---
title: "launchApplication(_:showIcon:autolaunch:)"
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "appkit/nsworkspace/launchapplication(_:showicon:autolaunch:)"
---

# launchApplication(_:showIcon:autolaunch:)

Launches the specified app using additional options.

## Declaration

```swift
func launchApplication(_ appName: String, showIcon: Bool, autolaunch: Bool) -> Bool
```

## Parameters

- `appName`: The name of the app to open.
- `showIcon`: If doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false, the app’s icon is not placed on the screen. (The icon still exists, though.)
- `autolaunch`: If doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true, the autolaunch default is set as though the specified app were autolaunched at startup.

## Return Value

Return Value true if the app was successfully launched or was already running; otherwise, false.

## Discussion

Discussion Use of this method is discouraged. Its current behavior is the same as the launchApplication(_:) method. Returns true if the app is successfully launched or already running, and false if it can’t be launched. Before this method begins, it posts an willLaunchApplicationNotification to the NSWorkspace object’s notification center. When the operation is complete, it posts an didLaunchApplicationNotification. It is safe to call this method from any thread in your app in macOS 10.6 and later.

## See Also

### Methods

- [open(_:options:configuration:)](appkit/nsworkspace/open(_:options:configuration:).md)
- [open(_:withApplicationAt:options:configuration:)](appkit/nsworkspace/open(_:withapplicationat:options:configuration:).md)
- [openFile(_:)](appkit/nsworkspace/openfile(_:).md)
- [openFile(_:withApplication:)](appkit/nsworkspace/openfile(_:withapplication:).md)
- [openFile(_:withApplication:andDeactivate:)](appkit/nsworkspace/openfile(_:withapplication:anddeactivate:).md)
- [openFile(_:from:at:in:)](appkit/nsworkspace/openfile(_:from:at:in:).md)
- [launchApplication(_:)](appkit/nsworkspace/launchapplication(_:).md)
- [launchApplication(at:options:configuration:)](appkit/nsworkspace/launchapplication(at:options:configuration:).md)
- [performFileOperation(_:source:destination:files:tag:)](appkit/nsworkspace/performfileoperation(_:source:destination:files:tag:).md)
- [fullPath(forApplication:)](appkit/nsworkspace/fullpath(forapplication:).md)
- [absolutePathForApplication(withBundleIdentifier:)](appkit/nsworkspace/absolutepathforapplication(withbundleidentifier:).md)
- [launchApplication(withBundleIdentifier:options:additionalEventParamDescriptor:launchIdentifier:)](appkit/nsworkspace/launchapplication(withbundleidentifier:options:additionaleventparamdescriptor:launchidentifier:).md)
- [open(_:withAppBundleIdentifier:options:additionalEventParamDescriptor:launchIdentifiers:)](appkit/nsworkspace/open(_:withappbundleidentifier:options:additionaleventparamdescriptor:launchidentifiers:).md)
- [mountedRemovableMedia()](appkit/nsworkspace/mountedremovablemedia().md)
- [mountedLocalVolumePaths()](appkit/nsworkspace/mountedlocalvolumepaths().md)