Discover and install applications

In this article:

• Setapp's main window
• Find an app or feature
• Preview and install an application
• App collections and categories

Setapp's main window

On Setapp's main window, Explorer, you can:

• Find the latest news, how-tos and staff picks: Latest posts from our blog, instructions for useful workflows and use-cases, and apps we think might help your personal workflow.
• Recommendations: Apps we recommend to you. You can read more about how recommendations work here.

• Check for new and recently updated apps: Check recently added and updated apps in Setapp.

• Open your Setapp account: Click the subscription status in the upper-right corner to visit your online account.

• Add an app to Favorites: Hover over an app and click the heart . Now you can find the app in the Favorites category.

Explorer's layout is uniquely customized to your subscription status and plan. The location of some sections might differ.

To reach Setapp's main window, open Setapp using Launchpad or Spotlight, or click the Setapp icon in the Applications folder. Alternatively, click the Setapp icon  in the menu bar (upper-right corner of the display), then click Open Setapp.

Find an app or feature

Setapp's built-in search functionality looks through all descriptions and keywords of its apps to show you the app you need.

To find something in Setapp, click the Setapp icon  in the menu bar (upper-right corner of the display) and type in the app's name or the functionality in the Search field on top. You’ll see the results immediately. Click the app to navigate to its page.

Alternatively, you can press Control-Shift-Space on your keyboard to open the Setapp Launcher from any app or window, then start searching. You can change this shortcut in Setapp preferences (Setapp Menu > Preferences). The search is also available in the main Setapp window. You can also use the Spotlight search to find the application you need.

Get more info about an app and install it

Click an app in the Setapp window to open its page, which will give you an idea about the app's purpose and design through screenshots, videos, feature descriptions, and valuable links.

• Enlarge a screenshot or a video: Click it; click again or press Escape on your keyboard to restore its original size.
  
  
• See more screenshots: 
  • Hover over a screenshot of an app, then scroll or drag right — alternatively, press Shift on your keyboard and scroll up and down.
  • Press the arrow keys (right or left) on your keyboard.
    
    
• Read a description: Scroll down through the app page and read how you can use the app.
  
  
• Install an application: Click Install below the app name.
  
  You can also install an app from any other page in Setapp — hover over an app and click the Install button that appears under the app name.
  
• Install an iOS application: Click "iOS app" next to the "Install" button. See this article for more details.
  
  
• Quickly install all your Favorite apps: Navigate to the Favorites collection and click "Install all" at the top of the app list.

Usually, preparation for the first launch goes very quickly, but you need an Internet connection to complete the installation successfully.

If you don't want the apps to be opened right after the installation, change Setapp's preferences:

1. Open Setapp, then choose Setapp > Preferences.
   Alternatively, click the Setapp icon in the menu bar (upper-right corner), click the gear icon and choose Preferences.
2. Deselect the "Open automatically after installation" checkbox.

Collections of apps

Collections are small groups of apps that we recommend for particular purposes.

• View all collections: click Collections in the sidebar.
  
  
• See apps in a collection: click a collection to open it in the main Setapp window.
  
  
• Install all apps in a collection: open a collection and click "Install all" in the upper-right corner.

App categories

Every app in Setapp is assigned into a functional category, like Lifestyle or Developer Tools. All categories are listed in the sidebar on the left.

• Get a complete list of apps: Click All Apps in the sidebar and scroll down the Setapp window to view all apps you can install.
  
  
• Sort apps: Click the selector on top-right; choose Latest to see the recent additions to Setapp first, or A-Z to sort apps alphabetically.
  
  
• Move through categories of apps: Click a category in the sidebar to switch to it and check what's in.
  
  
• See apps for iPhone & iPad: Click Available on iOS.
  
  
• View installed Setapp apps: Click On This Mac.
  
  
• Reach your favorite apps quickly: Select the Favorites category to access the apps you've marked with a heart earlier.
  
  
• Return to the previous screen: Use arrow buttons in the upper-left corner of the Setapp window to move to the previous or next screens. Or, press Command-Left Bracket (⌘[) to return to the previous screen and Command-Right Bracket (⌘]) to move forward.

 

See also:

• Remove non-installed apps from Spotlight search