So…launchers.
On the iPhone there are launcher apps that can function as homescreen widgets, with lots of customization possibilities.
I have a couple spots on my desktop that I’d like to tuck some app launchers into. And yes, yes, I know - I could just make some desktop aliases. But I’d like a little widget so I’m not restricted by icon size.
Does anybody else here do this? If so, what do you use?
So, you what something like the Dock, where you can put apps and when you click on them they launch, but not the Dock?
I want something like the iOS Siri App Suggestions widget, except where I can pick the apps. I want my dock to only be things that are actually running.
It’s a visual distraction thing.
Is this something that will always be visible? Or is it something you invoke when needed?
Would a widget made with Shortcuts do this, with the step in the shortcut to launch an app? Not sure if this works on the Mac.
Spotlight / Alfred / Raycast are the fastest launchers I can think of. Usually you just have to type the first letters of the app name (auto-suggestion will do the rest) and hit Enter.
If you really need a visual element, you could use a Stream Deck. You can have 6 to 32 buttons, depending on the size you choose. Highly configurable. You can even do a Multi Action button and do a bunch of other things while launching an app.
Finally, there’s Shortcuts, as Evan suggested above.
Looking for something that lives on the desktop. Always visible, as long as the desktop is visible, obviously.
There’s a Shortcuts widget on the Mac but it’s a grid of wide rectangles with shortcut names.
I actually own a Streamdeck, and I could theoretically use that - I just don’t want all the fiddling with setting up the buttons for something that feels like it should be relatively simple on the desktop.
Edited because I misunderstood your question. Sorry.
A quick search finds DeskWidgets but I’m not sure why you’d bother. This role is filled by the Dock, Spotlight and Launchpad (and their third party alternatives). Launchpad is the closest to what you’re describing - you will need to adjust from the spread-with-thumb-and-three-fingers to pinch-with-thumb-and-three-fingers trackpad gesture. It supports rearranging icons, folders and type to search. If you just want something to fiddle with on the desktop, try Widgy.
Does Launcher run on Mac? It’s what I use on iOS and iPad OS - to cram more stuff in.
Have you used Widgy? It looks very opaque, and the Mac app looks to be a shovelware port of the iOS version. To the point where it’s talking about iOS widget features as I click on buttons. Is there a trick to getting it to work?
My challenge is that I don’t want all of my apps on a screen like the Mac launchpad - I want a couple of small collections of frequently-used things that I can pop open. I don’t want them in the dock, because in my mind that’s for apps that are currently running.
And part of the point of having them collected in a certain place is remembering what all of them are - so search isn’t my friend here.
Not from what I can tell. I love Launcher on iOS, and I’d happily pay for a Mac version.
Does it have to be on the desktop? Would a menubar app work?
I use Coolbar, which may meet your needs, other than being always visible.
That’s a potential option. I’ll play around with it - thanks!
I use Alfred as my launcher but there’s heaps of built-in options. With Launchpad, you can put your favourite apps (or categorised folders) on the first page and hide the rest on another page (or folder). You could make a folder of aliases and drag that to the Dock to appear as a fan or grid on click.
You could just put aliases to apps on your desktop Windows style.