The command bar
Opening, searching, running commands, actions, persistent commands and every command bar setting.
Alt+Space opens the command bar. Type, and results narrow as you go. Enter runs the highlighted result, Escape closes the bar.
Searching
You are not searching a list of names. Each command decides for itself whether your input is relevant to it and how strongly, which is why 2kg to grams surfaces the calculator, latest news surfaces a web search, and a partial application name surfaces the app. Several commands can match the same input; the strongest match sits at the top.
Results are capped at ten by default. Raise or lower that under Settings → Command Bar → Max Results — a shorter list is faster to scan, a longer one hides less.
Keyboard
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt+Space | Open or close the bar |
| Type | Filter commands |
| Up / Down | Move through results |
| Enter | Run the highlighted command |
| Escape | Close the bar, or leave the current interface |
Individual commands can also be given their own global shortcut, so a command you run constantly does not need the bar at all. See Shortcuts.
Actions
Some results carry more than one thing you might want to do with them. A file result, for example, can be opened, opened with a chosen application, revealed in Explorer, copied, renamed, moved, sent to the recycle bin, opened in a terminal, or added as context for the AI assistant. Highlight the result and open its actions menu to see everything available for that particular item.
Persistent commands
Persistent commands stay in the list no matter what you type, so the things you always want are always one keypress away. By default those are Search Internet, Ask AI, Open AI Chat and Analyse Screen.
Change them under Settings → Command Bar → Persistent Commands. You can pick up to five, and any command — built-in or from a plugin — is eligible. Setting your own replaces the defaults entirely.
A plugin can ask for its command to persist for a few keystrokes while you are working inside it. That is separate from this setting, which is yours and always wins.
Settings
Everything below lives under Settings → Command Bar.
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Shortcut | Alt+Space | The key combination that opens and closes the bar |
| Position | Top centre | Where the bar sits on screen |
| Max Results | 10 | How many results are listed at once |
| Mini Mode | On | Shrinks the bar to a compact pill when it is not focused |
| Auto Close | On | Closes the bar after running a command that has no interface |
| Use Active Screen | On | Opens on the screen you are working on rather than the primary one |
| Persistent Commands | 4 defaults | Commands that always appear |
Under Settings → Look & Feel there is one more that belongs to the bar: Keystroke pulse, which nudges the bar's width as you type. Turn it off if you find it distracting.
Multiple bars
Opening the command bar while an interface is already running does not throw away what you were doing. Each session keeps its own state, so you can leave a file browser or a chat open and come back to it.