SpaceLauncher 3.3 makes hint timing clearer, brings Tab Slot into the normal Open URL editor, and improves runtime reliability.
- Changed hint window delay timing so it starts after the leader key is ready to accept trigger keys. New installs now default this delay to 0 seconds; existing settings are preserved, but trying 0 is recommended because the hint window then becomes a direct signal that trigger keys can be pressed.
- Added Tab Slot options to Open URL actions for reusing one browser tab instead of opening duplicate tabs.
- Improved runtime responsiveness by moving the event tap onto a dedicated engine thread and caching per-event binding and search state.
- Improved app-specific shortcut matching for symlinked or differently spelled app paths.
- Improved CLI writes so app-owned configuration fields are preserved when bindings are edited by automation tools.
- Fixed shortcut recording so Key Bindings window commands no longer fire while recording a shortcut.
- Fixed hint search key handling so search key releases are suppressed after search closes and prefix search results select the intended shortcut.
- Fixed an issue where the hint window could appear late and remain visible after releasing a hold leader while a shortcut switched to another app.
SpaceLauncher 3.2 focuses on faster Key Bindings editing, clearer shortcut discovery, and safer recovery when configuration or notification delivery fails.
- Added a keyboard shortcut bar to Key Bindings, with a More menu entry for showing or hiding it using ?.
- Improved Key Bindings keyboard navigation with shortcuts for creating, editing, enabling, deleting, moving through, and expanding or collapsing shortcuts.
- Improved Outline view for multi-key shortcuts with selectable prefix groups, editable group names, more stable scrolling, and clearer branch behavior.
- Added inspector section shortcuts for jumping between Shortcut, Action, Parameters, App Scope, and After Running settings.
- Improved shortcut recording with record-again flows, outside-click cancellation, clearer conflict feedback, and live shortcut availability previews.
- Improved hint search with Command-N for creating a key binding from search and clearer Search Trigger conflict handling.
- Refined hold-leader delay settings so timing delays apply only to tap-preserving hold leader keys. Dedicated hold leader keys now become ready immediately, and very low delay values are clamped to safer ranges.
- Added automatic configuration backups, restore options, sanitized recovery diagnostics, and fallback toasts when configuration-save notifications cannot be delivered.
- Improved disabled-application overlay handling, input activity diagnostics, and event-tap recovery notes.
SpaceLauncher 3.1 is the stable rollup of the 3.0 series, focused on faster shortcut discovery and more reliable leader-key behavior.
New since 3.0.17
- Added hint search across all leaders. Hold or tap your leader key, press the Search Trigger, then type to find shortcuts. You can change the Search Trigger in Key Bindings > Options > Hints > Search Trigger.
Included from the 3.0 series
- Added the modern Key Bindings editor, Outline view for multi-key shortcut trees, prefix group names, and clearer conflict details.
- Improved the hint window with branch previews, usage-aware emphasis, tap-leader countdowns, an optional classic layout, and more reliable resizing.
- Improved Space typing and leader-key reliability across fast typing, disabled applications, secure input, modifier-tap leaders, and event-tap recovery.
- Improved app-specific bindings, import/export, license management, update handling, and compatibility with existing preferences.
- Added app interface localization across 10 additional languages and in-app support for contacting SpaceLauncher.
- Added the Outline view for browsing multi-key shortcut trees, with prefix group names for organizing shortcuts in the Outline view and hint window.
- Improved the hint window with branch previews, a tap-leader timeout countdown, usage-aware emphasis, and an optional classic layout.
- Improved the Key Bindings editor with resizable inspector panels, a larger prefix-name edit target, and clearer hint settings in General.
- Improved Accessibility and notification permission guidance so SpaceLauncher can recover or explain what is needed without interrupting setup as abruptly.
- Fixed additional leader-key edge cases involving duplicate hold leaders, modifier-tap shortcuts, secure input, and recovery after macOS disables the event tap.
- Added app interface localization across 10 additional languages.
- Improved the Key Bindings editor with clearer app display, conflict details, and action controls.
- Improved Space typing and leader-key reliability while SpaceLauncher is running.
- New key bindings now default to Open App for faster setup.
- Added an in-app support form for sending messages directly from SpaceLauncher.
- Fixed Space-drag gestures in apps such as Photoshop, so holding Space to pan the canvas can work alongside SpaceLauncher shortcuts.
- Fixed hold-leader shortcuts so actions that switch apps keep the leader state correctly for follow-up trigger keys.
- Improved hint window resizing and layout for longer shortcut lists.
- Fixed disabled-application handling for apps that use floating or overlay windows.
- Improved menu command actions so menu titles with Apple-style punctuation are matched more reliably.
- Fixed the Key Bindings inspector so selecting a different key binding updates the action details immediately.
- Improved the Key Bindings editor with a side panel for adding, duplicating, and editing bindings.
- Added support for reordering columns in the Key Bindings table.
- Improved shortcut conflict validation and clearer conflict details when creating bindings.
- Added Insert Text actions for reusable text snippets, with cursor placeholder support.
- Added notification actions and notification click behavior.
- Added precise delay controls so leader-key and hint-window timing can be typed directly, with values preserved to milliseconds.
- Improved delay adjustment arrows so they snap to friendly increments while still allowing precise custom values.
- Improved normal typing reliability and fast Space typing behavior while SpaceLauncher is running.
- Fixed hint window reliability issues, including delayed hints, stale hints after switching apps, and stuck hint windows.
- Restored legacy hint text emphasis while keeping the colors readable in both light and dark mode.
