Ueli for MAC

Free, open-source keystroke launcher for Mac: press a hotkey, type, and open apps, files, bookmarks, calculations and web searches from one box.

Ueli Overview

Ueli is a free, open-source keystroke launcher for macOS, Windows and Linux, in the same family as Spotlight and Alfred. Press Option+Space, start typing what you are looking for, move through the results with the arrow keys and press Return to launch the selected item. Cmd+K opens extra actions for a result, such as adding it to your favorites so that it always comes first in the list.

Most of what Ueli can do comes from extensions that you switch on and off in its settings. Each one you enable gets its own settings page. They cover application and file search, browser bookmarks, a calculator, currency and color conversion, Base64 conversion, password and UUID generators, web search, system commands and settings, a terminal launcher, and projects from VS Code and JetBrains Toolbox.

Ueli is made by Oliver Schwendener and released under the MIT license. It needs macOS 12 or later according to Homebrew's data for the app, and there are separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Be aware that the Mac builds are neither signed nor notarized, for cost reasons, the developer says. macOS blocks the app the first time you try to open it, so you have to go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway. The developer asks people to download Ueli only from ueli.app or its GitHub repository. Version 9.29.1 is a small maintenance update.

Key Features

Ueli puts your apps, files and small everyday tools behind one hotkey.

  • Global hotkey: Option+Space shows or hides the search window.
  • Application search: find and launch installed apps by typing.
  • File search: look for files from the same search box.
  • Browser bookmarks: open saved bookmarks without opening the browser first.
  • Favorites: keep frequently used items at the top of the results.
  • Quick tools: calculator, currency, color and Base64 conversion.
  • Generators: create passwords and UUIDs on the spot.
  • Extensions: turn each feature on or off and configure it in the settings.

What’s New in Version 9.29.1

Ueli 9.29.1 is a small maintenance release.

  • Prevents unnecessary rerenders when switching tabs in the settings window
  • Updates several dependencies

Ueli FAQ

Is Ueli free?

Yes. Ueli is free and open source under the MIT license.

What does Ueli do?

Ueli is a keystroke launcher. You press a hotkey, type what you are looking for and press Return to launch the selected result, such as an app, a file or a bookmark.

Why does macOS block Ueli when I open it?

The Mac builds of Ueli are neither signed nor notarized, for cost reasons, so macOS blocks the app the first time. Go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway.

Which hotkey opens Ueli?

Alt+Space, the Option and Space keys on a Mac keyboard, shows or hides Ueli by default.

Which macOS version does Ueli need?

Homebrew's data for the app lists macOS 12 or later.

Does Ueli run on Apple Silicon?

Yes. There are separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The Apple Silicon file names contain arm64.

What can Ueli extensions do?

They add features such as application and file search, browser bookmarks, a calculator, currency and color conversion, password and UUID generators, web search and a terminal launcher. You turn each one on or off in the settings.

How do I add an item to my favorites?

Select the result, press Cmd+K to open its additional actions and choose Add to Favorites. It will then always appear first in the results.

Can I install Ueli with Homebrew?

Not at the moment. Homebrew has disabled its ueli cask because the app fails the Gatekeeper check, so download it from the project's GitHub releases instead.

Where does the Ueli download on ueli.FULLMAC.app come from?

The download button leads to the official Ueli releases on GitHub at https://github.com/oliverschwendener/ueli/releases/latest. ueli.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.

Similar Apps

FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.