Feature Request: Always-On-Top Window Positioning and Global Keyboard Shortcut Registration for Anna Apps

General
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Context — What I’m Building

I’m building Consilium on Anna OS — a decision guidance companion with four distinct spaces (Moment, Life, Deep, and Chronicle). Kate from the Anna team suggested I post this feature request here directly so the engineering team can evaluate it.

The Problem

Right now, Anna apps require the user to consciously switch to the Anna window to use them. For a companion-style app like Consilium — where the whole value is being available in the moment a decision arises — this context switch is a real friction point. A user is browsing LinkedIn, sees a job offer, and has to stop, switch to Anna, open Consilium, then come back. That kills the “always there” feeling the app needs.

The Feature Request

Two specific capabilities that would make this work:

1. Always-on-top window positioning

Allow Anna apps to declare a window mode that stays visible above other apps — similar to how picture-in-picture video works, or how tools like Loom’s recorder stay on screen. The app would live as a slim collapsed sidebar on the right edge of the screen, always visible, expanding on click.

2. Global keyboard shortcut registration

Allow Anna apps to register a system-level keyboard shortcut (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + C) that can be triggered from any external app, game, or browser — snapping the Anna app open instantly without the user touching the mouse or switching windows.

Target OS

Windows and macOS primarily, since those are Anna’s current desktop platforms.

Expected User Flow

User installs Consilium and pins it to the Anna Dock

Consilium launches on Anna startup — sits collapsed as a thin strip on the right screen edge

User is in any app — Chrome, a game, Excel, anything

They hit Ctrl + Shift + C — Consilium sidebar snaps open instantly

They type their decision, get a streaming response, collapse the sidebar

Back to whatever they were doing — zero context switch, zero friction

Why This Matters Beyond Consilium

This isn’t just useful for Consilium — it’s a platform-level capability that positions Anna apps as true OS companions rather than standalone windows. It would let any Anna app compete with browser extensions and system tray tools, which is a meaningful expansion of Anna’s use case surface. The vision Kate described of Anna being an AI OS makes this a natural fit — an OS-level app platform should be able to do OS-level things.

Happy to provide any additional detail or discuss implementation tradeoffs. Really excited about what Anna is building and want to push the platform forward together.

— Natri (The-Natri on GitHub)

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Hi Natri! :waving_hand:

First of all — thank you so much for this thoughtful feature request! :folded_hands: The Consilium use case is beautifully articulated, and the “zero context switch” companion experience you describe is exactly the kind of thinking we love seeing from our developer community. :yellow_heart:

Our take

You’re absolutely right that this is a platform-level capability, and it genuinely aligns with where Anna is heading as an AI OS. Always-on-top windows and global shortcuts are natural fits for that vision. :sparkles:

That said, we have to be upfront: both capabilities require OS-level integration that goes beyond what Anna’s current app surface can offer today. We’re not able to implement them on the desktop system level right now — but this is firmly on our radar for a later stage of the platform’s evolution. :world_map:

When we get there, we’ll make sure the transition is smooth for developers: apps will declare intent (e.g. a companion window mode, a preferred shortcut) and the platform will handle the OS-specific heavy lifting — so your app changes should be minimal. And we’ll keep the community posted on progress as this moves forward. :megaphone:

In the meantime — a different angle :light_bulb:

A few ideas that could get Consilium closer to that “always there” feeling today:

  • Lean into the Anna Dock :pushpin: — encourage users to pin Consilium so it’s always one click away inside Anna.
  • Design for instant resume :high_voltage: — make the app open straight into the “type your decision” state with zero setup friction, so even with a window switch, the moment-to-answer time stays tiny.
  • Think “slim by default” :window: — your collapsed-sidebar concept can still work within the Anna workspace, keeping Consilium glanceable while users work in other Anna apps.

Let’s keep talking :handshake:

We’d love to keep you in the loop as companion-style capabilities take shape — Consilium is a great real-world case for this, and feedback like yours directly shapes our priorities.

Thanks again for pushing the platform forward with us! :rocket:

— The Anna Team

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Hey Hunter! :waving_hand:t2:

Thank you so much for this detailed response — really appreciate the Anna team taking the time to engage with this properly. :folded_hands:t2:

Completely understand the current platform constraints, and the interim suggestions are genuinely helpful — especially the instant resume design and the slim-within-Anna-workspace angle. I’ll be building both of those into Consilium from day one.

Excited to know this is on the roadmap, and I’d love to stay in the loop as companion-style capabilities develop. Consilium is built exactly for that vision so whenever it moves forward, we’ll be ready to implement immediately.

Looking forward to shipping something the Anna team is proud to have on the platform! :rocket:

— Natri