Overview
Applistor Launcher is a lightweight Windows 10/11 app launcher that puts all your programs, shortcuts, and files in one clean, searchable window. Instead of hunting through your Start menu, Desktop, or scattered folders, you open one panel, type a couple of letters, and hit Enter — your app is running. It ships with a set of ready-to-go tiles (Gemini, Claude, X, TradingView, CryptoQuant, YouTube, Telegram) and lets you add your own in seconds by dragging any file onto the window.
It’s built for people who live on their PC all day — traders, creators, developers, power users — and want a single fast hub for everything they open constantly. The interface is modern and minimal, with both dark and light themes, smooth hover effects, and an emoji icon for every app so the list stays easy to scan.
Everything you configure is saved locally to a small apps_config.json file next to the program, so your app list and theme choice come back exactly as you left them every time you open it. There are no accounts required to use it and nothing is uploaded — an optional Google sign-in is available purely as a convenience pill in the corner.
Key features
One-click launching
Every app appears as a card with an icon, name, and short description. Click anywhere on a card and the app launches instantly, with a status message confirming it started.
Instant search
A search bar at the top filters your apps live as you type, matching on both the name and the description. Press Enter and it launches the first match — so “tra” + Enter can open TradingView without ever touching the mouse.
Launch All
One button starts every app in your list, one after another, for people who open the same stack of tools every morning.
Drag files in to add apps
Drag any .exe, .bat, .cmd, .ps1, .py, .lnk, or .url file (or really any file) onto the window and it’s added automatically as a new card. It picks a sensible icon based on the file type, cleans up the name, and remembers the folder it came from.
Drag apps out to Desktop, Explorer, or Google Drive
Grab a card and drag it out of the launcher onto your Desktop, any open File Explorer folder, or a Google Drive folder. Applistor Launcher detects exactly which window you dropped it on, creates a proper Windows shortcut (.lnk) there, and removes the tile from the launcher — effectively “moving” the app out to wherever you want it.
Easy removal, three ways
Each card has a small trash icon for a quick delete (with a confirm prompt), there’s a dedicated Remove App dialog listing everything for bulk cleanup, and dragging a card out also removes it.
Dark / Light theme
A single toggle switches the whole interface between a deep dark mode and a bright light mode. Your choice is saved and restored automatically.
Optional Google sign-in
A Google button in the header lets you sign in with your Google account (via a secure local loopback flow); it shows your username as a profile pill. This is optional and not required to launch anything.
Remembers everything
Your full app list, custom icons, and theme are stored locally and reloaded on every startup. Nothing is bundled or sent anywhere.
How to use
- Open Applistor Launcher. You’ll see the header bar with the search box below it, and your apps listed as cards. On first run it comes preloaded with a handful of common apps.
- Launch an app. Click any card. The app opens right away and the status bar at the bottom confirms it (e.g. “⚡ Launched TradingView”).
- Search and launch by keyboard. Click the search box (or just start typing — it’s focused on open), type part of an app’s name or description, and the list narrows instantly. Press Enter to launch the top match without using the mouse.
- Launch everything at once. Click 🚀 Launch All in the top-right to start your entire list in sequence.
- Add a new app. Drag a program, shortcut, script, or .url file from your Desktop or File Explorer and drop it anywhere on the Applistor Launcher window. It appears as a new card immediately and is saved to your config.
- Move an app out. Press and hold on a card and drag it out of the window. A drop bar appears at the bottom reminding you that you can drop onto the Desktop, File Explorer, or Google Drive. Release over the folder you want — a shortcut is created there and the card leaves your launcher.
- Remove apps. Click the small 🗑️ on a card for a quick delete, or use 🗑️ Remove App in the header to open a list and remove items in bulk. Each quick delete asks for confirmation first.
- Switch theme. Click the Light / Dark toggle in the header to flip the look. It’s remembered next time.
- (Optional) Sign in with Google. Click G Sign in to connect a Google account; your browser opens for a moment and returns you to a profile pill showing your name. Click it again to sign out.