Your workspace, ready when you are
LidLauncher detects the moment your MacBook opens and launches your apps into place. Set it once, never think about it again.
How it works
Three things happen in sequence, every time you open your MacBook.
Open the lid
LidLauncher uses IOKit HID to detect the physical lid angle sensor -- the same hardware signal macOS uses internally. It reacts the moment your lid cracks open, not just when it's fully raised.
No button to press, no app to launch first. It's always listening.
Context is read
Time of day, calendar events, WiFi network, Bluetooth devices -- LidLauncher reads your environment to decide which workspace to load.
Morning standup? Work apps. Home WiFi at 8 PM? Personal setup. It picks the right rule automatically.
Apps tile into place
Your apps launch and position themselves exactly where you want them. Browser left half, editor right half, Slack in the corner. Done in under a second.
Uses macOS Accessibility APIs to move and resize windows -- the same system tools like Rectangle use.
Works when you crack the lid open partway -- not just fully open or closed. LidLauncher detects the physical lid angle sensor, so it reacts to real hardware events, not just sleep/wake.
Privacy-first by design
LidLauncher runs entirely on your Mac. No servers, no accounts, no telemetry.
Permissions explained
Accessibility
Positions and resizes windows to tile your apps into the right spots on screen.
Cannot read window content, keystrokes, or screen pixels.
Input Monitoring
Detects the physical lid angle sensor via IOKit HID -- the hardware signal that your MacBook is opening.
Does not read keyboard input, mouse clicks, or any other HID devices.
Calendar
Reads upcoming events so rules can trigger based on your schedule.
No event data leaves your Mac. Never modifies or deletes events.
Location
Enables location-based rules -- different workspaces for different places.
Entirely optional. Never tracks or stores location history.
Zero network calls except for an optional license validation check. Your rules, contexts, and app data never leave your machine.
Simple pricing
No subscriptions. No accounts. Pay once, own it forever.
Free
Everything you need to get started. Not a trial.
- 2 automation rules
- Lid-open trigger
- Time + calendar conditions
- Panic hide (wiggle gesture)
- Auto-updates via Sparkle
Pro
Unlimited rules and advanced conditions.
- Unlimited automation rules
- Everything in Free
- WiFi network conditions
- Bluetooth device conditions
- Priority support
Requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later. Apple Silicon and Intel.