A place for every Mac app.

Give each collection one job

A useful launcher layout does not need many folders. Start by separating three jobs: the main grid is your app library, folders group related tools, and Favorites holds the apps you reach for every day.

Sofla keeps those roles independent. Adding an app to Favorites does not require moving it out of a folder or changing the main grid. Recents is different again: it reflects launch history rather than a hand-picked order.

These instructions describe the native Mac app, with download availability and installation steps here. The browser demo lets you browse sample folders and switch collections, but does not implement editing or dragging your real layout.

Make folders around a task

Group apps by what you do with them. A “Writing” folder might contain a notes app, editor, and reference tool. A “Utilities” folder can hold apps you want to find visually without keeping them in the first row.

In the native app, drag apps into folders or use an app’s context menu. Move to Folder lists existing folders, and New folder with lets you start a folder with another app. Inside a folder, Move out of folder returns an app to the main grid.

These are launcher organization operations. They do not move the installed application bundle into a Finder folder.

Keep Favorites short

Open an app’s context menu and choose Add to Favorites. Use Remove from Favorites when it no longer belongs in your everyday set.

Begin with a small group you can scan at a glance. A browser, notes app, editor, calendar, and one project-specific tool may be enough. The right number is the one that makes choosing easier for you.

If you usually open the same few apps, select Favorites under Settings → General → Open to. The full library remains available when you need something else.

Hide clutter without uninstalling

Use Hide App for applications you do not want in Sofla’s visible collections or search results. Hiding in Sofla is not an uninstall operation, and it does not prevent launching the app through Finder or another launcher.

To restore an app, open Settings → Search & Apps, select the Hidden application filter, find the app, and choose Unhide.

Keep hiding distinct from Move to Trash, which is a separate native action with a confirmation. If your goal is only a cleaner grid, hiding is the relevant control.

Fit the grid to your screen

In Settings → Layout, adjust the columns, rows, and icon size. A denser layout shows more apps together; a roomier one makes icons easier to recognize. Change one setting at a time and see which feels more comfortable.

Sofla follows macOS appearance settings rather than adding a separate native theme system. The website’s light/dark toggle only changes the website.

Leave room to change your mind

Use Undo after an organization change you do not want to keep. If the layout has become hard to understand, the app menu also provides an alphabetical-order action.

Avoid reorganizing everything before trying the launcher. Arrange a few frequently used apps, open them for a while, and refine the layout around what you actually reach for. The keyboard guide shows how search can complement that arrangement.