Portal Launcher 1.0.8

A small release about the mod browser and about making these release pages easier to use.

What's new

• A mod you installed from Modrinth now shows as installed when you come across it on CurseForge, and the other way round. Before, the browser only recognised mods from the same site and would offer to install a second copy.
• Release pages are simpler: one download per operating system with install steps right here, and no more checksum files to wonder about. The built-in updater still verifies what it downloads; the checksums just live in the description now instead of on the page.

Download and install

Pick the one for your computer. You only ever need one file.

Windows

Download PortalLauncher-Setup-1.0.8.exe and run it. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box the first time because the installer is not code signed yet: click "More info", then "Run anyway". Any Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

The PortalLauncher-Windows-MSVC-1.0.8.zip is what the launcher's built-in updater downloads. You do not need it unless you want to unpack the launcher somewhere yourself.

macOS

Download PortalLauncher-macOS-1.0.8.dmg, open it and drag Portal Launcher into Applications. It runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 12 or newer. The first time you open it macOS will say it cannot check the app for malware: close that message, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click "Open Anyway" next to Portal Launcher. On macOS 14 and older, right click the app and choose Open instead. You only have to do this once.

Linux

Download PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage, mark it executable (chmod +x PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage) and run it.

Checking for updates

Windows installs update themselves: the launcher checks once a day, or use Help > Check for Updates any time. Settings, instances and accounts all carry over. On macOS and Linux, download the new file from the newest release when one comes out; your settings and instances stay where they are.

Portal Launcher 1.0.7

A follow-up to yesterday's fix release, mostly about the mod updater. New here? Windows users want the installer, Mac users the .dmg, Linux users the AppImage; the zip is for anyone who would rather unpack it themselves. Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

What's new

• When a mod's provider has nothing for your game version, the updater now looks the same file up on the other provider by hash. A mod installed from CurseForge whose author moved to Modrinth (or the other way round) switches over on its own and keeps updating. The update window tells you when that happened.
• Mods that are not on Modrinth or CurseForge at all are remembered for a week, so the updater stops asking which provider to try for them every single time. They still show at the bottom of the update window.
• Releases are down to four downloads, one per platform, plus the zip the built-in updater uses. The extra Windows variants, portable builds and source archive are gone from the release page.

Download and install

Pick the one for your computer. You only ever need one file.

Windows

Download PortalLauncher-Setup-1.0.7.exe and run it. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box the first time because the installer is not code signed yet: click "More info", then "Run anyway". Any Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

The PortalLauncher-Windows-MSVC-1.0.7.zip is what the launcher's built-in updater downloads. You do not need it unless you want to unpack the launcher somewhere yourself.

macOS

Download PortalLauncher-macOS-1.0.7.dmg, open it and drag Portal Launcher into Applications. It runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 12 or newer. The first time you open it macOS will say it cannot check the app for malware: close that message, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click "Open Anyway" next to Portal Launcher. On macOS 14 and older, right click the app and choose Open instead. You only have to do this once.

Linux

Download PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage, mark it executable (chmod +x PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage) and run it.

Checking for updates

Windows installs update themselves: the launcher checks once a day, or use Help > Check for Updates any time. Settings, instances and accounts all carry over. On macOS and Linux, download the new file from the newest release when one comes out; your settings and instances stay where they are.

Portal Launcher 1.0.6

A fix release for the two things that got in the way most: updating mods, and joining shared packs. It is also the first release with a macOS build. New here? Grab the installer for Windows or the .dmg for Mac; the zip is there if you would rather unpack it yourself. Any Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

What's new

• Updating mods no longer stops to ask whether to carry on when some of them are not on Modrinth or CurseForge. Those mods are simply left as they are and listed at the bottom of the update window.
• Mods whose authors turned off downloads for third party launchers on CurseForge now download like any other mod, during updates and when installing a CurseForge pack. No more "get it by hand" links. Every one of those files is still checked against CurseForge's own hash.
• Joining or syncing a shared pack works again when it contains files the owner uploaded themselves. Modrinth moved those files to new storage links and the launcher was refusing them as untrusted.
• Portal Launcher now runs on macOS, on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, from a single app.

Download and install

Pick the one for your computer. You only ever need one file.

