, and Windows integrations
src/MacBridgeWin.Core/  configuration, gesture, keyboard, and profile logic
tests/MacBridgeWin.Tests/ focused unit tests

Contributing and security

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before opening a pull request. Security reports are covered by SECURITY.md. The project is licensed under the MIT License.

See CHANGELOG.md for release notes and PLAN.md for the product roadmap.