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OpenIn Helper.app icon

OpenIn Helper.app

Companion utility for advanced OpenIn features

Direct download

Documentation

OpenIn from the Mac App Store is sandboxed. The sandbox limits access to some macOS features that OpenIn needs for advanced routing tasks. OpenIn Helper is a small, notarized, unsandboxed companion app that OpenIn can call when those features are needed.

OpenIn Helper enables the App Store version of OpenIn to:

  • Configure profiles for Chromium browsers.
  • Set OpenIn as the default application for file extensions directly from OpenIn Settings.
  • Open links in a Safari private window or a specific Safari profile.

These features require OpenIn Helper because they are blocked by the App Store sandbox.

FAQ

Does an unsandboxed app mean it is unsafe?

No, not automatically. An unsandboxed app has broader system access than a sandboxed App Store app, but many macOS components and third-party applications run outside the sandbox.

OpenIn Helper is notarized, built by the same developer as OpenIn, and does not include telemetry. It listens for commands from OpenIn and performs only the supported Helper actions.

Do I need to install OpenIn Helper if I use the Setapp version?

No. The Setapp version of OpenIn is not sandboxed, so it does not have the App Store version’s sandbox limitations.

Do I have to install OpenIn Helper to use OpenIn?

No. OpenIn works without OpenIn Helper if you do not need browser profiles and you do not mind setting OpenIn as the default application for file extensions manually:

Is it unsafe to download software outside the App Store?

It can be unsafe to download software from unknown sources. Download OpenIn Helper only from this page.

OpenIn Helper is notarized and built by the same developer as OpenIn. It does not include telemetry. It only listens for commands from OpenIn and performs the supported Helper actions.

How do I install OpenIn Helper?

  1. Download OpenIn Helper.zip from this page. The download link is at the top of the page.
  2. Open the zip file.
  3. Move OpenIn Helper.app to the /Applications folder.
  4. Launch OpenIn Helper.app once. macOS may ask whether you want to open an application downloaded from the Internet. Confirm the prompt.
  5. OpenIn will discover OpenIn Helper automatically.

Do not download OpenIn Helper from any other website. We cannot guarantee that copies hosted elsewhere were not modified.

If you open OpenIn Helper.app again, it shows a small status window with Terminate Helper and Close Window buttons. You can use this window to confirm the installed version.

How do I uninstall OpenIn Helper?

  1. Open OpenIn Helper.app from Finder or Launchpad.
  2. If no window appears, OpenIn Helper was not running. Open it again to show the status window.
  3. Click Terminate Helper.
  4. Move OpenIn Helper.app from /Applications to the Trash.

How do I upgrade OpenIn Helper?

  1. Uninstall the existing version by following the steps above.
  2. Download and install the new version.

Fix: macOS keeps asking for permission to let OpenIn Helper control your Mac

When OpenIn sends a link to a Safari private window for the first time, macOS asks for permission to use Accessibility features. Safari does not provide an API for opening a URL directly in a private window, so OpenIn Helper uses Accessibility to open Safari, send Cmd+Shift+N, and type the address.

If macOS keeps asking for this permission every time you send a URL to a Safari private window, add OpenIn Helper to Accessibility manually:

  1. Terminate OpenIn Helper. Open OpenIn Helper.app once; if the status window does not appear, open it again.
  2. Open macOS System Settings.
  3. Go to Privacy & Security.
  4. Select Accessibility.
  5. If you see OpenIn Helper in the list of apps, remove it.
  6. Manually add OpenIn Helper.app to the list and make sure it is enabled.

Privacy Policy

We believe very strongly in our customers’ right to privacy. Our customer records are not for sale or trade, and we will not disclose our customer data to any third party except as may be required by law.

Any information that you provide to us in the course of interacting with our sales or technical support departments is held in strict confidence. This includes your contact information (including, but not limited to your email address and phone number), as well as any data that you supply to us in the course of a technical support interaction.

Support

Please email suggestions, questions, and bug reports to support@loshadki.app.

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