What it does
App Launcher opens any application on your Mac. Say “open Slack” and Slack launches.Configuration
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Activate on Launch | On | Bring app to foreground |
| Allow Partial Matches | On | ”saf” matches Safari |
How app matching works
Hermes finds your app using smart matching:- Exact match: “Safari” → Safari
- Partial match: “saf” → Safari (if enabled)
- Common names: “Chrome” → Google Chrome
- Fuzzy match: “Safar” → Safari (handles typos)
Common corrections
Hermes automatically handles spoken variations:| You say | Opens |
|---|---|
| ”eye term” | iTerm |
| ”vee ess code” | Visual Studio Code |
| ”ex code” | Xcode |
| ”chrome” | Google Chrome |
| ”word” | Microsoft Word |
| ”excel” | Microsoft Excel |
Examples
| Trigger Phrase | Opens |
|---|---|
| ”open safari” | Safari |
| ”launch slack” | Slack |
| ”open terminal” | Terminal |
| ”start vscode” | Visual Studio Code |
| ”open finder” | Finder |
| ”launch spotify” | Spotify |
Creating an app launcher trigger
Option 1: Generic “open” trigger
Create one trigger that opens any app by name.Option 2: Specific app triggers
Create dedicated triggers for frequently used apps. Trigger: “slack” Matching: Exact Action: App Launcher (opens Slack) This is faster since there’s no “open” prefix needed.Launch options
Activate on Launch
When enabled, the app comes to the foreground. When disabled, the app opens in the background. Use cases for background launch:- Start an app without switching to it
- Launch multiple apps in sequence
- Begin a process while continuing current work
Tips
- Use prefix matching for a generic “open [app]” trigger
- Use exact matching for single-word app shortcuts (“slack”, “safari”)
- Partial matching helps when you don’t remember exact app names
Related
Web Search
Open websites instead of apps.