KeyRoutines
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How to open an app automatically when another app starts

Give a KeyRoutines routine an App launched trigger and an App quit trigger for the main app. Started by trigger chooses the branch: Open app starts the companion when the main app opens, and Close app closes it when the main app quits.

Steps

  1. 1

    Watch the main app

    Add App launched and App quit triggers for the main app, for example Photoshop.

  2. 2

    Branch on the trigger

    Add an If with Started by trigger set to App launched.

  3. 3

    Open the companion

    In the If branch, add Open app for the companion app with If running set to reuse.

  4. 4

    Close it afterwards

    In the Else branch, add Close app for the companion app, asked nicely.

Tips

  • Leave out the App quit half if the companion should stay open.

Questions

Does it work with games?
Yes for opening apps around a game, such as a voice app or a hardware utility. KeyRoutines never sends input to the game itself.
Can it open more than one app?
Yes. Add an Open app step per app in the branch.

Blocks this routine uses

Trigger · AppsFree

App launched

App launched starts a routine when a chosen app or game opens. It's ideal when you start apps your usual way and want the rest of the setup to follow on its own.

Trigger · AppsFree

App quit

App quit starts a routine when a chosen app or game has fully closed. It's the natural partner of App launched for putting things back the way they were.

Condition · Flow and routinesFree

Started by trigger

Started by trigger checks which of a routine's own triggers began this run. That lets one routine react a little differently to a hotkey, a schedule or an app opening without keeping separate copies.

Step · AppsFree

Open app

Open app starts a program, a Store app, a shortcut or a game from your library. It is the first step of most setup routines, from a morning work session to a full streaming setup.

Step · AppsFree

Close app

Close app shuts down the programs you pick, or every open app except the ones you want to keep. People put it at the end of a work session, before a game, or anywhere a cluttered taskbar gets in the way.

More how-to guides

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