Raycast is a launcher app that Apple would like to make

Raycast can also move and resize the currently open windows – for example, you can move one window to take up the left half of the screen and another to take up the right half. There is a built-in search tool for your contacts, allowing you to quickly find and copy any email address or phone number. There are even commands to quickly change the system, such as switching between dark mode and light mode, or putting the computer to sleep. You can even type in the word “Schedule” to see all of your calendar appointments; if it is an online meeting, press Enter to open the meeting.

I could go on but the best way to use Raycast is to just open it up and start typing what you want to do. Chances are, the app might work for you, and if not, then there’s an extension that might.

Plugins do more

Raycast can add even more features with extensions that allow the app to look up information from other apps. For example, I use Google Drive to collaborate with editors. Google workspace extension means I can open any document in my Drive with a couple of keystrokes. There is a similar extension for Spotify, allowing you to quickly find and listen to any album or playlist. There is an extension for password managers 1Password And Bitvorden, which means you can quickly find and copy passwords without even using a browser. There is an extension for quick search for animated GIFs.

And it gets even more abstruse – you can do things like install software using homebrew or even run terminal commands. Don’t worry if you don’t know what it is: the point is that you can customize just about anything you can imagine.

Installing them couldn’t be easier – just type the word “Store” into Raycast, press Enter, then search for the desired extension. you also can view store onlineIf you prefer.

Create keyboard shortcuts for anything

You can set up a universal keyboard shortcut for everything Raycast can do and this is possibly my favorite feature. You can create keyboard shortcuts to launch a specific application, for example, or to open any file. This also means that you can create your own keyboard shortcuts to quickly launch different kinds of searches.

Open Raycast, then type “General” and press Enter to open settings. Go to the Extensions tab and find the specific app or activity you want to create a keyboard shortcut for. Click the “Record Hotkey” option for this item and come up with a keyboard shortcut that won’t conflict with any others.

There are very few applications that have really changed the way I use my computer. Raycast is one of them. Everything I can think of is just a few keystrokes away, which means my only excuse for not doing more is the sheer amount of online distractions. This should be easy to overcome, right?