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# launchApplication(_:showIcon:autolaunch:)

Launches the specified app using additional options.

```
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

<doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true> if the app was successfully launched or was already running; otherwise, <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false>.

## Discussion

Use of this method is discouraged. Its current behavior is the same as the [`launchApplication(_:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSWorkspace/launchApplication(_:)) method.

Returns <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true> if the app is successfully launched or already running, and <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false> if it can’t be launched.

Before this method begins, it posts an [`willLaunchApplicationNotification`](/documentation/AppKit/NSWorkspace/willLaunchApplicationNotification) to the `NSWorkspace` object’s notification center. When the operation is complete, it posts an [`didLaunchApplicationNotification`](/documentation/AppKit/NSWorkspace/didLaunchApplicationNotification).

It is safe to call this method from any thread in your app in macOS 10.6 and later.

---

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