A Left Inverse product · native macOS
Your desktop,
drawn to plan.
Layout Launcher captures every window's position and size as a named layout, then puts it all back with one click or a hotkey. Apps that aren't running get launched. Windows land exactly where you put them.
One payment · free trial built in · macOS 13+ · Apple silicon & Intel
Every workday is a transformation A that scatters your windows. Layout Launcher is A−1 - it hands back exactly the arrangement you drew.
Procedure
Three moves.
Then it's a hotkey.
-
01
Arrange
Set the desk for the job at hand. Editor on the left, browser top-right, terminals below - however you actually work.
-
02
Capture
Save Current Layout, name it Coding. The plan records every visible window's position and size - on every display.
-
03
Restore
One click in the menu bar, or one global hotkey. Windows move back. Apps that aren't running are launched first, then placed.
Specification
Window schedule.
What the drawing calls for - every line of it shipping in the app today.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Capture | Every visible window's position and size, on every display, in one shot. |
| Restore | One click in the menu bar - or a global hotkey, from anywhere. |
| Hotkeys | Two editable bindings: launch top layout and capture layout. Record your own. |
| Launch | Apps that aren't running are launched, then placed once their windows exist. |
| Pinned | Keep the layouts you live in on top, drag to reorder. The rest sort by recency. |
| Search | Type to filter layouts by name. |
| Preview | A miniature of the plan before you commit to saving it. |
| Reporting | If a window didn't move, the toast names the app - not a bare count. |
| Fullscreen | macOS lets no app move a native-fullscreen window. Called out distinctly, never fudged. |
| Material | Swift and the Accessibility API. No Electron. Lives in the menu bar, nowhere else. |
Tolerances
The toast
tells the truth.
Most layout tools report success and hope you don't look. Layout Launcher counts what it was asked to move, what it matched, and what actually moved - and when something doesn't, it names the app. Fullscreen windows get their own message, because macOS forbids moving them and pretending otherwise helps no one.
Bill of materials
Five dollars.
Once.
$5one payment
- Every future Layout Launcher update included
- No subscription - buy it, own it
- License key by email, works offline
- Free trial built in - buy when it sticks
- macOS 13+ · Apple silicon & Intel
Not on sale yet · checkout by Paddle when it ships · see the refund policy
The notarized build is gated on Apple's developer-account approval. Leave your email and we'll send the download the day it goes live.
Notes
Read before installing.
Which permission does it need?
One: Accessibility, so it can read and set window positions. Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility - the app notices the moment you flip the switch, no relaunch needed.
Why won't a fullscreen window move?
Native-fullscreen windows live on their own Space, and macOS lets no app reposition them. When a layout hits one, Layout Launcher says which app is fullscreen instead of silently counting it as restored. Take it out of fullscreen and restore again.
What happens to apps that aren't running?
They're launched, and Layout Launcher waits for their windows to appear before placing them - retrying briefly rather than giving up on the first pass. Windows it still can't match are reported by app name.
Does it handle more than one display?
Yes - each captured window remembers which screen it lives on, and restore maps it back to the matching display.
Is there anything cloud-side?
No. Layouts are stored on your Mac, the license check runs offline, and nothing phones home. It's a small native Swift app in your menu bar.