Windows

Download PortalLauncher-Setup-1.0.6.exe and run it. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box the first time because the installer is not code signed yet: click "More info", then "Run anyway". Any Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

The PortalLauncher-Windows-MSVC-1.0.6.zip is what the launcher's built-in updater downloads. You do not need it unless you want to unpack the launcher somewhere yourself.

macOS

Download PortalLauncher-macOS-1.0.6.dmg, open it and drag Portal Launcher into Applications. It runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 12 or newer. The first time you open it macOS will say it cannot check the app for malware: close that message, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click "Open Anyway" next to Portal Launcher. On macOS 14 and older, right click the app and choose Open instead. You only have to do this once.

Linux

Download PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage, mark it executable (chmod +x PortalLauncher-Linux-x86_64.AppImage) and run it.

Checking for updates

Windows installs update themselves: the launcher checks once a day, or use Help > Check for Updates any time. Settings, instances and accounts all carry over. On macOS and Linux, download the new file from the newest release when one comes out; your settings and instances stay where they are.

Portal Launcher 1.0.5

A small release that is entirely about making the built in updater safe. If you are installing Portal Launcher for the first time, grab PortalLauncher-Setup-1.0.5.exe and run it. Windows will probably show a SmartScreen warning because the builds are not code signed yet; click "More info" then "Run anyway". If you would rather not use an installer, PortalLauncher-Windows-MSVC-1.0.5.zip is the same thing in a folder you can unzip anywhere. Either way, any Prism Launcher instances and accounts you already have are picked up automatically.

What's new

• Updating the launcher can no longer leave you without a launcher. The old install now stays in place and gets replaced file by file, instead of being cleared out first and rebuilt afterwards.
• If something does go wrong partway through an update, the version you were already on is put back, so you never end up on a half installed mixture of two versions.
• Files that a new version stops shipping are cleaned up properly once the update has succeeded.
• Backup copies of previous versions no longer pile up inside the install folder. Only the most recent one is kept.
• A brief outage at GitHub no longer looks like a broken launcher. The update check retries on its own, and if it really cannot connect it says so in plain language instead of showing a raw network error.

Updating from an older build

If you are on 1.0.4, use Help > Check for Updates, or just wait for the daily check. Your settings, instances and accounts all carry over.

If you are on 1.0.3 or older, please update. Those builds shipped an updater that could empty the install folder and leave the launcher unable to open, which meant reinstalling by hand. Updating to 1.0.4 works correctly, and from there you will be on the version where the problem cannot happen at all. If you were bitten by this earlier and are still stuck, running the installer above over the top will sort it out.

Manual updating still works too: download the zip and extract it over your existing install.

Windows 64 bit only for now.

Portal Launcher 1.0.4

Portal Launcher 1.0.4 is an urgent updater safety release. New users should start with the installer; the ZIP is available as an alternative, Windows SmartScreen may warn while builds are unsigned, and existing Prism instances and accounts are detected automatically.

What's new

• Fixed the in-app updater failure that could remove the launcher executable without installing its replacement.
• Update archives now include a complete file manifest, and both packaging and publishing stop automatically if that manifest or any critical launcher file is missing.
• Downloads are fully extracted and checked before the working installation is touched.
• Failed file copies, updater handoffs, or relaunches now restore the previous launcher from backup.
• Files left behind by an interrupted update can no longer make an incomplete download look valid.

Updating from an older build

Existing installations can update through Help ? Check for Updates or the normal daily update check. Settings, instances, and accounts carry over. If an earlier failed update already left Portal unable to open, run the 1.0.4 installer manually once; future updates will use the repaired path.

Windows 64 bit only for now.

Portal Launcher 1.0.3

A small media and polish release that makes animated images and videos behave properly throughout the mod browser. New here? Grab the installer below and run it; the zip is there if you prefer to unpack it yourself. Windows SmartScreen may warn because the build is not signed yet: click More info, then Run anyway. Your existing Prism instances and accounts are picked up automatically.

