Install xmenu with Homebrew Cask

Project links

• Homepage
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

Project history

XMenu was already an established DEVONtechnologies utility by 2007, when the company highlighted its usefulness after Leopard changed Dock folders into stacks. Official update posts show continued maintenance in 2011 and an Apple Silicon-optimized release in 2021.

Later official articles documented XMenu as both a launcher and a lightweight workflow tool, with menus for applications, the home and Documents folders, developer tools, arbitrary user-defined content, and reusable text snippets.

Adoption history

DEVONtechnologies describes XMenu as a must-have utility for many of its users. The application has remained part of the company's freeware collection across major macOS transitions, including the move from classic Dock folder menus to stacks and later the Apple Silicon transition.

How it is used

Users enable one or more menu-bar menus for applications, developer tools, their home folder, Documents, custom items, or snippets. Items can be opened with keyboard navigation and type-ahead search.

The User-Defined menu can hold aliases, bookmarks, templates, and other files under ~/Library/Application Support/XMenu/Custom. Choosing a Snippets item inserts its text into the active document.

Why package nerds care

XMenu appeals to Mac utility enthusiasts because it restores dense, hierarchical folder and application menus in the menu bar with very little ceremony. Its filesystem-backed Custom and Snippets folders also make user-defined menus easy to populate with ordinary files, aliases, and text documents.

Timeline

• 2007: DEVONtechnologies highlighted XMenu as an alternative after Leopard replaced Dock folder menus with stacks.
• 2011: XMenu continued to receive feature and bug-fix updates.
• 2021: XMenu was updated with native optimization for Apple Silicon.
• 2024: DEVONtechnologies published a modern overview of its launcher, custom-menu, and snippet workflows.
• 2025: The company documented additional keyboard and modifier-click interactions.

Related projects

• DEVONtechnologies' other freeware utilities, including EasyFind, PhotoStickies, ThumbsUp, CalcService, and WordService
• macOS Finder, Dock, and menu bar

Sources

• Official 2007 update post: https://www.devontechnologies.com/blog/christmasupdatesturnonthespotlight
• Official 2011 update post: https://www.devontechnologies.com/blog/updatemaniadevontechnologies
• Official 2021 update archive: https://devontechnologies.com/blog/category%3AUpdates/page%3A5?id=news
• Official freeware page: https://www.devontechnologies.com/apps/freeware
• Official introduction: https://www.devontechnologies.com/blog/exploring-xmenu
• source_facts.package-manager