Questions people ask

A desktop app for Mac and Windows that helps you prepare for software and engineering interviews, and helps live in rounds where the employer allows AI. It hears audio your computer plays, takes screenshots and typed questions, and streams answers into one thread. See the app.

A Mac on macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later with 8 GB RAM (Apple Silicon or Intel), or a 64-bit PC on Windows 10 (build 2004 or later) or Windows 11 with 4 GB RAM. You also need headphones and a stable 2 Mbps connection. Full table on the download page.

Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. “Chip: Apple M1” (or M2, M3, M4) means Apple Silicon; “Processor: Intel” means Intel. If you are not sure, the Intel build also runs on Apple Silicon through Rosetta, just slower. Choose a download.

No. Helpwing is a desktop app for Mac and Windows only, and there is no Linux or Chromebook build yet. Email support@helpwing.dev if you want updates on other platforms.

The beta is not Apple-notarised, so macOS warns after a browser download. The file is usually fine. Clear the download flag in Terminal, drag Helpwing to Applications, then open it. If macOS still blocks it, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Do not turn off Gatekeeper. Mac steps · 85-second setup video.

The installer is not publisher-signed yet. On “Windows protected your PC”, choose More info, then Run anyway. Do not turn SmartScreen off. Windows steps · 73-second setup video.

With Google only. Choose Sign in with Google and finish in the browser window that opens; email sign-in codes are no longer sent. If a friend gave you a referral code, enter it first. Sign-in help.

The desktop client is free software under the GNU AGPL-3.0-or-later licence. Corresponding source is available on request from support@helpwing.dev. Answers come from Helpwing’s managed cloud, so there is no personal API key to add.

Yes. New accounts get 15 welcome minutes when they first sign in, with no card. Unused welcome minutes expire after 30 days.

In India, Starter is ₹299 for 60 minutes, Value is ₹1,199 for 300 minutes, and Power is ₹2,999 for 1,000 minutes, GST included. Outside India the same packs are $6, $24 and $60, before local tax. Each is a one-time purchase. Compare packs.

In India, yes. A custom top-up costs ₹5 a minute, from 15 to 1,000 minutes per order. Buy it from Recharge in the app with ₹ selected. Custom top-ups are not offered in US dollars; choose a pack instead. Custom pricing.

Packs and custom top-ups stay valid for 365 days, in either currency. Free welcome minutes expire after 30 days if unused.

In India, yes: rupee prices include 18% GST. Dollar prices are before tax, and Dodo Payments, the seller for USD purchases, adds any local sales tax at checkout. Prices on the site match the Recharge dialog in the app.

Inside the app, from Recharge. Choose ₹ to pay through Razorpay with UPI, cards or netbanking, or $ to pay through Dodo Payments with an international card.

Yes. Recharge in the app has a ₹/$ switch, and it starts on $ when your computer is not set to Indian time. Packs are $6 for 60 minutes, $24 for 300 and $60 for 1,000, paid by international card through Dodo Payments; local sales tax is added at checkout. Update the app to v1.0.37 or later to see the switch.

Never. Every purchase is a one-time payment, with no UPI mandate, no saved-card subscription and no recurring charge in either currency. When your minutes run out, it stops until you choose to buy again.

From Start session until you end the session or sign out. Signing in, the lobby and Tune Interview are free. Billing is by the second, and screenshots, submits and answers cost nothing extra. If your laptop sleeps or the network drops, at most one minute is billed for the gap. How billing works.

Yes. Each account can get up to 100 answers a day. The count resets at 05:30 IST (00:00 UTC).

Write to support@helpwing.dev from the email on your account, with the purchase reference, and we confirm the request by email. Free welcome minutes and minutes already used are not refunded. Details are in the refund policy.

A friend enters your code on the welcome card before their first recharge. If their first paid order is 60 minutes or more, you get 15 free minutes, once for that friend. You cannot use your own code. Your code and an invite message are in Settings. Referral rules.

