AppGrid 1.9 adds compact mode, smarter search, UI updates, inline autocompletion, and more

AppGrid 1.9 has been released as the latest major version of this modern and blazing-fast application launcher for KDE Plasma 6. This release introduces a compact mode that launches directly into the search bar, hiding the grid for faster searches. This workflow, reminiscent of KDE’s KRunner, lets users set a shortcut like Alt+Space for quick access and app launching. In addition, inline autocompletion now fills in application names as you type, making searches faster; pressing the right arrow key accepts the suggestion.

Search capabilities have expanded with KDE search-plugin actions and calculator support in the search bar. Default apps are more accurately ranked, results now respect your KRunner plugin sequence, and search font size adapts to your icon size. Following these search improvements, the category bar has been redesigned to allow display as text, icons, or a mix of both, with instant hover-to-open and paging features that simplify browsing.

Grid presentation sees square cells for better label handling, a new 5×4 layout, scalable labels, and an option for a denser grid. Users can update or remove system and Snap applications directly from the app’s menu, connecting seamlessly with KDE Discover. Behind the scenes, the entire QML interface is now compiled into the C++ plugin and shipped as a single shared module. This change brings faster startup, improved reliability, and a cleaner installation process. A couple of bug fixes have also been addressed in this release.