Desktop and tray
Undra is a desktop app, so some of the most useful things live outside the main window: a tray menu, a small capture window, and shortcuts that work even when Undra is not in focus. This page covers the OS-level pieces and the two opt-in behaviors that change how Undra sits on your machine.
The tray menu
Right-click the Undra icon in your system tray for a quick menu that works without bringing the main window forward. From there you can:
- Show or hide the Undra window.
- Open Quick Capture.
- Create something from the New submenu (plan, note, canvas, folder, or mount a folder portal).
- Use the Go to submenu to jump to New Tab, Inbox, Undraverse, Calendar, Media, Milestones, or Trash.
- Open Search or the Command Palette.
- Reveal Workspace Folder on disk.
- Jump into any Settings section.
- Reach Help, see your version, and check for updates.
- Restart or Quit Undra.
An AI submenu appears here too once AI is switched on.
This is also where the two opt-in behaviors below are toggled, so the tray menu is the fastest place to change them.
Keep running in the tray
By default, closing the main window quits Undra. If you turn on Keep running in the tray, closing the window leaves Undra running quietly in the tray instead.
Two reasons to want this:
- Instant reopen. The app is already warm, so it comes back the moment you click the tray icon.
- Background work. Long-running AI jobs and other background work can keep going while the window is closed.
It is off by default, so Undra behaves like a normal app until you opt in.
Launch on startup
Launch on startup starts Undra when you log in to your computer, so your workspace is ready without you opening it. It is off by default and lives alongside the tray toggle.
Quick Capture
Quick Capture is a small standalone window for jotting a task or note from anywhere, without switching to the main window. Press Ctrl + Shift + Space to summon it, type your thought, and it lands in your workspace. You can also open it from the tray menu.
It is built for the moment an idea shows up while you are doing something else: capture it in a couple of seconds and get back to what you were doing.
Global shortcuts
One shortcut is registered with your operating system, so it fires even when Undra is not the focused app:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + Shift + Space |
Open Quick Capture |
Global means global
Quick Capture is registered at the OS level, so it works from any app. That also means it can collide with a shortcut another app has claimed: if it does not fire, something else running may have grabbed the same combination.
These also exist, but only while an Undra window is focused, because they live on the app’s own menu rather than the OS:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + N |
New task |
Ctrl + Shift + N |
New folder |
Ctrl + 1 |
Go to Inbox |
Ctrl + 3 |
Go to Undraverse |
Ctrl + P |
Search |
Every other shortcut is rebindable in Settings under Keyboard shortcuts.
The native menu bar
The app’s native menu bar covers the standard desktop bits:
- Open Workspace Folder (
Ctrl + O) reveals your workspace folder in your computer’s file manager. It shows you the real files; it does not switch workspaces. - Zoom controls for sizing the interface.
- A link straight to these docs.
Where to go next
- Getting around: the command palette, panels, and splitting the view.
- Settings: change shortcuts, theme, and more.
- Local-first trust: how workspaces and your files fit together.