Changelog

October 27, 2026 (v0.1.4)

• Alcove now works with an Xbox controller, everywhere from the grid to the Shelf and Settings
• The Shelf can now find files and folders on your PC as you type, from your personal folders, your installed programs, and any drives or folders you choose in Settings. Tick Files only under the search box to narrow results to files by type, folder, or date
• New things on your Desktop now show up in your Home folder automatically, even ones that arrive while Alcove is closed. Turn it off in Settings if you prefer
• Right-clicking an app now shows the same options it has on the taskbar
• Shelf results are smarter: an exact name match always comes first, and the Shelf remembers what you open for each search so it comes up first next time
• Peek now opens centered and sized to fit your file
• Programs and scripts you drag in now link to the original instead of being copied, so apps like Android Studio start correctly. Alcove warns about any that were copied before
• Start with Windows now opens Alcove within seconds of signing in, instead of waiting behind your other startup apps
• Import from Desktop now finds your Desktop when OneDrive is backing it up
• Fixed the Alcove window sometimes opening much smaller or larger than you left it after restarting your PC
• Fixed the show/hide hotkey sometimes needing two presses to hide Alcove right after it opened
• Removing a linked folder now works even after its original folder was deleted

September 24, 2026 (v0.1.3)

• Alcove now shows a friendly what’s new panel when you update or open it for the first time, so you always know what changed
• Added two new themes - Loki and Zudu
• Alcove now checks for new versions on launch and lets you know when an update is available
• Added a Donate button at the bottom of Settings, in case you’d like to support development
• Command Palette is now called Shelf - same feature, new name
• Settings has a cleaner, better organised layout

August 16, 2026 (v0.1.2)

• CleanLaunch is now Alcove - fresh app icon, brand lockups, and updated naming throughout
• Added the Alcove theme in brand colours - mint accent on the logo’s dark field, now the default look

August 13, 2026

• Back up and restore your workspace - save your settings, layout, folder colors, and shortcuts to a file, and put them back whenever you need to
• The settings and command palette buttons in the title bar now close what they opened when you click them again

August 12, 2026

• Reworked the tutorial for a more comfortable setup experience for new and existing users
• Fixed hover buttons on grid tiles being covered by the icon

August 11, 2026

• Added 22 new themes and grouped them into Dark, Light, and Special for easy browsing. Go give them a try!

August 8, 2026

• Add Shell Object - right-click an empty area of the grid to add Windows system folders like This PC, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel as shortcuts
• Command Palette can now search Google and Wikipedia, not just your PC
• Quick Answers - type a sum, a percentage, or a unit or currency conversion and the answer appears at the top
• Read Wikipedia articles right in the preview pane, without leaving the palette
• Google and Wikipedia searches are remembered, so you can pick one back up from the history list

August 6, 2026

• Reworked titlebar hints with smarter balancing and repeat prevention
• Hints now appear in the Command Palette too, including rare interactive ones
• Palette actions menu has a back button to return to the results list
• Peek window is taller by default for a better preview

August 5, 2026

• Only one copy of CleanLaunch runs at a time, so launching again just brings it forward
• Command Palette opens more smoothly
• Drag-to-delete - drag a grid item onto the trash zone to delete it

August 3, 2026

• The palette gets a preview pane showing a live preview of the selected result
• Command Palette visual refresh with a clearer search bar, result highlighting, and footer hints

August 1, 2026

• New Help & Info section in Settings explains how CleanLaunch works and where your data lives
• New Command Palette - press Ctrl+Shift+Space to search and launch anything from anywhere
• The palette finds your Start Menu programs and Store apps, not just your shortcuts
• The palette learns what you use and shows your recents when opened empty
• Press Tab on any palette result for more actions like Run as administrator, Peek, or Rename
• Hide desktop icons now shows the real Windows state and updates live
• Open file location on a linked folder now opens the original folder in Explorer

July 31, 2026

• Installer now defaults to Program Files, with a per-user option during setup

July 30, 2026

• New Peek feature - preview files without opening them
• Arrow keys now start from your mouse or scroll position when nothing is selected

July 29, 2026

• Power button now shuts down faster using Fast Startup
• New option in Settings to fully shut down Windows instead
• Settings page gets a cleaner, more consistent look
• New Folder and Refresh left the toolbar and live in the right-click menu
• Ctrl+F now focuses the search bar even when it is already focused
• Fixed the audio popup not closing when clicking the same button again
• Various bug fixes and stability improvements

July 28, 2026

• Sort by name - right-click empty grid space to alphabetize your items
• Move items between folders by cut and paste, or by dragging onto a folder tile
• Right-click menu now opens as a native popup that can extend past the window
• Mute now drops the volume slider to 0 and restores it when you unmute
• Renaming a folder lets you change its color at the same time
• Rotating shortcut hints in the titlebar, with a toggle in Settings > Behavior

July 27, 2026

• Power controls in the breadcrumb bar: shut down, restart, sleep, and lock
• Audio device picker and app mixer now open as native popups that can extend past the window
• Audio and power controls each collapse to a single icon and remember your preference
• Settings is more compact and fits small windows better
• Volume slider shrinks on small windows so the search bar is never cut off

July 26, 2026

• Tile size slider with Ctrl+Scroll to resize on the fly
• 5-step onboarding tutorial, replayable any time from Settings
• Start with Windows option for auto-launch on boot
• Hide desktop icons toggle
• Import shortcuts straight from your Desktop folder
• In-app changelog, viewable from Settings
• Floating breadcrumb bar appears when the toolbar is hidden
• Theme rework - 15 themes grouped into Dark, Light, and Special
• New Glass theme with frosted glass blur
• Retro themes Luna, Silver, and Classic get squared corners and the Tahoma font
• Menus and dialogs are no longer see-through on any theme
• Fixed home page icon positions resetting after visiting a folder

July 25, 2026

• Folder contents now refresh automatically when files change on disk
• Global hotkey (Ctrl+Space) shows or hides the window from anywhere
• System tray icon with a Show and Quit menu
• The close button now hides the window instead of quitting
• Option to reset to the home folder when toggling the window
• Audio toolbar with volume, mute, device switching, and a per-app mixer
• Keyboard navigation with arrow keys, type-to-find, and configurable launch and back keys
• Press feedback when you launch an item
• Navigation history now remembers your scroll position and focused item
• Window opacity slider in Appearance settings
• Collapsible toolbar via the chevron in the titlebar

July 24, 2026

• Create folders right inside CleanLaunch
• Color-code your folders with 8 preset colors
• Navigate into nested folders with breadcrumbs
• External folders open in list view
• Faster icon loading and smoother dragging
• Friendly error messages when something fails to launch
• Icon labels wrap to 2 lines instead of getting cut off
• Duplicate name detection when renaming or creating folders

July 23, 2026

• CleanLaunch is born! Your clean desktop shortcut launcher
• Grid view with drag-and-drop positioning
• List view with sortable columns
• 5 built-in themes: Midnight, Ocean, Forest, Sunset, Slate
• Right-click any shortcut for Open, Open file location, Rename, and Delete
• Search bar to quickly filter your shortcuts
• Mouse back and forward buttons navigate folders
• Custom titlebar with minimize and close controls