22 September 2026
Start Menu for Mac 1.0 released!
Start Menu for Mac is a new menu bar app for macOS that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Works with macOS 15 Sequoia and newer.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Quickly locate recently-used apps in the Recent Apps menu
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and browse the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it to install.
If you've installed the release candidate (version 1.0rc2), update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu 
and then select Check For Updates.
Pricing
Try Start Menu for Mac free for 14 days. No account or credit card required.
Buy a license for Start Menu for Mac with a one-time purchase of CA$11.49. One license lets you install Start Menu for Mac on up to 5 devices, and gives you free updates for version 1.0 and a discount for the next major version. No subscriptions, no accounts, yours forever.
Help and Support
Go to the Help and Support page to browse Frequently Asked Questions and learn how to reach us if you need more help.
17 September 2026
Start Menu for Mac 1.0 release candidate 2 released!
A release candidate build of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and enthusiasts craving the latest and greatest! Unless any last-minute showstopper bugs are found, this may become the official release of Start Menu for Mac 1.0.
Start Menu for Mac is a new menu bar app for macOS that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and browse the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it to install.
If you've installed the recent preview release (version 0.99.2), update to this release candidate by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Things You Should Know About
- Now requires macOS 15 Sequoia or newer.
- Start Menu for Mac can be used free of charge for 14 days, after which a license will need to be purchased and registered. Licenses will be available for purchase soon; check back at this site for updates.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
10 September 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.99.2 released!
An update to the second preview release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest! This update contains many fixes and improvements, but you may still run into the occasional bug.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and see the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
What's New
- More fixes and improvements for the Organizer
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed the previous preview release, you'll need to uninstall Start Menu for Mac first before installing this update. (Future app updates will be available through the built-in app updater, just not this one.) Your existing Start Menu app categories will remain intact after the reinstallation.
Things You Should Know About
- This preview release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
2 September 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.99.1 released!
A second preview release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest! While this is the most stable release yet, expect to run into the occasional bug.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and see the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
What's New in Preview Release 2?
This preview release fixes a bug found in Start Menu for Mac 1.0 release candidate 1 where mouse clicks on the Start Menu were sometimes ignored or "missed." A second preview release is needed to allow for more testing before advancing to another release candidate build.
Other changes:
- Now requires macOS 14 Sonoma or newer
- The translucency effect on the Start Menu is now available on all supported versions of macOS
- Fixes and improvements for the Organizer
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed any of the previous releases, including 1.0 release candidate 1, you'll need to uninstall Start Menu for Mac first before installing this update. Your existing Start Menu app categories will remain intact after the reinstallation.
Things You Should Know About
- This preview release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
27 August 2026
Coming Soon: New preview release of Start Menu for Mac
Due to a severe last-minute bug discovered during testing of the release candidate of Start Menu for Mac, the 1.0 release was delayed while a fix was developed and tested.
A new Preview Release is in the works and will be released soon, so be sure to follow the News and Announcements page for updates. If all goes well, a second release candidate of Start Menu for Mac 1.0 is expected to be released shortly after.
22 July 2026
Start Menu for Mac 1.0 release candidate 1 released!
A release candidate build of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and enthusiasts craving the latest and greatest! Unless any last-minute showstopper bugs are found, this may become the official release of Start Menu for Mac 1.0.
Start Menu for Mac is a new menu bar app for macOS that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and see the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it a to install.
If you've installed any of the 0.9.x beta releases, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Things You Should Know About
- Start Menu for Mac can used free of charge for 14 days, after which a license will need to be purchased and registered. Licenses will be available for purchase soon; check back at this site for updates.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
6 July 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.99 released!
A preview release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest! While this is the most stable release yet, expect to run into the occasional bug.
Start Menu for Mac is a new menu bar app for macOS that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place.
Features
- Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
- Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
- Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them
- Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
- Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
- Customize My Apps with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
- A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Learn more and see the screenshots from the Start Menu for Mac home page.
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed any of the 0.9.x beta releases, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Things You Should Know About
- This preview release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
15 June 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.9.2 released!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
- Bug fix: "Start at login" option doesn't work if Start Menu for Mac is installed in a custom location
- More improvements to the user interface
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed any of the 0.9.x beta releases, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
9 June 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.9.1 released!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
- Start Menu for Mac now assigns more apps to default app categories when launching for the first time or when the apps are installed. Apple Creator Studio apps (including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro), as well as many web browsers (Firefox, Edge, Google Chrome, etc.), office productivity titles (LibreOffice and Microsoft 365, formerly Microsoft Office), cloud file clients (e.g. Dropbox) and software development tools (e.g. Visual Studio Code and some JetBrains IDEs) will be assigned to app categories, and you can change them if you like from the Organizer.
