A popular replacement is the app launcher—a floating search bar triggered by a keyboard shortcut—that offers combined file searches and easy access to any app on your system. They’re a dime a dozen, but one of the most impressive is Flow Launcher, and not simply because it checks the boxes of being both open source and completely free.
Flow Launcher—or Flow to its devotees—provides you with the means to search (and open) apps, system settings, files, and the web from a single location, accessible from anywhere on your system via your choice of hotkey. But thanks to its modular construction, that barely scratches the surface of what you can configure it to do. We’ll show you how to get it set up, perform searches, and fine-tune those searches to better suit the way you work. We’ll also reveal how to expand its capabilities further via a library of over 180 plugins, giving you access to a wide range of search tools and add-ons that expand Flow’s capabilities further.
1 GET SET UP
Head to www.flowlauncher.com and click ‘Download’, where you’ll find links to both installer and portable builds, as well as command-line package managers Winget, Scoop, and Choco. In most cases, you’ll want the installer, so click this to save ‘Flow-Launcher-Setup.exe’ to your ‘Downloads’ folder, then double-click it and follow the prompts. If the SmartScreen filter pops up, click ‘More Info’ followed by ‘Run Anyway’.
Work your way through the setup wizard, which introduces the basic concepts, such as the Alt-Space keyboard shortcut that brings up Flow’s floating launcher. If this shortcut is already registered to another app (such as PowerToys Run), you should be alerted via a pop-up.
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Maximum PC.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Maximum PC.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Google Gemini vs. ChatGPT
Which LLM currently holds the crown?
Frostpunk 2
Endure a blizzard of tough choices and lasting consequences in the survival city builder sequel
Elgato Facecam Neo
Always sees us in the best light but lacks focus: 8/10 boyfriend, er, camera
Elgato Wave Neo
The Kanye West of mics: Easy to get into, but a little weird
Razer BlackWidow V4 75%
Solid and compact, with hot-swappable switches
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
Razer's pro controller is even better than Microsoft's
Acer Predator GM712
2008 called, it wants its projector back
AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL
A chair as big and as comfortable as they come
Gigabyte F027Q2
Speed is of the essence with this OLED screen
Acer Nitro 14
AMD puts on a good show, but it still lacks punch