SwiftKey

Hackable Launcher

Right at your fingertips

Overview

SwiftKey is a powerful macOS productivity tool that provides quick access to applications, shortcuts, and custom actions through customizable keyboard shortcuts and an elegant overlay interface.

Installation

• Download the app from the Releases and drag it to your Applications folder
• ...or brew install --cask swiftkey (TBD, THIS IS NOT WORKING YET)

Features

• 🎯 Multiple overlay styles:
  • Panel mode with horizontal/vertical layouts
  • HUD mode for a compact interface
  • Menu bar mode for minimal interference
• ⌨️ Fully keyboard-driven interface
• 🔧 YAML-based configuration
• 🔄 Dynamic menu generation
• 🚀 Support for various action types:
  • Launch applications
  • Open URLs
  • Run shell commands
  • Execute Apple Shortcuts
• 🎨 SF Symbols integration for menu icons
• 🔍 Deep linking support
• 📦 Automatic updates with beta channel support

Installation

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page
2. Move SwiftKey.app to your Applications folder
3. Launch SwiftKey and follow the onboarding process

Configuration

SwiftKey uses YAML for configuration. Here's a basic example:

- key: "c"
  title: "Launch Notes"
  action: "launch:///System/Applications/Notes.app"

- key: "b"
  icon: "bookmark.fill"
  title: "Bookmarks"
  batch: true
  submenu:
    - key: "t"
      title: "TechCrunch"
      action: "open://https://techcrunch.com"
    - key: "v"
      title: "The Verge"
      action: "open://https://www.theverge.com"
    - key: "w"
      title: "Wired"
      action: "open://https://www.wired.com"
    - key: "a"
      title: "Ars Technica"
      action: "open://https://arstechnica.com"
    - key: "e"
      title: "Engadget"
      action: "open://https://www.engadget.com"

Action Types

• launch:// — Launch applications
• open:// — Open URLs
• shell:// — Execute shell commands
• shortcut:// — Run Apple Shortcuts
• dynamic:// — Generate dynamic menus

Menu Item Properties

• key — Single character trigger key
• icon — SF Symbol name or omit for automatic icons
• title — Display title
• action — Action to execute
• stick — Keep overlay open after execution (optional)
• notify — Show notification after execution (optional)
• batch — Execute all submenu items (optional). Alternative: hold ⌥ for batch execution.
• submenu — Nested menu items (optional)
• hotkey — Global keyboard shortcut (optional)

Global Hotkeys

SwiftKey allows you to assign global hotkeys to any menu item. Hotkeys work even when the overlay is not visible:

# Direct action hotkey
- key: "c"
  title: "Launch Calculator"
  action: "launch:///Applications/Calculator.app"
  hotkey: "cmd+ctrl+c"

# Submenu navigation hotkey
- key: "d"
  title: "Development"
  hotkey: "cmd+shift+d"  # Opens this submenu
  submenu:
    - key: "1"
      title: "VS Code"
      action: "launch:///Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"
    - key: "2"
      title: "Terminal"
      action: "launch:///System/Applications/Terminal.app"

# Nested submenu with hotkey
- key: "u"
  title: "Utilities"
  submenu:
    - key: "s"
      title: "System Tools"
      hotkey: "alt+cmd+s"  # Direct access to this submenu
      submenu:
        - key: "1"
          title: "Activity Monitor"
          action: "launch:///System/Applications/Activity Monitor.app"

Supported hotkey formats:

• Modifiers: cmd, ctrl, alt, shift
• Keys: letters, numbers, function keys (f1-f12), arrows, and special keys
• Examples:
  • cmd+shift+a
  • ctrl+alt+p
  • cmd+f12
  • shift+space

Hotkeys can:

1. Execute actions directly — work globally without showing the overlay
2. Open specific submenus

Deep Linking

SwiftKey supports deep linking through the swiftkey:// URL scheme: swiftkey://open?path=a,b,c

This opens the menu and navigates through the specified path.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.