Open your Mac apps with the keyboard.

The three-part habit

Open the launcher, type part of an app’s name, and press Return. That is the basic Sofla workflow. If more than one app matches, use the arrow keys to select the one you want first.

In the native app, the default opening shortcut is Option–Space. It can be changed in Settings. Check download availability, or practice searching and selecting in the browser preview. The website does not register a global Mac shortcut.

Practice in the browser

1. Go to the interactive launcher and click its search field.
2. Type cal. Calculator and Calendar appear in the sample results.
3. Press the Right arrow to select Calendar. Press Left to return to Calculator.
4. Press Return to simulate opening the selected app.
5. Choose Keep exploring or press Escape to return to the same query.
6. Press Escape again to clear the search and return to the collection.

The four plain arrow keys navigate app results even while the search field has focus. They do not move the text cursor. You can continue typing after moving the selection, without clicking the field again.

The browser simulation never opens applications on your computer. Its Recents collection updates with the sample apps you try.

Keyboard reference

Key	In Sofla’s launcher
Option–Space	Default shortcut to show the native launcher
Type an app name	Filter installed applications
Left / Right	Move the app selection horizontally
Up / Down	Move the app selection vertically
Return	Open the selected app or folder
Escape	Back out of the current search or folder

The website keeps Tab navigation available so you can enter and leave the demo normally. Modified text-editing shortcuts, such as Shift plus an arrow to select text, remain available in its search field. Input-method composition is allowed to handle its own keys.

Choose a shortcut that does not conflict

In the native app, open Settings → General → Keyboard shortcut and record your preferred combination. If it is already in use, choose another. This is particularly useful when you keep another launcher alongside Sofla.

The Open to setting in General lets the launcher start with All Apps, Favorites, or Recents. Choose the collection that makes the first keypress useful for your work.

Use the name you naturally type

If an application’s official name is not the word you remember, add a search alias in the native app. Open the app’s context menu, choose Search aliases…, and add the name you want to use.

An alias changes how you find an app inside Sofla. It does not rename the installed application. Hidden apps are excluded from the launcher’s visible catalog, so an alias is not a way to search an intentionally hidden app.

If a result is missing, check the missing-app guide. For a more visual setup, use folders and Favorites alongside keyboard launching.