How This Free App changed My Desktop: My Review

I always thought I had desktop navigation figured out—until I discovered Kando. This free app changed my desktop experience completely. With just a flick of the mouse, I can launch apps, open URLs, manage files, control media, and switch virtual desktops effortlessly. I no longer have to memorize complicated keyboard shortcuts, making everything feel smoother and more intuitive.

Introducing Kando

Kando is a free, open-source pie menu that makes desktop navigation faster and easier. Instead of using the taskbar, start menu, or keyboard shortcuts, you can simply move your mouse in the right direction to launch apps on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

To open Kando’s radial menu, press Ctrl + Space. Hold Ctrl, move your mouse toward the desired action, and release to select it. This works for launching apps, switching virtual desktops, managing files, and more.

Kando is perfect for anyone who prefers a mouse-keyboard workflow. While it may take some time to get used to, it quickly becomes second nature, letting you perform tasks in a fraction of a second.

How to Install Kando

To install Kando: go to the official website and download the app for your operating system. You can choose between the installer package or use a package manager.

For code lovers, use these commands in your terminal:

• Windows (WinGet):
  winget install kando
• macOS (Homebrew Cask):
  brew install kando
• Linux (Flathub):
  flatpak install flathub menu.kando.Kando

After installation, open Kando from the start menu to access its menu editor, where you can customize the pie menu or adjust the pre-configured menu.

The default shortcut to open the Kando menu is Ctrl + Space. If this conflicts with other apps, you can change the shortcut by right-clicking the Kando icon in the system tray and selecting Show Settings.

The sample menu gives you quick access to key locations and tools, and you can easily personalize it with your favorite apps, links, and shortcuts.

How to Use Kando Pie Menu and Navigation Modes

To open the Kando pie menu, press Ctrl + Space. If you prefer using a mouse button instead of a keyboard shortcut you can set it up with third-party tools like GestureSign or AutoHotkey to create a custom shortcut.

Kando offers three easy navigation modes:

Point and Click Mode (Best for Beginners)

Press Ctrl + Space to open the menu, then simply click on the item you want to select.

Marking Mode (Gesture-Based)

Press and hold the left mouse button while dragging your cursor over the desired item to navigate through submenus in one smooth motion.

Turbo Mode (Fastest Navigation)

Hold Ctrl and move your mouse toward the item you want to select. Releasing Ctrl activates the selection, reducing accidental clicks and making navigation quicker.

How to Customize the Kando Menu

The Kando menu editor lets you customize your menu by adding, editing, or removing items. Open Kando from the Start menu to access the editor, where you can create new menus, rearrange items, and adjust their settings.

Menu Item Types

Kando offers different item types to help you organize your menu:

• Open URL – Add shortcuts to websites, files, folders, or emails.
• Paste Text – Store and quickly insert frequently used text.
• Run Command – Launch apps using their name or shell command.
• Simulate Hotkey – Execute keyboard shortcuts.
• Simulate Macro – Run a sequence of keyboard shortcuts.
• Submenu – Create nested menus for better organization.

Editing the Sample Menu

To get started, edit the Sample Menu to learn how things work. Since Kando doesn’t list installed apps, you’ll need to enter the command to run an application manually.

1. Open the Sample Menu and go to the Apps section.
2. Select an app shortcut and enter the command in the Command field.
   • Example: To add Slack, type Slack.exe.

Adding a New App Shortcut

1. Open the Menu Items tab.
2. Drag the Run Command item to the main menu or a submenu.
3. To create a new submenu, drag and drop the Submenu item onto the menu.

This allows you to fully customize your Kando menu for a smoother workflow.

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How to Customize Kando’s Appearance

Kando lets you personalize its look with different themes. Open the Menu Themes tab in the menu editor (bottom right corner) and choose from four pre-installed themes. To match Kando with your desktop style, click Edit Colors to set custom accent colors.

If the built-in themes don’t fit your preference, you can download more from Kando’s GitHub theme repository. To install them, manually move the themes.json file to the menu-theme directory.

In addition to shortcuts to commonly used folders and media controls, I use Kando to quickly access key apps like Microsoft Word, Asana, Slack, Outlook, ShareX, Notepad, AI tools, and Spotify. Because of Kando’s adaptability, gesture-based navigation and deeply nested menus are possible for even quicker access.

Kando simplifies everything for greater speed and accuracy if you frequently switch between several apps and virtual desktops. Though most contemporary systems should be able to manage it without any issues, complicated menus may result in minor RAM spikes.