Flow-Launcher / Flow.Launcher
:mag: Quick file search & app launcher for Windows with community-made plugins
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Repository Summary (README)
Preview🚗 Getting Started
Installation
Windows 10+ Installer or Portable Version
Winget
winget install "Flow Launcher"
Scoop
scoop install Flow-Launcher
Chocolatey
choco install Flow-Launcher
When installing for the first time Windows may raise an issue about security due to code not being signed, if you downloaded from this repo then you are good to continue the set up.
Or download the early access version.
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144858082-8b654daf-60fb-4ee6-89b2-6183b73510d1.png" width="100%">🎁 Features
Applications & Files
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/145332614-74909973-f6eb-47c2-8235-289931e30718.png" width="400">- Search for apps, files or file contents.
- Supports Everything and Windows Index.
- Supports search using environment variable paths.
Web Searches & URLs
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144517502-5325de01-d0d9-4c2e-aafb-33c3f5d82f81.png" width="400"> <img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144831031-0e01e8ea-3247-4ba4-a7b4-48b0db620bc1.png" width="400"> <img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/222829602-aabb1144-db5c-4250-b5ae-66f8342e4ae4.png" width="400">Browser Bookmarks
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207143428-e6406306-4f1e-4c24-917d-d2a333d5dc2b.png" width="400">System Commands
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144517557-9b5b82fc-6408-48a0-af59-69b385a0782e.png" width="400">- Provides system related commands. shutdown, lock, settings, etc.
- System command list
Calculator
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207142449-7de0c30d-8d5b-4331-967e-f3e78c17ea93.png" width="400">- Do mathematical calculations and copy the result to clipboard.
Shell Command
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207142197-9e910147-96a9-466e-bbc4-b1163314ef59.png" width="400">- Run batch and PowerShell commands as Administrator or a different user.
- <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>Enter</kbd> to Run as Administrator.
Explorer
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207145376-fbb68ec2-93b9-4b0f-befe-0aeb792367a7.png" width="400">- Save file or folder locations for quick access.
Windows & Control Panel Settings
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207140658-52c1bea6-5b14-4db8-ae35-acc65e6bda85.png" width="400">- Search for Windows & Control Panel settings.
Dialog Jump
<img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/046c00da-6e4e-4960-8424-b413852300ad" width="400"/>- Search for a file/folder and quickly jump to its path in the Open/Save As dialog window.
- Use <kbd>Alt</kbd>+<kbd>G</kbd> to quickly jump the Open/Save As dialog window path to the path of the active file manager.
Drag & Drop
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207159486-1993510f-09f2-4e33-bba7-4ca59ca1bc5a.png" width="400">- Drag a file/folder to File Explorer, or even Discord.
- Copy/move behavior can be changed via <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> or <kbd>Shift</kbd>, and the operation is displayed on the mouse cursor.
Priority
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144517677-857a2b0a-4b94-4be0-bc89-f35723ecddf9.png" width="400">- Prioritize the order of each plugin's results.
Preview Panel
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207159213-662999d3-2c18-4256-b473-c417efca0069.png" width="400">- Use <kbd>F1</kbd> to toggle the preview panel.
- Media files will be displayed as large images, otherwise a large icon and full path will be displayed.
- Turn on preview permanently via Settings (Always Preview).
- Use <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>+</kbd>/<kbd>-</kbd> and <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>[</kbd>/<kbd>]</kbd> to adjust search window width and height quickly if the preview area is too narrow.
Customizations
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144693887-1b92ed16-dca1-4b7e-8644-5e9524cdfb31.gif" width="400">- Window size adjustment, animation, and sound
- Color Scheme (aka Dark Mode)
- There are various themes and you also can make your own.
Date & Time Display In Search Window
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207159348-8b0c7a2b-0836-4764-916b-e0236087f7f3.png" width="400">- Display date and time in search window.
💬 Languages
- Supports languages from Chinese to Italian and more.
- Supports Pinyin (拼音) search.
- Crowdin support for language translations.
Portable
- Fully portable.
- Type
flow user datato open your saved user settings folder. They are located at:- If using roaming:
%APPDATA%\FlowLauncher - If using portable, by default:
%localappdata%\FlowLauncher\app-<VersionOfYourFlowLauncher>\UserData - Type
open log locationto open your logs folder, they are saved along with your user settings folder.
- If using roaming:
🎮 Game Mode
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/207144711-0c5f8b2b-4b1b-44c8-b23e-c123f6b05146.png" width="200">- Pause hotkey activation when you are playing games.
- When in search window use <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>F12</kbd> to toggle on/off.
- Type
Toggle Game Mode
📦 Plugins
- Support wide range of plugins. Visit here for our plugin portfolio.
- Publish your own plugin to Flow! Create plugins in:
SpotifyPremium
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533469-da920295-8c36-46e8-89eb-a9cdd94b74ef.png" width="400">Steam Search
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533523-afd79dca-a444-40e5-b2d9-6d3fe3aaece1.png" width="400">Clipboard+
<img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4a001dc9-0895-4670-a911-e5b81c70f571" width="400">Home Assistant Commander
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533538-3caa2944-3037-4755-87b9-70fa918d2efa.png" width="400">Colors
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533487-2caff162-a8f6-4577-af3f-d1b05d423ee4.png" width="400">GitHub
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533497-8677f800-95c5-4758-8ca3-c96333ee1943.png" width="400">Window Walker
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144533517-07bf011f-726c-4221-8657-0e442eca8a82.png" width="400">......and more!
