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Getting started

GlanceDock turns the empty space on your desktop into a live dashboard. Clocks, weather, mail, homelab dashboards, cameras, and video render on the wallpaper layer, above your background and below your apps. They are always there when you minimize everything, and one keystroke away when you want to arrange them.

Current status

The public Windows beta is available from the download page. You do not need a website account or a license key to use the free tier.

Requirements

  • Windows 10 or 11 (x64) with the WebView2 runtime (ships with current Windows).

Install GlanceDock

  1. Open the download page and follow its link to the Windows installer.
  2. Run the installer and follow the setup prompts.
  3. Launch GlanceDock. Its tray icon gives you access to Add Widget…, Settings…, and Quit GlanceDock.

Arrange your first widgets

The default layout includes a clock. On the welcome screen, choose Skip setup, then add widgets individually. In the current build, starter layouts add widgets to the default clock and can exceed the free three-widget limit.

To arrange your widgets:

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+G, or choose Toggle Edit Mode from the tray menu.
  2. Drag a widget by its edit-mode handle and use its resize handles to change its size.
  3. Click + Add widget to choose another widget, or use Add Widget… from the tray menu.
  4. Press Ctrl+Alt+G again to lock everything back down.

In passive mode, the layout stays fixed. Supported widget controls remain interactive, while the surrounding desktop stays accessible. Change the edit-mode shortcut in Settings… → Hotkeys → Toggle edit mode.

The free tier

GlanceDock is free forever for up to 3 active widget instances total across all your monitors. Each copy counts separately: two clocks and one weather widget use all three slots. Every widget type, privacy mode, and multi-monitor support are included.

If a saved layout contains more than three instances without a valid license, the extras are paused. Their layout and saved data remain intact. Activating a valid license unlocks unlimited widgets and resumes the saved instances.

Already have a key? Follow Have a license key?. See the License FAQ for more detail.