Beacon 1.0.4

Beacon 1.0.4 - a fast, native macOS search launcher.

Install

1. Download Beacon-1.0.4.dmg below and open it.
2. Double-click Beacon. That's it - it installs itself into Applications,
   relaunches from there, and opens the search bar with a quick hotkey tip.
   (Dragging to the Applications folder still works too, if you prefer.)
3. Press Option + S anywhere to open the search bar. Press Esc to dismiss.
   Beacon lives in the menu bar (its beacon icon) - no Dock icon or main window.

This build is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens
without security warnings.

Search your text messages (optional)

Beacon can search your iMessage & SMS history. macOS protects the Messages
database, so this needs Full Disk Access (a one-time, manual toggle that
Apple requires for any app reading Messages):

1. In Beacon, press Option + S and click the Messages filter.
2. Click Open Settings - this jumps straight to
   System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Full Disk Access.
3. Find Beacon in the list and turn its switch on.
   (Beacon adds itself to this list automatically - no need for the "+" button.)
4. Choose Quit & Reopen when prompted.

Now select the Messages filter and search by word, phrase, or contact.
Return opens the conversation in Messages; Cmd + C copies the text.

The same Full Disk Access toggle also unlocks Notes and Safari
history. (Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Arc history work without it.)

File search needs no permissions and works the moment you launch Beacon.
Full Disk Access only unlocks Messages, Notes, Safari history, and a few
protected folders.

Highlights

• Unified "All" search - the All tab blends files & apps, messages, and
  notes into one grouped, ranked list. Chips included in All show a small dot;
  Clipboard and History are opt-in via their own chips.
• Recents that actually works - the Recents filter shows files you've
  opened, saved, or added recently, including fresh images/videos/downloads,
  while filtering out app internals, caches, folders, and other Finder noise.
  Type to narrow within the recent-files timeline.
• Clipboard history - everything you copy is captured locally and
  searchable under the Clipboard filter. Return copies it back, ready
  to paste. Private/transient copies (password managers) are skipped.
• Browser history - the History filter searches every page you've
  visited across Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Arc (all profiles).
  Return opens it; Cmd + C copies the link.
• System Settings shortcuts - the Settings filter jumps straight to
  Wi-Fi, Displays, Privacy, Full Disk Access, Keyboard, Battery, and more.
• Notes search - search across all your Apple Notes; Return opens the
  exact note.

What's new in 1.0.4

• A new glass interface. Beacon now uses a clearer, more modern macOS
  material with continuous 24-point corners, subtle specular highlights,
  floating glass filter controls, and improved spacing throughout.
• Clearer result selection. The active result uses a restrained light-blue
  tint so names, paths, metadata, and icons remain easy to read.
• Cleaner thumbnails. File previews and app icons no longer sit inside
  redundant outlined image holders.
• Fresh screenshot/download fast lane. Recents now checks Desktop,
  Downloads, configured screenshot folders, and iCloud equivalents before the
  deeper crawl, so brand-new screenshots show up immediately even on Macs with
  huge folders.
• Better intent ranking. Beacon now favors exact phrase and standalone-word
  matches across Messages, Notes, History, Clipboard, Apps, Recents, Settings,
  and file names, so main beats maintain and IG beats random
  substrings.
• Expanded Settings shortcuts. The Settings filter now includes direct
  matches for Storage, Network, Login Items, Passwords, Touch ID & Password,
  Software Update, Date & Time, and more relevant keyword ranking.
• Recents is now filesystem-backed. Fresh Safari saves, screenshots, and
  downloads show up immediately without relying on Spotlight/Finder Recents.
• File thumbnails. Images, PDFs, videos, and many docs now show Quick Look
  previews in file rows instead of generic icons.
• History favicons. Browser-history rows load site icons directly from the
  visited site (no third-party favicon service), with better fallbacks for
  sites that don't expose their standard favicon.
• Downloaded apps show up. Apps are scanned directly from application
  folders, so third-party/external installs like Chrome, Claude, Cursor, and
  Discord show in Apps and All.
• System Settings filter. A new last filter jumps directly to common
  System Settings panes like Wi-Fi, Privacy, Full Disk Access, Displays,
  Keyboard, Battery, and more.
• Custom menu-bar icon. Beacon now uses a small template Beacon lens mark
  in the menu bar instead of Apple's generic search glyph.
• Expanded GitHub docs. The README now explains what Beacon can do, why it
  avoids Spotlight/Finder's common failure modes, and how the local scanners
  work.

Upgrading from an earlier version? Just replace the app in Applications -
your Full Disk Access setting carries over. Clipboard history starts recording
as soon as you launch this build.