https://github.com/ericyang801/launchpad_back
A native Launchpad replacement for macOS 15.6+, built with SwiftUI + AppKit. Global hotkey, paged app grid, folder management, drag sorting, and local search.
https://github.com/ericyang801/launchpad_back
launchpad launchpad-alternative macos macos-app swift swiftui
Last synced: 3 months ago
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A native Launchpad replacement for macOS 15.6+, built with SwiftUI + AppKit. Global hotkey, paged app grid, folder management, drag sorting, and local search.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/ericyang801/launchpad_back
- Owner: EricYang801
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-06-21T17:13:24.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-06T14:10:30.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-06T15:38:38.550Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: launchpad, launchpad-alternative, macos, macos-app, swift, swiftui
- Language: Swift
- Homepage:
- Size: 5.72 MB
- Stars: 9
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Launchpad_Back
> A native Launchpad replacement for macOS 15.6+, built with SwiftUI + AppKit.
**[English](./README.md) | [繁體中文](./README_zh-TW.md) | [简体中文](./README_zh-CN.md)**
Looking for a Launchpad alternative on macOS Tahoe? This project focuses on exactly that: a launcher with global hotkey toggle, paged app grid, folder management, drag sorting, and fast local search.
## Demo
## Search Keywords
Launchpad alternative, macOS app launcher, SwiftUI launcher, AppKit launcher, global hotkey launcher, macOS Tahoe Launchpad replacement, Homebrew Cask app scanner
## What It Does (Aligned With Current Code)
- Runs in a floating launcher window and can be toggled globally with `Cmd + L`
- Uses a responsive grid with dynamic rows/columns (5-9 columns, 3-7 rows)
- Supports drag reorder, folders, folder rename, and drag-out from expanded folders
- Searches by app name, bundle ID, and app path (case-insensitive)
- Scans system, user, and Homebrew app locations
- Resolves app icons through workspace icon, metadata fallback, and generated fallback icon
## Controls
| Input | Behavior |
| --- | --- |
| `Cmd + L` | Toggle launcher visibility globally |
| `Cmd + W` | Hide launcher window |
| `Cmd + Q` | Quit app |
| `Esc` | Exit edit mode -> close folder -> clear search -> hide window |
| `Left` / `Up` | Previous page |
| `Right` / `Down` | Next page |
| Trackpad scroll gesture | Page switch with threshold and cooldown |
| Mouse wheel | Page switch with notch accumulation + debounce |
## App Discovery Paths
| Path | Recursive |
| --- | --- |
| `/System/Applications` | No |
| `/System/Applications/Utilities` | No |
| `/Applications` | No |
| `/Applications/Utilities` | No |
| `~/Applications` | No |
| `/opt/homebrew/Caskroom` | Yes |
The scanner also filters a set of hidden/background system apps and deduplicates apps using a stable identifier (`bundleID`, or path when `bundleID` is missing).
## Folder and Layout Behavior
- Long press any icon to enter edit mode
- Drag app onto app to create a folder (`New Folder` by default)
- Drag app onto folder to add it
- Reorder apps inside an expanded folder
- Drag app out of expanded folder to remove it
- Folder is removed automatically if only one app remains
- Reset layout clears saved custom order and folders, then restores alphabetical order
## Icon Pipeline
- Resolve symlink/canonical bundle path first
- Use `NSWorkspace` icon if it is not the generic app icon
- If generic icon is returned, load icon from bundle metadata (`CFBundleIconFile`, `CFBundleIconName`, etc.)
- If metadata icon is still unavailable, generate a consistent initials-based fallback icon
- Cache resized icons asynchronously and preload adjacent pages for smoother pagination
## Persistence
Launchpad_Back stores layout state in `UserDefaults`:
- `launchpad_item_order`
- `launchpad_folders`
## Project Structure
```text
Launchpad_Back/
├── Launchpad_BackApp.swift
├── ContentView.swift
├── Models/
│ └── AppItem.swift
├── Services/
│ ├── AppIconCache.swift
│ ├── AppIconResolver.swift
│ ├── AppLauncherService.swift
│ ├── AppScannerService.swift
│ ├── GestureManager.swift
│ ├── GridLayoutManager.swift
│ ├── KeyboardEventManager.swift
│ └── Logger.swift
├── ViewModels/
│ ├── EditModeManager.swift
│ ├── LaunchpadViewModel.swift
│ ├── PaginationViewModel.swift
│ └── SearchViewModel.swift
├── Views/
│ ├── AppIconView.swift
│ ├── BackgroundView.swift
│ ├── FolderExpandedView.swift
│ ├── PageIndicatorView.swift
│ └── SearchBarView.swift
└── Assets.xcassets/
```
## Requirements
- macOS 15.6 or later
- Xcode 26.0 or later
## Build
1. Clone the repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/EricYang801/Launchpad_Back.git
cd Launchpad_Back
```
2. Open in Xcode:
```bash
open Launchpad_Back.xcodeproj
```
3. Build and run:
- Select `My Mac`
- Press `Cmd + R`
Or build from Terminal:
```bash
xcodebuild build -scheme Launchpad_Back -destination 'platform=macOS'
```
## Tests
Run unit tests:
```bash
xcodebuild test -scheme Launchpad_Back -destination 'platform=macOS' -only-testing:Launchpad_BackTests
```
Current test suite covers:
- icon resolution for direct path, symlink path, metadata fallback, and generated fallback icons
- icon cache behavior for canonical paths, concurrent requests, and in-flight async request joining
- folder creation/add/remove/delete and saved-order restore
- reset layout behavior
- search matching by app name, bundle ID, and path
- pagination slicing, bounds checks, and page validation
- basic `SearchViewModel` behavior
## License
This project is licensed under GPL-3.0. See [LICENSE](./LICENSE).