FileRing provides a keyboard-driven circular launcher that displays your recently and frequently used files and folders. Press and hold a customizable hotkey to bring up the radial panel centered at your cursor, move your mouse to select an item, and release the hotkey to open it. The interface organizes items into six distinct sections based on usage patterns.
Basic workflow:
- Press and hold the trigger hotkey (default:
⌃ Control + X) - A circular panel appears with six sections showing your files and folders
- Move your mouse over the desired section and item
- Release the hotkey to perform the action (open file/folder, copy file, or copy path)
- Move cursor to blank area to cancel
FileRing categorizes your files and folders into six sections using macOS Spotlight:
- Files - Recently Opened 🕐
- Files - Recently Saved 💾
- Files - Frequently Used (in 3 days) ⭐
- Folders - Recently Opened 🕐
- Folders - Recently Saved 💾
- Folders - Frequently Used (in 3 days) ⭐
Each section displays 4-10 items (configurable, default: 6) based on your actual usage patterns, with no manual bookmarking required.
SixSections.mp4
Hover over any item to reveal quick actions:
Launch files in their default application or open folders in Finder
OpenFile.mp4
OpenFolder.mp4
Copy the entire file to clipboard for pasting elsewhere (files only)
CopyFile.mp4
Copy the absolute file/folder path as text
CopyFilePath.mp4
FileRing only accesses folders you explicitly authorize. The app has read-only access to your selected directories and uses macOS security-scoped bookmarks for safe file access.
FileRing runs as a lightweight menu bar application. (The dock icon can be set to hidden in Settings.)
- macOS 13.0 or later
- Apple Silicon or Intel processor
- Download the latest release from the Releases page
- Extract and move
FileRing.appto Applications folder - Right-click and select "Open" on first launch (unsigned application)
- Grant necessary permissions when prompted
Due to the lack of an Apple Developer account, the pre-built app is not notarized or signed. macOS will show security warnings. Building from source (Option 2) is strongly recommended.
If you still want to use the pre-built version:
- Download the latest release from the Releases page
- Extract and move
FileRing.appto Applications folder - Remove quarantine attribute:
xattr -cr /Applications/FileRing.app- Alternative: Right-click → "Open" → Click "Open" in the dialog
- If still blocked: System Settings → Privacy & Security → "Open Anyway"
- Grant necessary permissions when prompted
Building from source allows you to sign the app with your own Apple ID, avoiding system security warnings.
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Cosmostima/FileRing.git
cd FileRing
# Open in Xcode
open FileRing.xcodeprojIn Xcode:
- Select the FileRing project in the navigator
- Choose the FileRing target under TARGETS
- Go to "Signing & Capabilities" tab
- Enable "Automatically manage signing"
- Select your Apple ID in the Team dropdown (add account if needed)
- Click Run (⌘R) to build and launch
To export a standalone app:
- Product → Archive
- Click "Distribute App"
- Choose "Copy App" (maybe in custom options)
- Save to desired location
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Cosmostima/FileRing.git
cd FileRing
# Build the application
xcodebuild -project FileRing.xcodeproj -scheme FileRing -configuration Release -derivedDataPath build clean build
# The FileRing.app will be located in the build/Build/Products/Release/ directory.
# You can then copy it to your /Applications folder.
cp -r build/Build/Products/Release/FileRing.app /Applications/
open /Applications/FileRing.appNote: Command line builds require code signing to be configured in Xcode at least once. Open the project in Xcode and set up your Apple ID under "Signing & Capabilities" before using xcodebuild.
When you first open the app, an onboarding guide will help you get started.
You can:
- Authorize Folders
- Select common folders or add custom directories
- Grant access when system prompts appear
- Test the Trigger - Press and hold
⌃ Control + Xto open the panel
Hotkey Requirements
You must combine one or more modifier keys with a regular key:
- Modifiers: ⌘ Command, ⌃ Control, ⌥ Option, ⇧ Shift (can use multiple)
- Regular Keys: A-Z, 0-9, Space, or other standard keys
- Examples:
⌃X,⌥Space,⌘⇧D
Note: Modifier-only shortcuts (like just ⌥ Option alone) are not supported due to macOS Carbon API limitations.
To change the hotkey:
- Open Settings from the menubar
- Click the hotkey field under "Hotkey Settings"
- Press your desired key combination (modifier + key)
- The hotkey updates immediately
Settings → Folder Permissions
To authorize a folder:
- Quickly authorize common folders
- Click "Add" to select custom directories
- Grant access in the system dialog
To revoke access:
- Find the folder in the authorized list
- Click the "X" button next to the folder name
- The folder and its files will no longer appear in FileRing
Note: FileRing only queries files within authorized folders.
Settings → Display
- Items per Section: Adjust from 4 to 10 items (default: 6)
- Hide Dock Icon: Enable to make FileRing menubar-only (requires restart)
Settings → Filter Settings
- Excluded Folders: Manage folders to exclude from search results (e.g.,
node_modules,__pycache__) - Excluded Extensions: Manage file extensions to exclude (e.g.,
.tmp,.log,.cache)
Click "Manage" to add or remove items. Changes take effect immediately.
Settings → Reset
- Reset: Delete all folder authorizations and show the onboarding screen again
FileRing's interaction model is inspired by Loop, an elegant window management tool for macOS.
MIT License - See LICENSE for details
Made with Swift and SwiftUI for macOS