flow-launcher/flow.launcher

Flow Launcher is a quick file search and application launcher for Windows. Instead of clicking through the Start menu or File Explorer, the user opens a small search bar with a keyboard shortcut, types a few letters, and Flow shows matching apps, files, and other actions to run. The README compares it in spirit to Alfred on macOS and presents it as community-driven and open-source. Installation is offered in several ways. There is a regular Windows 10 or later installer, a portable version that runs without installing, and one-line commands for the popular Windows package managers Winget, Scoop, and Chocolatey. An early access build is also available through a separate prereleases repository. The README warns that the first launch may trigger a Windows security prompt because the build is not code-signed. The features section lists what Flow can search and do. It finds applications, files, and file contents, working with the Everything indexer or the built-in Windows Index, and it understands environment variable paths. It can run web searches, open URLs, and find browser bookmarks. It exposes Windows system commands like shutdown, lock, and settings, runs a built-in calculator whose result can be copied to the clipboard, and runs batch or PowerShell commands, including a Ctrl Shift Enter shortcut to run as Administrator. More practical features include saving file and folder locations for quick access, jumping to a path inside an Open or Save As dialog, dragging a result into File Explorer or Discord with Ctrl or Shift to switch between copy and move, and a preview panel toggled with F1 that shows media files as large images and other files with an icon and full path. Plugin result order can be reordered by priority. Flow can be customized in look and behavior. The README mentions adjustable window size, animations, sounds, dark mode, and many themes that users can also write themselves. It supports many languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Dutch, Polish, and several others, with Pinyin search for Chinese, and accepts translation contributions through Crowdin.