Quick Start Folder

Overview

The quickStart bar in Launcher 4 is a widget that allows frequently-used applications to be added to the Home screen, main workspace, or configured as a footer.

This replaces the previous implementation in Launcher 3, which required designating a folder in a layout as the quickStartFolder and limited the display to a single folder on the Home screen. The new design provides more flexibility and easier access to essential apps.

Quick Start Folder: Launcher 3 vs. Launcher 4

In Launcher 3, the Quick Start Applications Folder is configured by setting quickStartFolder to true within a layout group, with only one folder displayed per group on the Home screen. In Launcher 4, this is replaced with a quickStart bar widget - which can be placed in the main workspace, configured as a footer, or given the same flexibility as other widgets on other pages.

Field	Launcher 3	Launcher 4
QuickStart Configuration	Set quickStartFolder to true within a layout group.	Configure quickStart in the widgetType field.
Implementation	Requires designating a folder as the quickStartFolder.	quickStart bar is now a widget.
Placement Option	Limited to one folder on the Home screen.	Can be used in the main workspace, placed as a footer, or configured like other widgets.

Quick Start Folder in Launcher 3

Configuring the Quick Start Bar as a Widget

To configure the quickStart bar as a widget, use the example below as a guide:

{
  "widgetId": "quick-start-001",
  "widgetType": "quickStart",
  "columnSpan": 1,
  "rowSpan": 4,
  "widgetParams": {
    "showLabel": true,
    "applicationList": [
    ...
      {
        "package": "com.bluefletch.ems.web-site.launcher",
        "activity": "SearchActivity",
        "label": "Search"
      },
      {
        "package": "com.bluefletch.web-site.chat"
      },
      {
        "package": "com.bluefletch.ems.web-site.support"
      }
      ...
    ]
  }
}

Enabling the Quickstart Bar as a Footer

To specify the quickStart bar as a footer, use the example below as a guide:

"footer": [
  ...
  {
    "id" : "default_authorized",
    "layout" : {
      "widgetId": "quick-start-001",
      "widgetType": "quickStart",
      "columnSpan": 1,
      "rowSpan": 4,
      "widgetParams": {
        "showLabel": true,
        "applicationList": [
        ...
          {
            "package": "com.bluefletch.ems.web-site.launcher",
            "activity": "SearchActivity",
            "label": "Search"
          },
          {
            "package": "com.bluefletch.web-site.chat"
          },
          {
            "package": "com.bluefletch.ems.web-site.support"
          }
          ...
        ]
      }
    },
    "criteria_OR": [
        {
          "field": "_${session.userId}",
          "pattern": "^_.+$"
        }
    ]
  }
  ...
]

Configuring the Quick Start Bar as a Widget was introduced in Launcher 4.