What's new

• Animated GIFs and WebP images now play in gallery thumbnails, the full-size gallery viewer, and mod descriptions
• Gallery videos now have a clear play button and open in your default browser or player, including YouTube and Vimeo links, without downloading the whole video first
• Videos embedded in mod descriptions now become clean Watch video links that stay in the page layout, and large animated images no longer paint behind the text below them
• Detail tabs keep their spacing on stock themes instead of looking squished together

Updating from an older build

Portal updates itself. Open Help > Check for Updates, or wait for the daily check to offer it, and your settings, instances and accounts carry over untouched. If automatic updating does not work, download the zip below and unzip it over your existing install.

Windows 64 bit only. Works alongside the official Modrinth App, packs can be shared between both.

Portal Launcher 1.0.2

Smaller downloads for your friends, a proper installer, and a fix for the Friends button. New here? Grab the installer below and run it: it sets Portal up for you, no admin needed, and adds it to your Start Menu. If you would rather keep things portable, the zip works too, just unzip it anywhere and run prismlauncher.exe. Windows SmartScreen may warn since the build is not signed yet: click More info, then Run anyway. Your existing Prism instances and accounts are picked up automatically.

What's new

• Resource packs are now squashed before they go out to a shared pack, so friends download around 40% less. Nothing is lost: textures and sounds are untouched, they are just packed better, and your own files are never modified
• A real Windows installer, so you no longer have to unzip anything to get started. It installs just for you, adds Start Menu and desktop shortcuts, and uninstalls cleanly from Add or Remove Programs
• Every download now ships with a checksum file next to it if you like to verify what you are running

Fixes

• The Friends button is clickable again. It was greyed out for everyone in 1.0.1: removing the panel's popout and close buttons also switched off the button meant to open it. A panel left popped out by an older build now snaps back into place on its own

Updating from an older build

Portal updates itself. Open Help > Check for Updates, or just wait for the daily check to offer it, and your instances, accounts and settings carry over untouched. If you would rather do it by hand, download the zip below and unzip it over your existing install.

Windows 64 bit only. Works alongside the official Modrinth App, packs can be shared between both.

Portal Launcher 1.0.1

A big quality-of-life update. Existing installs will offer this automatically; new here? Download the zip below, unzip anywhere, and run prismlauncher.exe (SmartScreen may warn since the build is not signed: More info, then Run anyway). Your existing Prism instances and accounts are picked up automatically.

Playing together

• Pack owners can mark mods as optional, so friends can turn those off and still stay synced
• Instances can offer pack updates right before you press Play (opt-in per instance)
• Shared pack updates that add new unverified files now ask before applying
• Shared packs launch instantly when nothing changed since last time
• Import CurseForge modpacks from a share code
• See what your friends are playing on Discord while the game runs

Around the launcher

• Drag instances around to arrange them exactly how you like, saved as a new Custom sort mode
• A selectable Portal theme in the appearance settings
• The Servers page shows live player counts, ping and MOTD
• A duplicate mod finder in the Mods page
• The Play button becomes Stop while the game is running
• The mod browser can hide versions that do not fit your instance, and shows galleries in a proper lightbox (fills the window, wheel zoom, drag to pan)
• Mods you already downloaded get reused across instances instead of redownloading

Fixes and safety

• The updater no longer offers the old Prism Launcher 11.0.3 release over newer Portal versions
• Update downloads are verified against a published checksum before installing
• The friends panel can no longer get stuck floating offscreen, and its popout and close buttons are gone (the Friends toolbar button toggles it)
• Smoother mod list scrolling, lower gallery memory use, and streamed uploads for big packs

Windows 64 bit only. Works together with the official Modrinth App, packs can be shared between both.

Portal Launcher 1.0.0

The launcher is now Portal Launcher, with its own name, logo, and its own updates.

What's new

• New identity: Portal Launcher, version 1.0.0, with the new logo
• Built-in updates: the launcher checks this repository for new releases (Help > Check for Updates, plus an automatic daily check) and can install them itself
• Everything from the shared instances fork is included: Modrinth shared packs, the friends panel, mod galleries and changelogs when browsing, mod update rollback, modpack update notifications, instance search, and more

Updating from an older build

Download the zip below, unzip it anywhere, and run prismlauncher.exe. Your instances, accounts, and settings are picked up automatically. This is the last manual update: from this version on, the launcher updates itself.