Shelfy support

Install and activate

1. After you buy, Gumroad shows your license key and emails it to you with the download link.
2. Open the downloaded file and drag Shelfy to your Applications folder, then open it.
3. Choose Enter License… from Shelfy’s menu bar icon and paste the key. One key works on up to 3 of your Macs.

Shelfy needs the internet once to activate, then about once a day to check the license and look for updates. Everything else works offline.

Permissions, explained

Shelfy asks for two things, and both are optional:

• Accessibility lets Shelfy read where the Dock is and how big it is, so the shelves line up with it exactly. Turn it on in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. Without it, Shelfy works out the Dock’s position on its own, a little less precisely, and tells you when allowing it would help.
• Desktop and Downloads access lets the recents strip list your newest screenshots and downloads. Shelfy only looks at what’s new; it doesn’t read your files’ contents.

Shortcuts

• ⇧⌘Space opens everything on the shelf in one searchable panel. Space shows Quick Look; Return opens the file.
• ⌃⌥V pastes your newest screenshot into whatever you’re typing in, and leaves your clipboard as it was.
• If another app already uses one of these, Shelfy tells you. No Mouse Mode, for example, also uses ⇧⌘Space by default; record a different shortcut in either app’s settings.

The shelf doesn’t appear

• Is Shelfy running? Look for its icon in the menu bar. If it isn’t there, open Shelfy from Applications.
• Is the Dock hidden, or an app full screen? The shelves hide with the Dock and step aside for full-screen apps, then come back.
• Is the Dock very wide? If the Dock fills nearly the whole edge of the screen, there’s no room beside it. When space is tight the shelf shrinks to icons or a small tab; when there’s no room at all, it can’t show. Make the Dock smaller in System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Size, or remove a few apps from it.
• Are two copies running? If you see two Shelfy icons in the menu bar, quit both (right-click › Quit), then open Shelfy once from Applications.
• Still stuck? Email us with the support info described at the top of this page.

Updates

Shelfy checks for updates on its own and installs them when you agree. To check now, choose Check for Updates… from its menu bar icon. Updates are free. You can see what changed in each version in the changelog.

How we measured Shelfy’s speed

We say Shelfy uses about 0.1% CPU and 26 MB of memory. Here’s exactly where those numbers come from: Shelfy 0.2.2, the release build, on a MacBook Air (M1, 2020) with macOS 15.7.4, sampled with top every 5 seconds for 10 minutes (120 samples), and memory read with footprint, on November 4, 2026. Your numbers will vary with your Mac and with how much you keep on the shelf.

According to Shelfy’s measurements, the app averaged 0.12% CPU (2.3% at its busiest sample) and 26 MB of memory while idle beside the Dock.

Uninstall Shelfy

1. Choose Quit from Shelfy’s menu bar icon.
2. Drag Shelfy from Applications to the Trash.
3. To remove its settings and shelf list too, delete the com.shelfy.app and Shelfy folders in ~/Library/Application Support.

Refunds

All sales are final; please try the live demo before you buy. If Shelfy isn’t working on your Mac, email us and we’ll help fix it. The full policy is in the terms.

More questions

Can I change Shelfy’s shortcut?

Yes. ⇧⌘Space is the default, picked to stay clear of Spotlight, Raycast and Alfred. Record any other shortcut in Shelfy’s Settings, or turn it off.

Why isn’t Shelfy on the Mac App Store?

To line up with the Dock, Shelfy reads the Dock’s position through Accessibility, which apps in the Mac App Store aren’t allowed to do.

How do I move my license to a new Mac?

Install Shelfy on the new Mac and enter the same license key; it works on up to 3 of your Macs. Replacing a Mac that already used one of the three? Email us and we’ll free up its place.

I lost my license key. How do I get it back?

Search your email for the receipt from Gumroad, which includes the key. If you can’t find it, email us from the address you bought with and we’ll look it up.

Does Shelfy work with multiple displays?

Yes. The shelves sit beside the Dock on whichever screen the Dock is on, and follow it when it moves to another display.

Does Shelfy start when I log in?

You can choose that in Shelfy’s Settings. It then waits quietly in the menu bar until you need it.