[Feature Request] Custom "App Groups" or "Collections" (One-to-Many Aliases) #4172
Description
Problem Statement
Currently, if I want to access a specific set of tools (e.g., "Social Apps" or "Work Tools"), I have to search for them one by one. While Flow Launcher supports Aliases, they are currently 1:1 (one keyword triggers one app/command).
I attempted to write a Python plugin to handle this, but it has significant limitations:
- I have to manually hardcode file paths in a JSON file (redundant, as Flow Launcher already knows these paths).
- If I only provide names to the plugin, I lose the native icons and metadata unless I implement a messy search redirect which requires two steps
(Plugin → Select Name → Trigger Flow Launcher Search).
Proposed Solution
I would like a native "Group" or "Collection" feature.
This would function like a one-to-many alias.
Configuration
In Settings, I can create a group (e.g., social) and add existing indexed programs to it (e.g., WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram).
Usage
- When I type
socialin the search bar, Flow Launcher should display only the apps linked to that group. - The results should use the native icons and metadata from Flow Launcher’s existing index.
Filtering
- I should be able to further filter within the group:
- Typing
social disshould narrow the results to Discord.
- Typing
Additional Context
This feature would be similar to how folders work on a mobile phone home screen, but applied to the launcher interface.
Example Configuration Concept
{
"groups": {
"work": ["Visual Studio Code", "Slack", "Figma"],
"gaming": ["Steam", "Discord", "GeForce Experience"]
}
}