Switch between the Mac App Store and Homebrew

Launchie is available from the Mac App Store and as a direct download, which is also what Homebrew installs. You can move between them in either direction. It takes three steps: back up, delete the app, install the other version.

Every version of Launchie keeps its layout, folders, Spaces, and settings in the same place on your Mac, ~/Library/Containers/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie. Deleting the app does not touch that folder, so the new version picks up right where the old one left off.

Launchie Pro does not move over on its own. See Launchie Pro when you switch before you delete anything.

1. Back up

Your data normally carries over, but a backup takes a minute and protects your layout if anything goes wrong.

With Launchie Pro: open Settings → Backup and click Save Backup. Store the file somewhere outside Launchie, for example your Desktop or iCloud Drive.

Without Pro, or on a version older than 1.2.0: quit Launchie (menu bar icon → Quit Launchie), open Terminal (Applications → Utilities), and run:

cp ~/Library/Containers/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie/Data/Library/Preferences/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie.plist ~/Desktop/Launchie-backup.plist

If macOS asks whether Terminal may access data from other apps, click Allow.

2. Delete the app

Quit Launchie first: click the menu bar icon and choose Quit Launchie.

Then remove the version you have now:

• Mac App Store version: open /Applications, drag Launchie.app to the Trash, and empty the Trash.

• Homebrew:

  brew uninstall --cask launchie

  Do not add --zap. It also deletes your Launchie data.

• Direct download: open /Applications, drag Launchie.app to the Trash, and empty the Trash.

Do not use an uninstaller app such as AppCleaner. These apps also delete ~/Library/Containers/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie, and your layout goes with it.

Delete the old app before you install the new one. Homebrew refuses to install over an existing Launchie.app, and Launchie should only be installed once.

3. Install the other version

• Mac App Store: open the Launchie listing on the Mac App Store and click Get. The App Store updates Launchie automatically from now on.

• Homebrew:

  brew install --cask launchie

  Update later with brew update && brew upgrade --cask launchie.

• Direct download: download the latest .dmg from the GitHub release page and drag Launchie.app into /Applications.

If you dragged a Homebrew install to the Trash instead of running brew uninstall, Homebrew still thinks Launchie is installed. Run brew uninstall --cask launchie once to clear that, then install again.

4. Check that everything carried over

• Open Launchie. Your layout, folders, and Spaces should appear right away.
• macOS may ask you to grant access to the Applications folder or your custom directories again. Approve it if asked.
• If you use Start at Login, check that it is still on in Settings → General.

If your layout is missing: with a Pro backup, open Settings → Backup and click Load Backup. With the Terminal backup, quit Launchie and run:

cp ~/Desktop/Launchie-backup.plist ~/Library/Containers/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie/Data/Library/Preferences/de.nick-friedrich.Launchie.plist
killall cfprefsd

The second command clears macOS’s preferences cache so Launchie reads the restored file. Then open Launchie again.

Launchie Pro when you switch

Pro is tied to the version you bought it for:

• Mac App Store version: Pro is an in-app purchase through Apple.
• Homebrew and direct download: Pro is a license key from launchie.app.

An App Store purchase does not unlock the Homebrew version, and a license key does not unlock the App Store version.

Moving a one-time Pro purchase: if you already bought Pro for one version and switch to the other, email info@launchie.app and I will move your Pro over. Please include:

• App Store purchase: your receipt or order ID from Apple. You can find it at reportaproblem.apple.com or in the purchase confirmation email.
• License key: the email address you used at checkout.

If you have a license key, open Settings → Pro and click Deactivate This Mac before you delete the app, so the key is not still counted against that Mac.

App Store subscription: a monthly or yearly subscription cannot be moved. Cancel it in the App Store (your account → Subscriptions), and it stays active until the end of the period you paid for.