Launchy Launchpad is the free open-source Launchpad alternative macOS users have been waiting for. Fullscreen mode mirrors the classic Launchpad feel but adds richer controls, while Floaty Mode doubles as a HUD with fast toggles that match modern macOS without changing the behavior you rely on. It scans your apps, caches icons, and keeps a responsive grid ready on every Space. Launchy runs natively on both Apple Silicon (M‑series) and Intel Macs – joyful, lightweight, and always ready when you call it.
What you get
- Fullscreen grid that mirrors Launchpad but with richer controls, custom backgrounds, and buttery paging that feels like a smooth swipe on iPad.
- Floaty Mode HUD for lightning-quick launches, toggles, and searches without leaving your flow – tuck it in a corner or let it hover like a mini command center.
- Instant search with bilingual matching, diacritic folding, fuzzy hits, and keyboard-first controls; type a half-remembered name and Launchy still finds it.
- Hot corners, global shortcuts, and a one-tap fullscreen ⇄ Floaty toggle so Launchy feels omnipresent, not obtrusive; muscle-memory friendly.
- Right-click superpowers: rename, hide, move apps, create folders, or reveal in Finder without opening another window – light housekeeping in two clicks.
- Universal build: native speed on Apple Silicon and Intel; auto-updating, notarized, MIT licensed, and free forever. No telemetry, no nags, just tools.
- Accessibility-aware: respects system text size, high-contrast modes, and VoiceOver labels so everyone can fly through their apps.
Highlights to showcase
- Responsive grid: 7×5 pages with cached icons, optional `~/Applications` scan, silky animations, and folder nesting that feels instant even on huge libraries.
- Context-aware menus: Smart actions for folders, Dock/menu bar items, status updates, and quick cleanup (hide, delete alias, move) without cracking open Finder.
- Visual vibes: Blur, transparent, or solid backdrops with a curated color palette (no more boring gray). Drop in your own wallpaper for a custom “mission control.”
- Presence control: Launch at login, hide/show Dock and menu bar icons independently, keep Launchy on every Space or just the ones you pick.
- Keyboard flow: Arrow paging, `Return` to launch, `Cmd` + `,` for settings, `Control` + number for direct page jumps, type-to-find everywhere, and shortcut hints so you never guess.
- Everywhere shortcuts: Hot corners and user-defined global hotkeys keep Launchy a flick away; a single chord flips fullscreen ⇄ Floaty so you can move from browsing to laser-focused picking.
- Localization built in: English; European languages including Spanish (Spain), Catalan, Italian, German, French, Portuguese (Portugal), Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Greek, Dutch, Swedish, Czech, Hungarian, Finnish, and Irish; Asian languages including Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Bengali, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Malay, and Burmese; Americas support including Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (LatAm); plus Arabic, Persian, Kiswahili, Hausa, Amharic, and Yoruba. Translation fixes and new language contributions are welcome.
Get started in seconds
- Download the latest universal build from Github releases. The download is dual-arch, so no Rosetta needed on M-series.
- Move Launchy to `/Applications` and open it. First run is notarized and signed; macOS should open it without warnings.
- Set your show/hide shortcut (defaults to `Cmd` + `Shift` + `Space`) and, if you like, a fullscreen ⇄ Floaty toggle. Add a hot corner if you’re a trackpad flick person.
- Optional: enable Launch at Login so Launchy is ready on every reboot, and switch on “keep on all Spaces” if you want it truly everywhere.
Project & support
- Source on GitHub (MIT).
- Latest release (auto-updating, notarized, Apple Silicon + Intel).
- Feedback or bugs? Open an issue.
- Follow updates at feuerbacher.me project website.
- Want to support development? Ko-Fi
Have fun launching! ✨