WinPadWinPad

winpad is an open-source application that brings a full-screen, macOS Launchpad-style Start menu experience to the Windows operating system. It can either completely replace or supplement the native Windows Start menu by indexing, managing, and launching all installed desktop applications and shortcuts. To provide a seamless macOS-like feel, it captures and masks Windows key inputs via low-level keyboard hooks while integrating smoothly with your system wallpaper and window management settings. From a technical perspective, the project is built on a modern and lightweight tech stack designed for speed and reliability. The frontend UI is crafted using TypeScript, React 19, Vite, and Tailwind CSS with custom glassmorphism styles. Under the hood, it leverages Tauri 2 paired with Rust for powerful system-level performance and minimal footprint. The application offers complete flexibility through a dedicated settings window with local persistence, allowing users to customize its behavior and interface to fit their workflow. Distributed under the MIT License, developers can easily set up the project locally by cloning the repository, installing dependencies via npm install, and building or running the app using Tauri commands (npm run tauri dev / npm run tauri build).