How to Launch Apps Faster on Mac Without Spotlight

Spotlight is great for finding a file or doing a quick calculation, but for the same 15 apps you open every day, typing a name and pressing Return is extra work. If you want to open your daily apps with a single click and no typing, put them on a bar that is always on screen.

Short answer: the best app for one-click launching of your daily apps, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it adds up to four extra docks to the edges of your screen, or floating anywhere, each with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

Why Spotlight is not ideal for daily launching

Spotlight is a search tool. You press Command-Space, type, check the results, and press Return. That works, but the result list depends on what Spotlight indexes and ranks. When you type "No", you might see Notes, a document called "November report" or a contact before the app you meant. For apps you open on reflex, that small uncertainty adds up.

The Dock covers a handful of apps, but it is one flat row and gets crowded (see too many apps in the Dock). On macOS 15 and earlier, Launchpad shows your installed apps in a full-screen grid. On macOS 26 Tahoe, Launchpad was replaced by the Apps view; our note on what changed in Tahoe explains it.

Every built-in way to open an app is listed in how to find and open apps on Mac, and the tools around launching in Mac productivity tools for app launching.

Launch by clicking, not typing

Jetty gives you bars of tiles on your screen. Click a tile and the app opens. There is nothing to type and nothing to scroll through.

Here is how it works:

• A bar is pinned to the top, bottom, left or right edge of your main screen, or unlocked so you can drag it anywhere.
• You can have up to four bars at a time.
• Each bar can have tabs, so one bar can hold "Daily", "Design" and "Dev" sets of tiles.
• Drag apps from Finder onto a bar to add them, and drag tiles to reorder them.
• Bars float above normal windows and stay on screen when you switch desktops.

Muscle memory over search

Because tiles stay where you put them, you build spatial memory. After a few days you reach for the same spot without reading labels. That is the main advantage over a text search: the result does not change.

Good for people who remember icons, not names

If you recognize an app by its icon more than by its name, a visual set of tiles suits you. You can also give a tile a custom label, or use an SF Symbol or emoji as its icon.

What Jetty does not do

Jetty is not a search launcher. It has no text search and no key command to open it, so it will not replace Spotlight, Raycast or Alfred for typing-based launching. It also does not scan your whole Mac for apps. You add the tiles you want.

Many people use both: Spotlight for the occasional app, and Jetty for the dozen apps they open daily.

Set it up in a few minutes

1. Open Jetty and create a bar. New bars start on the top edge.
2. Drag your five most-used apps from Finder onto the bar.
3. Make a second tab for another group of apps if you want one.
4. Turn on Launch at login in Settings so the bars are there after a restart.

If you also want more room on screen, you can pair this with a hidden Dock; see how to hide the Dock.

If Launchpad is what feels slow, see Mac Launchpad too slow?.

How we checked

Jetty's details on this page were checked against the app's source code and its App Store listing on 2026-10-10 and are collected on the facts page; I build Jetty. For built-in macOS steps, Apple's Mac User Guide is the reference for your version of macOS.

FAQ

How can I open apps quickly on a Mac?

Our pick, in my opinion as its developer, is a Jetty bar: a one-click tile needs no typing at all. Typing in Spotlight (Command-Space) is the free built-in option and is quick if you know the name.

Can I open apps on Mac without Spotlight or the Dock?

Yes. Our pick is Jetty, which keeps tiles on a screen-edge bar (I build it). Built in, you can use Finder, or the Apps view or Launchpad depending on your macOS version.

Can I open Jetty with a key press or search for apps in it?

No. Jetty is click-based. You open apps by clicking tiles on a bar.

Will Jetty start automatically when I log in?

Yes, if you switch on Launch at login in its Settings.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.