While the Contact Menu supports launching applications by name, there are benefits to using the Apple Bundle Identifier (Bundle ID) or an application-specific URI. Using the Apple Bundle ID allows launching an application even if the application is renamed - a common issue as people download an application many times.
Bundle IDs
Every macOS application has a Bundle Identifier in its Info.plist
.
The Bundle ID can also be determined using this command in Terminal (sudo
is not required).
The command:
osascript -e 'id of app "Chess.app"'
Returns its Bundle ID:
com.apple.Chess
Alternatively, the command:
mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier -r "/System/Applications/Chess.app"
Returns its Bundle ID:
com.apple.Chess
With the introduction of macOS 10.15, Apple moved core applications into /System/Applications
.
Bundle ID reference
The Contact Menu can trigger any application by its Bundle ID. Please refer to the Contact Menu Tips & Tricks for a comprehensive list.
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