Quicksilver for Mac

Quicksilver — a compact launcher for macOS

Quicksilver is a fast keyboard-driven launcher for macOS that lets you open apps, folders, files, and perform actions with only a few keystrokes. It reduces hunting through Finder, adapts to the items it finds (so documents present editing/sending options and email messages offer message-related actions), and learns your habits to surface frequently used items. For users who prefer keyboard navigation, it remains a highly productive utility despite the improvements Apple has added to Spotlight and Finder.

If you want an alternative, CheatSheet (free) is often recommended for quick-access shortcuts and app references.

Why people rely on it

• A powerful, low-latency search that returns results quickly and lets you act on them immediately (launch, mail, move, etc.).
• Extensive plugin support that can extend functionality from iTunes control to dialing numbers and image/text transformations.
• Context-aware actions: the available commands change depending on the object type, so you get relevant choices automatically.
• The launcher adapts to your usage, ranking frequently used items higher over time.
• Highly customizable: plug-ins and settings let you tailor the tool to specific workflows.

Note: some users have reported occasional crashes; while infrequent, stability is the main drawback.

Recent additions and enhancements

• Release notes are displayed automatically after an update (this can be turned off via a hidden preference).
• Visual refreshes: new icons and a modernized bezel interface.
• Notification Center is supported as a notification backend for newer macOS versions.
• iCloud documents are now included when inspecting an app, and there’s a catalog preset for iCloud items.
• Alternate actions were made more visible in the Actions preferences, and holding the ? key chooses an alternate action when available.
• Several new alternate actions were added, including Move To, Copy To, Make Link In, Run at Time, and Open With.
• You can now decide which file types get preview icons by specifying UTIs in a hidden preference; by default it preserves previous behavior.
• Text entry mode now supports undo and substitutions, and Large Type works with text files.
• Non-admin users can install updates, and URL handling (including email-address URLs) was improved so links keep their order and titles are more accurate.
• Quick pane-clearing with ?U was added, plus descriptions for core actions and real-time updates for Recent Objects and Recent Commands.

Noteworthy bug fixes

• The correct name now displays after using Rename.
• When changing the trigger hotkey, the old hotkey is properly released.
• Catalog modifications are saved reliably when entries are removed.
• Item detail views and result-list icons now refresh correctly as information becomes available.
• Shortcuts that previously caused the app to freeze have been prevented from doing so.
• Proxy object handling was improved for download proxies and icon updates when underlying objects change.
• Triggers can reference multiple targets by separating entries with commas.
• The interface will now appear above full-screen apps, and text-entry cursor visibility was improved by matching color to text.
• Various crashes and visual glitches (including primer and docking window behavior) were addressed.
• Presets for Favorite Servers, Recent Servers, Disks, Finder toolbar/sidebar items, and printers were restored to working order.

Changes in behavior and UI

• When a label matches the search, the label is prioritized; the name is shown only if it’s different, and when both are shown they display as "label → name" (or similar).
• Details are shown whenever the interface supports them, and long details are truncated in the middle when needed.
• Paste and Rename are suppressed when multiple items are selected to avoid confusion.
• The interface stays open when a docking window (Shelf/Clipboard) appears, and many proxy objects were simplified or converted into regular objects with children.
• Deprecated elements and duplicates were removed (e.g., references to Sherlock and a duplicate Run action now provided by the Terminal plugin).
• The Move to Trash action is suppressed for files on network volumes and now gives clearer feedback if items can’t be trashed.
• The Open With action now enumerates all cataloged applications, and user-visible notifications replace many Console messages.

Developer and internal improvements

• Localization workflow and related tooling were improved.
• A dedicated type was added for web search URLs to make web searches more consistent.
• New helper methods and QSObject APIs were introduced for file checks (isPackage, isAlias, isDirectory, fileExtension, fileUTI) and other utilities.
• Icon-loading was reworked to load in the background more efficiently.
• Direct file-type handling now accepts UTIs in addition to extensions.
• Improvements to build/deploy scripts and methods for ranking objects (scored arrays) were added, along with other internal refinements and documentation style updates.

Overall, Quicksilver continues to be a flexible and extensible launcher for power users, with steady additions, bug fixes, and developer-focused enhancements that extend its usefulness.