AppGrid 1.9 has been released as the latest version of this third-party application launcher for KDE Plasma 6, which, instead of KDE’s default Kickoff-style menu, offers a grid-based launcher with application categories, search, favorites, and two variants: a centered launcher and a panel popup.
The main new feature is Compact mode, which opens AppGrid directly to the search bar while hiding the application grid. This mode functions similarly to KRunner, letting users assign a shortcut like Alt+Space for quick app launching, searching, and actions without displaying the full grid.
Search functionality has been enhanced with inline autocompletion, and the suggestions can be accepted with the right arrow key. Plus, the search system now supports KDE search-plugin actions, calculator chain typing, improved default-app ranking, and results ordered by the user’s KRunner plugin configuration.
On the UI side, the category bar now displays categories as text, icons, or both, and categories open on hover. The application grid features square cells, a new 5×4 default layout, scalable labels, and an option for tighter spacing.
Moreover, a new “Manage in Discover” action lets users update or remove system and Snap applications directly from AppGrid’s right-click menu, providing closer integration with KDE’s software management tool.
The update also improves theming support, adding optional Plasma theme backgrounds for the Center variant, theme-based dividers, density scaling based on icon size, and separate toggles for blur and background contrast.
Finally, it also fixes several issues, including a bug where the panel popup did not retain its size when switching to AppGrid from Kickoff or Kicker. Additional fixes address crashes, layout, and Wayland-related problems.
For additional details, see the project’s GitHub release page.
