illuminate and AI apps
AI apps like Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Codex can read your illuminate library, so you can say "check my latest illuminate bug report" and they pick it up from there. You don't paste anything or export a file.
They connect through illuminate's MCP server. MCP is the standard way AI apps connect to tools, and illuminate's server comes inside the app.
Two ways to connect
| On this Mac | From anywhere | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, other apps on your Mac | ChatGPT, Claude on the web, Cursor, on any device |
| Set up in | Settings → AI Apps | Settings → Remote Access |
| Needs | Nothing extra; free | Pro, and this Mac awake with illuminate open |
| Your recordings | Never leave your Mac | Pass through illuminate, encrypted in transit; nothing is stored |
How: AI apps on your Mac · Remote access
What AI apps can do
Read, and only read. They can't record, delete, share or change anything.
- List sessions: your recent recordings, newest first, with the reports each has.
- Search sessions: find recordings by what was said or shown.
- Latest report: the newest report, or the newest of a type, such as a bug report.
- A report: any session's report, in full.
- Evidence: what a report was written from: the transcript, timeline, screenshots, selections, annotations and links.
Things to ask
- "What did I record today in illuminate?"
- "Get my latest illuminate bug report and fix it."
- "Search my illuminate sessions for the checkout error and summarize what I showed."
- "Use the evidence from that session to write the steps to reproduce."
Good to know
- The AI app only reads what it asks for. Each request goes to illuminate on your Mac and is answered from there.
- Turn it off any time: disconnect an app in Settings → AI Apps, or revoke it in Settings → Remote Access.