Looking for a desktop-based app launcher for GNOME Shell?
Check out Search Light, whose developer describes it as “…a Gnome Shell extension that takes the apps search widget out of Overview. Like the macOS spotlight, or Alfred.”
Long-time Linux users may be more familiar with the concept through open-source app launchers like ULauncher, Albert, Kupfer (or going back a bit, the yet-to-be-surpassed GNOME Do).
With the Search Light GNOME extension you get to harness the power of GNOME Shell’s search capabilities (which other apps can integrate with with provide results) without the full-screen interface and workspace switcher coming int to view.
Search Light shows the same results GNOME Shell search does since it’s literally the same widget, just made to float above windows on the desktop (so you can control the results returned here via the desktop Settings app).
By default Search Light is configured to open when you press ctrl + super + space. This requires more sprightly finger acrobatics than macOS’s equivalent cmd + space, or GNOME Shell’s superbly simple stock super.
So you may be pleased to know you can set your own keyboard shortcut to open it from the extension’s dedicated preferences panel.
The appearance of the Search Light UI is configurable. You can adjust the height and width of the main UI, set a background colour (and opacity), tweak the border radius, and apply optional background blur — option not offered in macOS Spotlight.
Want to try it out?
You can get Search Light on the GNOME Extensions website or (recommended) install it using the desktop Extensions Manager app available in the Ubuntu repos or from Flathub. It works with GNOME 42 and above.