- Bug fix: Newly-installed apps aren't added to their default app categories
- Bug fix: Apps located in a subfolder of the Applications folder aren't detected. This affected apps such as Adobe Acrobat. Apps in the "Utilities" subfolder (e.g. Activity Monitor, Terminal, etc.) weren't impacted.
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed version 0.9, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Testers who still have any of the 0.8.x versions installed must download the update from the First Letter Software website. The update cannot be downloaded and installed from the app updater.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
3 June 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.9 released!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
- New option to limit expanded app categories in the My Apps menu to one at a time. Turn on this option in Start Menu Settings
- A progress dialog will now appear when launching Start Menu for Mac for the first time or when launched with the
--refreshcommand-line argument - Bug fix: In the Organizer, deleting an app category doesn't work if delete confirmation is turned off
- Bug fix: Don't allow multiple instances of the Organizer to be open
- User interface improvements
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
Current beta testers who have installed any previous version of Start Menu for Mac must download the update from the First Letter Software website. The update cannot be downloaded and installed from the app updater.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
28 May 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.8.4 released!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a customizable popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
- Bug fix: Some apps don't show their actual name
- Bug fix: Wrong icon used for Dictionary. If you're updating from a previous beta release, see "Things You Should Know About" below for instructions on how to fix the Start Menu icon for the Dictionary app.
- Other fixes and improvements
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed version 0.8.3, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates. If your previous beta release was version 0.8.2, update to 0.8.3 first.
Testers who have installed version 0.8.1, and didn't update to 0.8.2, will need to uninstall it first before installing this release.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
- If you've installed a previous beta release and selected the option to "Start at login", turn off this setting before updating to this release. It can be turned back on after completing the update.
- This release fixes an issue with the Dictionary icon, but the Start Menu needs to be refreshed for the fix to take effect. To do this, quit Start Menu for Mac if it's running, then open a Terminal window and run the following command: /Applications/Start\ Menu.app/Contents/MacOS/startmenu --refresh.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
26 May 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.8.3 released!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a customizable popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
- Improvements to the Start Menu for Mac app updater, which will be visible in the next beta release
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
If you've installed version 0.8.2, update to this release by opening the Start Menu, then click the control menu and then select Check For Updates.
Testers who have installed version 0.8.1, and didn't update to 0.8.2, will need to uninstall it first before installing this release.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
22 May 2026
Start Menu for Mac 0.8.2 released - Testers Wanted!
A beta release of Start Menu for Mac, the new customizable app launcher for macOS from First Letter Software, is now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.
Start Menu for Mac is a new app that organizes your favorite apps in a customizable popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. Learn more about Start Menu for Mac.
What’s New
Version 0.8.2 is the second beta release and is being made available to a wider pool of testers. What's new in this release:
- Bug fix: Crash on startup if an app that appeared in the Recent Apps menu was uninstalled
- Bug fix: Sluggish UI responsiveness when launching an app that doesn't open a window by default, e.g. Docker
- Bug fix: In System Settings, the Login Items name for Start Menu for Mac shows the developer name, not app name
- Other fixes and improvements
How to Get It
Head over to the Download page and click the download button for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel Mac). Save the DMG file, then double-click it and follow the instructions to install.
Testers who have installed the previous beta, version 0.8.1, will need to uninstall it first before installing this release.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
- If you installed an older beta release, uninstall it first before installing the latest release. Automatic updating of Start Menu for Mac will be available starting in version 0.8.2.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forum on GitHub.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.
13 May 2026
Introducing Start Menu for Mac: the app launcher for macOS
Start Menu for Mac is a new desktop app for macOS that adds a popup menu to the macOS desktop menu bar, where you can find your apps all in one place. Out of the box, the standard macOS apps are organized by app categories. Organize your apps by selecting an app category from the context menu, or use the Organizer for greater control. Your installed apps are always available to browse in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name. No more wading through endless rows of icons to find your desired app.
Testers Wanted!
Version 0.8.1 is the first public beta release of Start Menu for Mac, aimed at testers, power users and enthusiasts who crave the latest and greatest! Go to the Downloads page to get it now.
Start Menu for Mac is compatible with macOS 13 Ventura and newer, on Apple Silicon and Intel Mac devices.
Things You Should Know About
- This beta release is available free of charge, but expires 90 days after installation, after which it will stop working.
- Automatic updating is not yet available. Check back at this website for the latest release.
Help and Support
Questions and comments about Start Menu for Mac should be posted to the discussion forums over at GitHub which is set up to support beta testing.
If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.