Is this better than Automator for launching apps?

For most people, yes. It's far simpler. There's nothing to script: you pick what a tile opens in a couple of clicks, and a tile can mix apps, files, folders and links. Happy Folders can also run any Apple Shortcut if you prefer.

Home › Open multiple apps at once

Open multiple apps at once on your Mac, with one click

Q: Can I reopen all my windows where they were?

Yes. A Happy Folders tile can remember your Finder window layout (position and size) and put everything back exactly where you left it when you click the tile.

Happy Folders turns one tile into your whole workspace. Click it and your apps, folders, files and links open together, windows back exactly where you left them. It's a friendly Mac app launcher that lives on your desktop. macOS 13+, life-time $14.99, no subscription.

One Happy Folders tile opening a whole Mac workspace — One tile opens your apps, files and links together.

The 9am ritual nobody misses

Open the editor. Then the footage folder. Then notes. Then the client's link. Then drag every window into place. Five minutes gone before you've done anything.

A Happy Folders tile does all of that in one click.

One tile, your whole workspace

A single tile can open any mix of:

Apps: your editor, browser, music, chat, all at once.
Folders & files: the project folder and the exact brief.pdf.
Links: the Figma board, the shared doc, the ticket.
Window layouts: Finder windows back in their right spots and sizes.

“Edit day” isn't a checklist anymore. It's a button.

Apple Shortcuts, if you'd rather

Prefer to drive it with automation? A tile can run any Apple Shortcut instead of opening a set list. So anything Shortcuts can do, a Happy Folders tile can trigger with one friendly click.

Ways to open multiple apps on a Mac

Method	Setup	Opens files & links too	Restores windows
Login items	Easy	No	No
Automator app	Fiddly	Apps only, really	No
Apple Shortcuts	Medium	Some	No
Happy Folders	A couple of clicks	Yes	Yes

How to open multiple apps with one click

Download Happy Folders (free 7-day trial, no card) and open it.
Create a new tile and name it for the task, like Edit day or Deep work.
Add the apps, files, folders and links you want it to open.
Optional: save your window layout so everything reopens in place.
Click the tile. Your whole setup is up. One click, every time.

Tip: Make one tile per “mode”: work, study, stream, wind-down. Switching contexts becomes a single happy click.

Open-multiple-apps FAQ

How do I open multiple apps at once on a Mac?

Make one Happy Folders tile and add the apps, folders, files and links you want. Clicking it opens them all at once. macOS can do part of this with Automator or login items, but those don't open files, links and window layouts together like a tile does.

Can I reopen all my windows where they were?

Yes. A tile can remember your Finder window layout (position and size) and put everything back exactly where you left it.

Is this better than Automator?

For most people, far simpler. Nothing to script: pick what a tile opens in a couple of clicks, and mix apps, files, folders and links freely. It can also run any Apple Shortcut.

Your whole workspace, one click away

Set it up once. Open it forever. Free for 7 days.

Download free See how it works

macOS 13+ · notarized by Apple · no subscription · zero tracking