Multi-Monitor & Ring Polish
- Fix On multi-monitor setups, Settings now opens on the display you're using, and dragging it between monitors stays under your cursor instead of jumping away.
- Improved The selected app's name in the center of the ring is larger and easier to read.
Ring Hover Polish
- Improved Hovering an app in the ring now brightens it to full — even apps that aren't currently running — so the highlighted app always feels live.
Update Window Placement
- Fix The "update available" window now opens on the display you're using and in front, instead of occasionally appearing on another screen behind other windows.
Running-dot Fix
- Fix Background apps without a Dock icon (like some menu-bar helpers) no longer show the "currently running" dot on the ring — the dot now means a normal foreground app, consistently.
Hardening & Reliability
- Fix Importing settings now restores only apps that are installed on this Mac — and tells you how many were skipped — instead of keeping pins that point nowhere. It also accepts backups made by a different app version.
- Change Security and reliability hardening under the hood, with more automated test coverage.
Back Up Your Settings
- New Import & Export — back up all your settings to a file, then restore them on a new Mac or after erasing this one (Settings → Import & Export)
- Fix Orbit Launcher no longer shows itself in its own ring
- Change Clearer update alert — a red dot now appears on the menu-bar icon when an update is ready
Running Dots & Polish
- New Running apps now show a clear dot beneath their icon — pick its color, or turn it off, in Theme settings
- Fix Nothing is pre-selected when the ring opens — an app is highlighted only once you hover or use the arrow keys
- Fix In Settings, the live preview ring no longer overlaps the sliders on smaller screens, and now appears instantly as you drag
- New "Show App Names" toggle, plus recent apps can fill empty ring slots (now on by default, and based on every app you switch to)
- Change Bigger default ring and a slightly snappier open animation
Simpler Pinning
- Change One simple list of pinned apps — pin what you always want in the ring, drag the handle to reorder, and remove with one click (the separate "Always Included" list is gone)
- Fix Turning "Show in Dock" off no longer closes the Settings window
- Fix The running-apps list in Settings now updates live as you open and quit apps
- Change Menu-bar menu reordered to the standard macOS layout
Update Nudges & Hardening
- New Update reminders made for a menu-bar app — when a new version is found in the background, the wheel shows a small dot and the menu offers "Update to … Available," so updates don't slip by unnoticed without a Dock icon
- Change Cleaner Wheel Launcher settings — the live preview ring is now the single source of truth (the static mock-up is gone)
- Change Security hardening — apps launch by verified identity, with tighter app indexing and update-channel checks
Helpful Hints
- New Occasional hints — the ring now shares a rotating tip every so often (your choice: every 5 to 200 launches, or off entirely)
- Fix The "Type to Filter" hint no longer flashes at launch when its setting is off — off now means off
- Fix Removed faint circle artifacts around ring icons
- Fix About menu opens the About tab on the first click
- Fix Tour window opens centered on the first try
Help at Hand
- New Menu bar: "About Orbit Launcher" and "Support" — quick paths to version info and help
- New About tab links to the website, support, and changelog
- New Reindex Apps now explains what it does, shows progress, and confirms success — with a little celebration 🎉
- Change Release notes in the update window display with proper spacing
Installer Final Cut
- Change Installer window: dark design with prominent white instructions, properly sized for the window
Installer & Tour Polish
- Fix Installer window redesigned: light background so the app and folder names are readable, instructions moved up and easier to see
- Fix Welcome tour now shows your actual shortcut instead of always ⌃⌥
Pinned Apps, Permanently
- Fix Pinned apps could silently lose their pinned status and fall back to "Always Included" — pins are now stored as your intent and only ever removed when you remove them
Update Dialog Polish
- Fix The "You're up to date" dialog could open hidden behind other apps with only a bouncing Dock icon to find it — it now comes straight to the front
Update Experience
- Fix The update window now comes to the front when you check for updates — it could appear behind other apps
- Fix Install instructions on the download disk image display at the correct size
- Change Removed the confusing "automatically download and install" checkbox from the update dialog — update checking is controlled in Settings
Onboarding & First Impressions
- Fix First launch shows one window at a time: permission request first, welcome tour after you grant — no more stacked dialogs
- Fix Custom color picker now opens to a full color palette instead of an all-black wheel
- Fix Pill opacity slider now shows its effect live in the settings preview
- Change "Search all apps" is now off by default — typing filters your ring; flip it on in Settings for everything-search
- Change Permanent Apps pane: "Auto" is now "Always Included", with clearer section names and Pin/Unpin buttons
- Change Welcome tour invites you to try the shortcut on the spot
- Change Brighter, clearer install instructions on the download disk image
Reliability & Polish
- New Running apps glow on the ring; apps that aren't running are gently dimmed
- New Optional setting to fill empty ring slots with recently used apps (off by default)
- New "Pinned" indicator appears when the ring is pinned open via double-tap
- New Redesigned menu bar icon — a miniature of the ring itself
- Change One permission prompt only: Accessibility — and the hotkey goes live the moment you grant it, no relaunch needed
- Change The ring always opens centered on your cursor, on any display, and stays fully on-screen at monitor edges
- Change Search results now honor "Max visible apps" settings above 12
- Change Newly installed apps appear automatically — no manual reindex needed
- Fix Double-tap pin no longer triggers from a single press
- Fix Global hotkey no longer dies silently after sleep/wake or permission changes
- Fix The ring can no longer capture keyboard input while invisible
- Fix About window shows the real version and app icon
Initial Release
- New Radial ring launcher opens at cursor position on global hotkey
- New Default hotkey: hold ⌃⌥ to open, release to dismiss
- New Fuzzy search across all installed apps while ring is open
- New Permanent apps — pin frequently used apps to fixed ring slots
- New Drag to set clockwise order of pinned permanent apps
- New Double-tap hotkey to pin the ring open for multi-launch sessions
- New Six built-in themes: Orbit Classic, Midnight Cyan, Graphite Ember, Forest Signal, Plum Neon, Glass Graphite
- New Full ring customization: diameter, thickness, icon size, max visible apps (up to 24)
- New Custom ring and highlight colors with per-channel opacity
- New Custom global hotkey — any modifier combo or modifier + key
- New Launch at Login support via ServiceManagement
- New Menu bar icon with Show, Settings, Repeat Tour, Reindex, and Quit
- New Onboarding tour shown on first launch
- New Settings preview: changes live-reflect in the ring while Settings is open
- New Signed & notarized DMG distribution with drag-to-install layout