Run Wox: A Fast App Launcher for Mac, Windows & Linux

// Before you start

What you need

macOS, Windows, or Linux computer
macOS: Homebrew installed (brew.sh) — or just download the file manually
Windows: Winget or Scoop installed — or just download the file manually
A few minutes and no coding required

Step 1 of 6

Install Wox on your machine

3 min

Pick the method that matches your operating system. The easiest path on macOS is Homebrew; on Windows it is Winget. If you don't have those package managers, scroll to the manual option — just download and run a single file from the Releases page.

Terminal · mac

$ # macOS (Homebrew)

$ brew install --cask wox

$ # Windows (Winget)

$ winget install -e --id Wox.Wox

$ # Windows (Scoop)

$ scoop install extras/wox

$ # Manual (all platforms)

$ # Visit https://github.com/Wox-launcher/Wox/releases

$ # Download the latest file for your OS and run it directly.

What you should see

The installer finishes with no errors. On macOS you may see a prompt asking you to move Wox to the Applications folder.

This might happen

macOS shows 'cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified'

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click 'Open Anyway' next to the Wox entry.

Step 2 of 6

Launch Wox and open the search bar

1 min

After installation, Wox runs quietly in the background. It does not open a big window — it waits for your hotkey. The default hotkey is Alt+Space on Windows/Linux and Option+Space on macOS. Press it and a slim search bar appears in the centre of your screen.

Terminal · mac

$ # No terminal command needed.

$ # Press Alt+Space (Windows/Linux) or Option+Space (macOS)

$ # to summon the Wox search bar.

What you should see

A clean, centred search bar appears on screen with a blinking cursor.

This might happen

The hotkey does nothing

Check that Wox is actually running — look for its icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS). If it is not there, open Wox from your Applications or Start Menu first.

Step 3 of 6

Search for an app or file

1 min

Start typing any application name, file name, or folder name. Results appear instantly as you type. Use the arrow keys to move through results and press Enter to open the selected item. Press Escape to dismiss the bar.

Terminal · mac

$ # No command needed.

$ # Type a few letters of any app name (e.g. 'chro' for Chrome)

$ # Arrow keys to select, Enter to open, Escape to close.

What you should see

Matching apps and files appear in a dropdown list below the search bar within milliseconds.

Step 4 of 6

Open Settings to customise Wox

2 min

You can change the hotkey, switch themes, manage plugins, and connect AI providers all from the Settings panel. The quickest way to reach it is to type 'settings' in the Wox search bar and press Enter, or right-click the tray/menu-bar icon and choose Settings.

Terminal · mac

$ # In the Wox search bar, type:

$ settings

$ # Then press Enter.

What you should see

The Wox Settings window opens, showing tabs for General, Plugin, Theme, and more.

This might happen

You accidentally closed Wox and the tray icon is gone

Re-open Wox from your Applications folder or Start Menu. It will reappear in the tray and the hotkey will work again.

Step 5 of 6

Install a plugin from the Plugin Store

3 min

Wox has an online Plugin Store built right into Settings. You can add plugins for things like currency conversion, clipboard history, system commands, and more — all without touching any code. Go to Settings → Plugin, click 'Store', browse, and hit Install on anything you want.

Terminal · mac

$ # In the Wox search bar, type:

$ settings

$ # Press Enter, then navigate to: Plugin → Store

$ # Browse and click Install on any plugin you want.

What you should see

The plugin downloads and appears in your installed plugins list. It is active immediately — no restart needed in most cases.

This might happen

Plugin Store shows no results or fails to load

Check your internet connection. If you are behind a corporate proxy, Wox may not reach the store. Try again on a different network.

Step 6 of 6

Change the visual theme

2 min

Wox ships with a Theme Store similar to the Plugin Store. If the default look does not suit you, open Settings → Theme, click 'Store', preview themes, and install one. The change applies instantly.

Terminal · mac

$ # In the Wox search bar, type:

$ settings

$ # Press Enter, then navigate to: Theme → Store

$ # Click any theme to preview, then click Install.

What you should see

The search bar immediately changes appearance to match the new theme.

// Status

cooked. baked. worked.

A lightweight launcher sitting silently in your system tray, ready to open any app, file, or folder the moment you press your hotkey — no mouse required.

// the honest bit

The honest part

Wox is genuinely easy to install and use for basic launching and search. The AI chat feature (with MCP integration) requires you to configure an AI provider API key inside Settings — that part involves pasting a key from OpenAI, Anthropic, or another service, which is straightforward but not covered here. Plugin quality varies; some community plugins may be unmaintained. Linux support exists but is less polished than macOS and Windows.