How to Open Multiple Apps at Once on Mac: Shortcuts or Login Items

To open multiple apps at once on Mac when you choose, create one Apple Shortcuts workflow with an Open App action for each app, then add the shortcut to your Dock. If you want apps to open every time you sign in, use Login Items instead. A Finder folder in the Dock lets you browse items; it does not launch every app inside the folder.

Open multiple Mac apps with one click using Shortcuts

1. Open Shortcuts on your Mac and click the add button to create a shortcut. Give it a name you will recognize, such as “Writing setup.”
2. Search the action list for Open App, add it, and choose the first app.
3. Add another Open App action for each app in the set.
4. Run the shortcut once from the editor to check that it opens the apps you selected.
5. Select the shortcut and choose File → Add to Dock. Later, click its Dock icon to run the set again.

This makes a reusable one-click shortcut for a fixed app list. Shortcuts runs actions in order, so the apps are opened one after another rather than at the exact same instant. See Apple’s guides to creating a custom shortcut and running it from the Dock for the current interface.

Open Mac apps automatically when you sign in

If “open multiple apps at once” means opening them after every login, add the apps under Apple menu → System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions. Click the add button in the Open at Login list and choose each app. Apple also lets you add documents and folders there. Login Items run at sign-in; they are not a button you click when you start a particular task. See Apple’s guide to opening items automatically at login.

Can a Dock folder launch every app inside it?

No. A Finder folder or Dock stack is a place to browse and open its items individually. If you want the steps for adding one, see how to add a folder to the Mac Dock. Use Shortcuts when you want a fixed set of apps to open from one icon.

When is a Mac Dock app group more useful?

A named app group is easier to maintain when you switch between project sets or want related resources beside the apps. Otterdock groups can contain apps, files, folders, and web links. In the Direct edition, choose Launch All in a group popup (or press Command-A) to open its app items. Otterdock also provides a separate Launch Group App Shortcut for starting a group’s apps together. Widgets are different: each tile opens one selected item, and there is no Launch All button in the widget. Launch-group actions apply to apps; open a document, folder, or link when you need it. For widget setup steps, see how to add an Otterdock widget to your Mac desktop. The editions work differently, so compare the Otterdock Direct and Mac App Store editions before choosing.

If you are comparing app-group tools, the Otterdock vs DockGroups comparison explains their published feature differences. For opening one app by name instead of a whole set, see the guide to ways to launch apps on Mac.