- Fixed a visual issue in the Key Bindings table where target text could overlap on some macOS versions.
- Improved display of HTML descriptions in key bindings, including UTF-8 text handling.
- Fixed the downloadable app package so it passes Apple notarization and Gatekeeper validation.
- Major update for the SpaceLauncher 3 series with a modern key binding manager and Settings window.
- Improved leader key handling, shortcut recording, app-specific bindings, and compatibility with existing preferences.
- Added key binding import/export improvements and a more complete key binding management workflow.
- Added license management improvements and more reliable update handling.
- Fixed hint delay.
- Refined "Open App" action settings by integrating "Hide App If Running" into "Action If Already Running" and adding a "Switch to Previous App" option.
- Fixed Run AppleScript action crash
- Fixed an issue where Simulate Keystroke actions would not be executed immediately, and would only be triggered on the next action.
- Provided more options for "After space key down, ignore pre-defined keys within x seconds" to cater to version 1.x users' habits.
- If "Launch at login" option is enabled, the settings window will not be displayed when SpaceLauncher is launched as a login item.
- Added the ability to continuously trigger multiple actions by holding down the leader key and pressing different trigger keys.
- You can now prevent triggering other actions after executing a specific one by enabling "End Leader Key State After Action Execution" for that action. This setting is particularly useful when your action activates a floating window and you want to avoid having your window resign.
- All delay options are now grouped under the Advanced settings.
- Added a "Never" option to the "After space key down, ignore pre-defined keys within x seconds" setting for backward compatibility, but its usage is not recommended.
- Added an action for switching input methods.
- Fixed issues with the Simulate Keystroke action.
- Fixed UI jitter in the settings page.
- Fixed an issue where holding down the space key and triggering multiple actions could unexpectedly terminate and prevent further triggering of actions with trigger keys.
- In the "Disable in these applications" setting, a display of the most recently used leader keys in applications has been added to facilitate disabling applications that conflict with SpaceLauncher.
This is a major update with many new features.
- Added app-specific key bindings.
- Added leader key settings.
- More actions
- Run Menu Command
- Open App with arguments
- Open File/Folder with give applications
- Sleep
- Leader Key Indicator
For example, pressing Space-C in TextEdit performs a Duplicate action, but pressing Space-C in Finder performs a Compress action. (via the new Run Command Menu)
You hold down spacebar while pressing a key to perform an action, now the spacebar can be changed, I refer to the spacebar as a leader key. See [more details](/references/leader-key).
It is also possible to set different key bindings for different leader keys.
This may not be necessary for you, but it is more fun.
A blue icon is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen after leader keys are pressed.
When displayed, it indicates that trigger keys can be pressed to perform an action.
If you encounter any issues, please don't hesitate to contact me via the support page.
SpaceLauncher 1.6
- Added preferences export/import
- Removed usage column
- Updated minimum deployment target to 11.0
- Fixed hint window display issues.
- Notarized by Apple. (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/notarizing_macos_software_before_distribution)
- Removed the experimental functions added previously in the 1.5.0-alpha and 1.5.0-beta versions.
- Fixed keystroke simulation issues.
- Fixed "Add Child Key" issue.
- Fixed keystroke simulation issue.
- Added repeated keystroke simulation support.
- Fixed issues that slow down users' normal typing.
- Fixed "Disable in these applications"
- Changed command and control keystrokes are not treated as normal typing.
- Updated third-party frameworks.
- Added configuration file auto backup (~/Library/Application Support/name.guoc.SpaceLauncher/backups/).
- Added hide-app-if-running URL parameter. (e.g. file:///Applications/Notes.app?hide-app-if-running=yes)
- Added switch-to-previous-app URL parameter. (e.g. file:///Applications/Notes.app?switch-to-previous-app=yes)
- Fixed an issue where Finder's windows could not appear.
- Added Internet connection information for LittleSnitch Connection Alert.
- Fixed some keystroke simulation issues.
- In hint windows, hide URLs if comments exist.
- Change hint window's text styles- Fix the crash caused by system time adjustment.
- Fix rows configuration failure caused by input source list loading failure.
- Fix wrong keys menu for non-default keyboard layout.
- Stop showing preferences window at launch.
- Stop reporting failures of accessing bundleURL of some apps.
- Add menu icon indicator to show your typing states (typing, spacebar down).
- Add option: show icon in menu bar.
- Support execution of AppleScript .scpt file and executable binary files.
- Add new URL query parameters: "execute-this-file", "percent-encoded-parameters" (separated by "::separator::").
- Now "reactivate-current-app" query parameter works for all URLs.
- Fix usage information does not update.
- Fix keystroke simulation settings' layout.
- Change "After space key down, ignore pre-defined keys within 0.2 seconds"'s default value to 0.
- Disable SpaceLauncher for 0.2 seconds (can be set) after your last typing.
- Add an option to show pre-release updates.
- Change the option name to "After space key down, ignore *pre-defined* keys within ..." to avoid confusion.
This feature requires Accessibility permission to decide the moments to disable/enable its functions when you start/finish typing. From this version, SpaceLauncher is not able to work without Accessibility permission.
- Add reactivate-current-app query parameter for built-in URL scheme.
Now you can switch input method without losing current focus. You need to reconfigure corresponding actions to add this parameter automatically, or append "?reactivate-current-app=yes" after the URLs manually.
- Add: configuration for disabling in some applications
- Add: switch to an input method
- Fix incorrect available keys' menu when add action with a selected sub row.
- Fix space input issue when recognition delay is set to 0.
- Initial release