I thought I had desktop navigation figured out—until I found Kando. With a flick of the mouse, I can launch apps, open URLs, manage files, control media, and switch virtual desktops without having to remember all the complicated keyboard shortcuts.
1Meet Kando
Kando is a cross-platform open-source pie menu that converts your entire display into a click target. Instead of reaching the taskbar, start menu or using the keyboard hotkeys, you can simply throw your mouse in the right direction toquickly launch applications on Windows, macOS and Linux PCs.
Kando features a radial menu with pre-configured actions. To launch the menu, pressCtrl + Space.Press and hold theCtrlkey, move the mouse in the direction of the sub-menu item that you want to select.
Kando works great for anyone who relies on a mouse-keyboard workflow. For instance, to switch between your virtual desktops (workspaces), pressCtrl + Spaceand drag your cursor in the forward or backward direction. Similarly, to launch the app, pressCtrl + Space, drag your cursor toward the app, and click to launch.
While Kando may feel unfamiliar at first, you may quickly get used to it, allowing you to perform actions in just a fraction of a second.
The Best Ways to Use Custom Workspaces in Windows
The ultimate life hack for PC productivity.
2Installing Kando
Go toKando’s official webpageand download the app for your operating system. You can either use the installer package or install Kando via a package manager.
If you prefer to get your hands dirty with code, open your terminal and type the corresponding command below.
Windows WinGet:
macOS Homebrew Cask:
Linux Flathub:
Once installed, launch Kando from the start menu to reveal its menu editor. This is where you can configure the pie menu or edit the sample pre-configured menu. We’ll get to the menu editor in a bit.
Ctrl + Spaceis the default shortcut to launch the Kando pie menu. If an application is already using the shortcut, you can change the shortcut in the menu editor. Right-click on theKando iconin your system tray and selectShow Settingsto change the shortcut.
The pre-configured sample menu serves as a quick access panel, providing shortcuts to essential locations and tools. The structure of the menu is pretty useful for most use cases, as you may customize it with your preferred apps, links, and shortcuts.
3Using Kando Pie Menu and Navigation Modes
To launch the Kando pie menu, pressCtrl + Space. If you prefer using a mouse button instead of a keyboard shortcut, you can configure it with third-party tools likeGestureSignorAutoHotkey to make an app-specific custom hotkeyto open the Kando menu.
Using Kando is easy, and there are three navigation modes to choose from.
Point and click Mode
This is the most beginner-friendly and easiest way to use Kando. PressCtrl + Spaceto open the pie menu, then click on the item you want to select.
Marking Mode
In this mode, you may navigate the submenus using one continued gesture. After launching the menu, press and hold the left mouse button while dragging your cursor over the desired item.
Turbo Mode
This is the fastest way to navigate. Keep theCtrlkey pressed, and then move the mouse in the direction of the items you want to select. Once you releaseCtrl, the current selection is activated. This reduces accidental selections and eliminates unnecessary clicks.
Why Your Mouse Needs More Than Two Buttons
The more buttons your mouse has, the merrier it is for productivity.
4Editing the Kando Menu
The menu editor lets you edit an existing menu or create a new one. Launch Kando from Start to reveal the menu editor. In the editor, you can create new menus, edit existing ones, reorder or remove items, and adjust their properties.
TheMenu Typestab provides several item types to help you compose and edit your menus:
Add URLs to essential web pages, files, and directories, or even draft a new email with your default email client.
Paste Text
Store and insert frequently used text blocks.
Run Command
Open applications using their app name or shell command.
Simulate Hotkey
Execute keyboard shortcuts.
Simulate Macro
Simulate a complex sequence of keyboard shortcuts.
Create nested menus for better organization.
Start by editing theSample Menuto understand how things work. Try replacing an app shortcut as the first step. Since Kando doesn’t have an option to list installed apps, you’ll need to enter the app command to run the application.
In the Kando menu editor, open theSample Menuand navigate to theAppssection. Select an existing app shortcut, then enter the command to launch the app in the Command field. For example, to create a shortcut forSlack, typeSlack.exe.
To add a new app shortcut, go to theMenu Itemstab and drag theRun Commanditem onto the main menu or a nested submenu. To create a new submenu, simply drag and drop theSubmenu itemonto the main menu.
5Customizing the Appearance
You can also customize Kando with different themes. In the menu editor, open theMenu Themestab in the bottom right corner and choose from one of the four pre-installed themes. To further match Kando to your desktop aesthetic, clickEdit Colorsto set custom accent colors.
If the default themes don’t suit your style, you can download additional ones fromKando’s GitHub theme repository. However, installing custom themes requires manually moving thethemes.jsonfiles to themenu-themedirectory.
For my workflow, I’ve configured Kando to open essential apps (Microsoft Word, Asana, Slack, Outlook, ShareX, Notepad, AI tools, Spotify), bookmarks to frequently used directories, and media controls. However, Kando’s real power lies in its flexibility—you can create deeply nested menus and use gesture-based navigation for even more efficiency.
If you frequently navigate between multiple apps and virtual desktops, Kando offers all the essentials in a centralized place with greater precision and speed. However, depending on the complexity of your menu, you may get spikes in your system memory usage. That said, most modern machines should handle it without any noticeable performance impact.