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144858082-8b654daf-60fb-4ee6-89b2-6183b73510d1.png" width="100%">🛒 Plugin Store
<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher.PluginsManifest@plugin_api_v2/assets/plugin_store.png" width="700">-
You can view the full plugin list or quickly install a plugin via the Plugin Store menu inside Settings
-
or type
pminstall/uninstall/update+ the plugin name in the search window,
⌨️ Hotkeys
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| <kbd>Alt</kbd>+<kbd>Space</kbd> | Open search window (default and configurable) |
| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Execute |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Enter</kbd> | Open containing folder |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>Enter</kbd> | Run as admin |
| <kbd>↑</kbd>/<kbd>↓</kbd>, <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>Tab</kbd>/<kbd>Tab</kbd> | Previous / Next result |
| <kbd>←</kbd>/<kbd>→</kbd> | Back to result / Open Context Menu |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>O</kbd> , <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>Enter</kbd> | Open Context Menu |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Tab</kbd> | Autocomplete |
| <kbd>F1</kbd> | Toggle Preview Panel (default and configurable) |
| <kbd>Esc</kbd> | Back to results / hide search window |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd> | Copy folder / file |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd> | Copy folder / file path |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>I</kbd> | Open Flow's settings |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>R</kbd> | Run the current query again (refresh results) |
| <kbd>F5</kbd> | Reload all plugin data |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>F12</kbd> | Toggle Game Mode when in search window |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>+</kbd>,<kbd>-</kbd> | Adjust maximum results shown |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>[</kbd>,<kbd>]</kbd> | Adjust search window width |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>H</kbd> | Open search history |
| <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Backspace</kbd> | Back to previous directory |
| <kbd>PageUp</kbd>/<kbd>PageDown</kbd> | Previous / Next Page |
System Command List
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Shutdown | Shutdown computer |
| Restart | Restart computer |
| Restart With Advanced Boot Options | Restart the computer with Advanced Boot option for safe and debugging modes |
| Log Off/Sign Out | Log off |
| Lock | Lock computer |
| Sleep | Put computer to sleep |
| Hibernate | Hibernate computer |
| Empty Recycle Bin | Empty recycle bin |
| Open Recycle Bin | Open recycle bin |
| Exit | Close Flow Launcher |
| Save Settings | Save all Flow Launcher settings |
| Restart Flow Launcher | Restart Flow Launcher |
| Settings | Tweak this app |
| Reload Plugin Data | Refreshes plugin data with new content |
| Check For Update | Check for new Flow Launcher update |
| Open Log Location | Open Flow Launcher's log location |
| Index Option | Open Windows Search Index window |
| Flow Launcher Tips | Visit Flow Launcher's documentation for more help and usage tips |
| Flow Launcher UserData Folder | Open the location where Flow Launcher's settings are stored |
| Toggle Game Mode | Toggle Game Mode |
| Set Flow Launcher Theme | Set the Flow Launcher Theme |
💁♂️ Tips
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144858082-8b654daf-60fb-4ee6-89b2-6183b73510d1.png" width="100%">Sponsors
<p align="center"> <a href="https://coderabbit.ai/"> <img src="https://github.com/Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher/assets/6903107/7c996d74-0c69-4011-922f-a95ca7e874b0" width="30%" alt="Coderabbit Logo" /> </a> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://github.com/TheBestPessimist"> <img src='https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/4482210?v=4' width="10%"/> </a> <a href="https://github.com/Calapine"> <img src='https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/76205879?v=4' width="10%"/> </a> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://appwrite.io"> <img src='https://appwrite.io/assets/logotype/white.svg' width="30%" alt="Appwrite Logo" /> </a> <br /> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/itsonlyfrans"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/46535667?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/atilford"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/13649625?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/andreqramos"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/49326063?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/benello"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/55357205?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/Yuba4"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/46278200?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/Mavrik327"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/121626149?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/tikkatek"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/26571381?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/patrickdobler"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/16536946?v=4" width="10%" /></a> <a href="https://github.com/benflap"><img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/62034481?v=4" width="10%" /></a> </p>Mentions
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144858082-8b654daf-60fb-4ee6-89b2-6183b73510d1.png" width="100%">❔ Questions/Suggestions
Yes please, let us know in the Q&A section. Join our community on Discord!
<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6903107/144858082-8b654daf-60fb-4ee6-89b2-6183b73510d1.png" width="100%">Development
Localization
Our project localization is based on Crowdin. If you would like to change them, please go to https://crowdin.com/project/flow-launcher.
WPF UI Library
Our UI library is using iNKORE.UI.WPF.Modern.
<a href="https://docs.inkore.net/ui-wpf-modern/introduction"> <img src="https://github.com/iNKORE-NET/UI.WPF.Modern/blob/main/assets/images/banners/UI.WPF.Modern_Main_1280w.png?raw=true" alt="iNKORE.UI.WPF.Modern" width="400"> </a>New Changes
All changes to Flow are captured via pull requests. Some new changes may have been merged but are still pending release. This means that while a change may not exist in the current release, it may have been accepted and merged into the dev branch and is available as a pre-release download. It is therefore a good idea to search through the open and closed pull requests before you start to make changes to ensure the change you intend to make is not already done.
Each of the pull requests will be marked with a milestone indicating the planned release version for the change.
Contributing
Contributions are very welcome, in addition to the main project (C#) there are also documentation (md), website (html/css) and others that can be contributed to. If you are unsure of a change you want to make, let us know in the Discussions, otherwise feel free to submit a pull request.
You will find the main goals of Flow placed under the Projects board, so feel free to contribute on that. If you would like to make small incremental changes, feel free to do so as well.
Get in touch if you would like to join the Flow-Launcher Team and help build this great tool.
Developing/Debugging
-
Flow Launcher's target framework is .Net 9
-
Install Visual Studio 2022 (v17.12+)
-
Install .Net 9 SDK
- via Visual Studio installer
- via winget
winget install Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.9 - Manually from here