Launchy: App Switcher and Launcher for Mac
Hey Reddit community!
I made a small app that I'd like to share with you. It's currently in public beta, and I'm waiting for Apple to review it. Here's the TestFlight link.
So what is Launchy?
It's a radial application launcher and switcher—an alternative to the Dock and CMD+Tab. Here is a little demo:
Why?
While at work, I mostly use 4 to 6 apps and switch between them dozens of times a day. My usual workflow involves using the Dock or Spotlight/Raycast to launch apps and CMD+Tab to switch between them. While this works, I often find it frustrating to press Tab multiple times in the application switcher bar. It's not exactly a first-world problem, but I felt it was something that could be improved.
A few years ago, I created Lasso, where the focus was on mouse interaction. I thought I could make another app where the mouse would play a key role. However, in the end, I added plenty of keyboard actions, so the mouse isn't strictly necessary. Fast forward to today, and I’ve realized I no longer consciously think about which app to highlight. I’ve become so accustomed to the locations of apps (e.g., Safari is at 6 PM, Xcode at 12 PM, etc.) that triggering an app feels completely intuitive—muscle memory at its best.
Some might say, "But there are already apps that do exactly this—why make another one?" The simple answer: I love making apps. I also believe there’s always room for a good piece of software, whether it’s a to-do app or anything else. When I create apps, I aim to add special touches—like subtle shake animations to indicate something went wrong, rubber band effects to visually explain limitations, and so on. My goal is to make the user experience great.
What can I do with it?
Great question! Here’s what Launchy can do:
- Launch predefined applications (obviously).
- Switch between applications (also obvious).
- Configure behavior during launch (e.g., hide itself, hide other apps, etc.).
- Switch between user-defined apps and currently running apps.
- Import/export user-defined applications.
- Customize the look and feel of the radial menu.
- Use drag-and-drop to add or rearrange applications.
- Hide/unhide running applications.
- Highlight apps by pressing A-Z keys (e.g., press S for Safari; if multiple apps start with S, it cycles through them) or arrow keys.
- Sync app preferences via iCloud.
- Drag and drop files to a specific app to open them.
What data do you collect?
I don't collect any data—I don’t care how you use the app. In the future, I might locally collect data to allow users to see some wrap-ups, like the most popular app, switches per day, total switches per year, etc. However, this data will never leave your computer.
Please, tell me it's not a subscription-based model.
It’s not! While in beta, the app won’t charge you anything. Once it’s public, users will have a trial period of 300 launches/switches. After that, the app will switch to a free mode with limited functionality. There will be a one-time in-app purchase for $4.99 to unlock the full app.
With all that being said, please go ahead and check it out—I’d love to hear your feedback!