Anchor Apps allow you to double-click a Space icon in your sidebar to instantly open a specific app. This creates a shortcut to the tool you use most often within that Space. It's a great way to save time and get straight to your deep work.
What are Anchor Apps?
In Shift, a Space is a dedicated section of your sidebar where you group your email accounts and tools. You might have one Space for work and another for personal projects. An Anchor App is a specialized app that lives inside a Space and acts as your primary destination.
When you anchor an app, it becomes the "home" for that Space. For example, if you anchor Gmail in your work Space, double-clicking the Space icon will take you straight to your inbox. This helps you:
Jump to your most important tools with fewer clicks.
Stay focused by landing exactly where you need to work.
Navigate your sidebar faster than ever.
How to set up an Anchor App
Before you start, make sure you've already added the app to your sidebar. You can learn more about how to add an app to Shift Browser if you haven't done that yet.
Find the app icon in your Shift sidebar.
Right-click the icon of the app you want to anchor.
Select Set as Anchor App from the menu.
Now, whenever you double-click the Space icon, Shift will automatically open that app.
How to manage your Anchor Apps
You can easily change or remove these shortcuts as your workflow evolves.
Remove an Anchor App
Right-click on the Space icon in your sidebar.
Select Unset as Anchor App.
Your Space will now function normally without jumping to a specific app.
Identify an anchored app
If you're not sure which app is anchored, right-click on the Space and select Edit Space. Look at the list of apps. You'll see an Anchored label next to the app currently serving as your shortcut.
Related Articles
- How to add an App in Shift
- How to add a Custom App to Shift
- How to remove Apps from Shift
- All About Using Web Apps in Shift
- What to do if you're having an issue with an App in Shift
- What are Spaces
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