Helpwing sells one-time minute packs from ₹299 in India or $6 elsewhere, with no subscription and no auto-renew. ParakeetAI sells credits per session, and Final Round AI needs a Pro subscription (from US$25 a month) for live help, as published on 9 October 2026. See the full comparison.

No. Helpwing listens to system audio, so anything your computer plays works: Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, YouTube or a browser tab. There is no plugin per meeting app and no virtual audio cable.

Yes. The Interviewer row transcribes what your computer plays. When the line looks right, submit it with ⌥ A on Mac or Alt A on Windows; if it is wrong, clear it with ⌥ D or Alt D. Review the question before relying on an answer.

On Mac, allow Screen & System Audio Recording in System Settings → Privacy & Security, so Helpwing can hear computer audio and take screenshots. Allow Microphone only if you turn on the You row, which is off by default. On Windows, allow desktop apps to use the microphone. Quit and reopen Helpwing after granting. Permission help.

Recommended. If you turn the microphone on, it can pick up sound from your speakers and speech recognition may hear words twice. Wired or Bluetooth headphones avoid that.

Open Tune Interview from the command bar. Upload your resume (PDF, DOCX, TXT or MD) or paste it, add the company, job description and any notes, then choose Save context. The company is required; the resume and job details are optional.

Yes. ⌘ H or Ctrl H queues a full-screen shot, ⌘ ⇧ H or Ctrl Shift H snips a region, and ⌘ Enter or Ctrl Enter solves the queue. To type, use Ask anything… at the bottom; Enter or ⌘ K / Ctrl K sends the text with any queued shots.

The one you pick under Solution language on the command bar, such as Python, Java, TypeScript, Go, Rust or SQL. You can set a default in Settings.

Yes. Open Settings → Keyboard shortcuts to remap any global hotkey; Reset restores the defaults. Bindings are stored on that computer. The full list of defaults is in the user guide.

Only where the interviewer or employer allows AI, and you must tell the interviewer when you use live help. Asking your recruiter first is the right check. If AI is not allowed, do not turn live help on. See how companies treat AI in each round and the disclosure rule.

No. Helpwing is not for exams, recruitment tests, online assessments or proctored rounds, and it blocks questions that contain common exam or proctoring phrases. In India, unfair means in a public examination can be a criminal offence. See responsible use.

Yes. Practising on your own and preparing answers from your resume and the job description are always fine, and need no disclosure. For example, play an interview question video on YouTube and answer it out loud.

Yes. You must be 18 or older to use Helpwing. See the terms.

Yes. Email compliance@helpwing.dev. We confirm within 48 hours. Employer opt-out.

No. Call audio is streamed so it can be transcribed live, then discarded. Helpwing keeps no call transcript on its servers. Questions you submit and their answers stay in the thread on your computer until you start a New chat. Privacy notice.

No. Helpwing uses a screenshot to answer that question, then deletes it from your computer and does not keep it on its servers.

Your Google email and name, documents you upload (such as a resume or job description), records of your sessions and answers, and feedback you send. For purchases we keep a payment reference, the amount and the status. Card numbers and UPI PINs are handled by our payment partner and never stored by Helpwing. Privacy notice.

Remove your resume or job details in Tune Interview. To delete your account or any other data, email compliance@helpwing.dev from your account email. Privacy notice.

The website's optional analytics (PostHog) load only if you allow them. Ad cookies (Meta and Google) need your permission in the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland and are on elsewhere unless you decline; change your choice any time with the preferences button at the bottom of every page (ad cookies). The server also records limited product events, such as sign-ins and purchases, which exclude your email, documents, questions, answers, audio and screenshots. Details.

Use the Support button on any page, or email support@helpwing.dev. Include your operating system (and Mac chip), what you downloaded and the exact message on screen. Never send passwords or one-time codes. All contact addresses.

Email compliance@helpwing.dev. We acknowledge a grievance within 48 hours and aim to resolve it within 15 days. Grievance process.

Before a session, a short note offers the update with a Later button. On Windows it installs the next time you quit; on Mac, download the new version from this site. See the changelog.