Paletro For Mac

At some point, macOS might achieve peak efficiency and not need any third-party apps to streamline the user’s workflow. Sadly, we’re not quite there yet. There are still many things that can be improved, with Paletro serving as an excellent example of what can be done better.

This small app adds a feature that VS Code and Sublime Text users might already be familiar with — the Command Palette. This Spotlight-like search window allows you to find and activate any function from the highlighted app’s main menu, with full support for the original application’s hotkeys.

Once you’ve granted Paletro the required permissions, press ⇧⌘P to bring up the search field. If this shortcut isn’t to your liking, you can change it at any time from the application’s preferences.

You will now be able to search for any function found in the highlighted app’s main menu, and then activate it by just pressing Enter. Even sub-menus can be accessed. Each feature’s keyboard shortcut will be displayed on the right, and you can use this key combination directly from Paletro.

The app looks right at home on your Mac’s desktop, but you still have lots of themes to choose from if the default one isn’t quite your style. You can specify how many results should be displayed at once, and the search window can be moved anywhere on your desktop.

But what if you want to use Paletro with a certain app while excluding certain menus or sub-menus that aren’t necessary? Thankfully, you have that option. You can blacklist certain menus in one or all applications, preventing them from being displayed in the search results.

Paletro starts to feel like a genuine macOS component after a while, which is a testament to just how well thought-out the app is. Even though it’s not free, I feel that it’s well worth the price, especially given that it stays clear of the more-popular-than-ever subscription model.