General settings control how TouchAI starts, how you invoke it, and how the conversation output behaves. Navigate to Settings → General to access these options.
Settings reference
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|
globalShortcut | Alt+Space | Global keyboard shortcut to show or hide the overlay |
startOnBoot | false | Launch TouchAI automatically when the system starts |
startMinimized | true | Start silently in the system tray without showing the window |
mcpMaxIterations | 10 | Maximum number of consecutive MCP tool calls per AI response (range: 1–50) |
outputScrollBehavior | follow_output | How the conversation panel scrolls while the AI is generating a response |
settings table. Changes take effect immediately.
Global shortcut
The global shortcut lets you show or hide the TouchAI overlay from anywhere on your desktop, even when TouchAI is not in focus.
The default shortcut is Alt+Space. To change it:
- Click the shortcut input field under Global shortcut.
- Press the key combination you want to use. Supported modifier keys are Ctrl, Alt, and Shift.
- The input field captures the shortcut as you type. When you click away, the shortcut is registered with the operating system and saved.
Win key (Meta) combinations are not supported. If a shortcut is already registered by another application, TouchAI will display an error notification and the shortcut will not be saved.
Alt+Space conflicts with your system:
Ctrl+SpaceAlt+Shift+Space
If the shortcut fails to register at startup, a system notification is shown. You can retry or choose a different combination in Settings.
Startup settings
Start on boot
When enabled, TouchAI is added to the system’s autostart list and launches automatically when you log in. This uses the Tauri autostart plugin and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Default: disabled
Start minimized
When enabled, TouchAI starts without showing the overlay window and goes directly to the system tray. You can still invoke it with the global shortcut at any time.
Default: enabled
Enable both Start on boot and Start minimized for the most seamless experience — TouchAI will be available via shortcut immediately after login without any visible window.
Conversation settings
Maximum tool call iterations
Controls how many times the AI is allowed to call MCP tools consecutively within a single response. This prevents runaway agent loops.
- Range: 1 to 50
- Default: 10
Increase this value if you use complex MCP workflows that require many tool calls. Decrease it to limit resource usage or to detect unexpected agent behavior early.
Output scroll behavior
Determines how the conversation panel scrolls while the AI is streaming a response:
| Value | Label | Behavior |
|---|
follow_output | Follow output | Automatically scrolls to the latest content as it streams in |
stay_position | Stay in place | Keeps the current scroll position unchanged while output is generated |
jump_to_top | Jump to top | Scrolls to the top of the session when output begins |
follow_output
Use stay_position when you want to read earlier messages while the AI is still responding. Use jump_to_top if you prefer to start reading from the beginning of the conversation when a new response starts. 