familiar
Familiar Desktop / For Windows

A familiar feeling.
A Windows desktop.

All the possibilities of your PC.
A little more like home.

Meet Familiar
Designed around you.Built on Windows.
Familiar running on Windows with a Faroe Islands wallpaper, glass widgets and an app dock.
YOUR APPS. YOUR SPACE. YOUR FAMILIAR.ACTUAL FAMILIAR SCREENSHOT / EARLY ALPHA
01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Different computer.
Same sense of home.

Moving to Windows shouldn’t mean starting from zero.

Familiar brings a Mac-inspired desktop to the PC you already use. A thoughtful dock, everyday widgets, and a space you can make your own. Underneath it all, your real Windows apps keep doing what they do best.

One desktop. Your point of view.

Explore Familiar in light and dark.

Dark appearance. Pacific Shore. A quieter kind of workspace.

01 / 02
02 / SMALL DETAILS. BIG DIFFERENCE.

Everything feels
a little closer.

THE DOCK

A home for your
everyday apps.

Your pinned favorites, running apps, and folders. Together, within reach.

FAMILIAR ON THE OUTSIDEWINDOWS UNDERNEATH
DESKTOP WIDGETS

A little space.
A lot at a glance.

Weather, reminders, your next song, and supported device batteries.

(01)

Real apps. Real possibilities.

Open installed Windows applications and supported games. From the spreadsheet due tomorrow to the game you play tonight.

(02)

Make room for you.

Choose a wallpaper, arrange your shortcuts, and create a local profile with its own name, photo, and preferences.

(03)

Less searching. More doing.

Find discovered apps and files in your open Familiar folder with Alt + Space. Keep the next thing close.

03 / WHY WE’RE BUILDING THIS
A simple idea

Your next chapter.
Not a whole new
learning curve.

It started with a familiar university problem.

You’re comfortable on a Mac. Then your course needs a Windows PC. Suddenly, alongside learning your subject, you’re learning a different way to use your computer.

We’re building Familiar to make that transition feel natural. An independent project that gives Windows a calmer, more familiar starting point, while keeping the applications you came for.

Built around a change of computer.
Designed to feel like you.

FOR STUDENTS

Focus on your course.

Finance, architecture, engineering, and beyond. A familiar place to start when your course takes you to Windows.

FOR MAC-TO-PC SWITCHERS

Bring your habits along.

A dock, a menu bar, and a desktop that make the new computer feel a little less new.

FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Enjoy your own space.

Make the computer you already have feel more considered, more personal, and more yours.

04 / GOOD TO KNOW

A few familiar
questions.

Is Familiar a new operating system?

Familiar is a desktop companion that runs on Windows. It gives you a Mac-inspired place to open apps and organize your day. Windows remains your operating system, and your Windows applications keep their own interfaces.

Can I use my Windows apps and games?

Yes. Familiar discovers installed Windows apps and supported installed games, then opens them on your PC. Each application still has its own Windows requirements. Familiar doesn’t run macOS applications.

What happens to my files?

Familiar’s desktop shortcuts point to your existing files and folders. Removing a Familiar shortcut leaves the original in place. You can browse and open files in Familiar; file operations such as moving, renaming, or deleting still use Windows Explorer.

Do I have to stay inside Familiar?

You can exit Familiar at any time from the menu or with Ctrl + Alt + Q. Your open Windows apps keep running. Advanced system settings may also open directly in Windows.

Are profiles and reminders synced?

Profiles, reminders, and personal layouts are stored locally on your PC. Cloud sync and connected calendar accounts are not part of the current alpha. Device battery readings and media controls depend on supported hardware and apps.

When can I download it?

Familiar is currently in early alpha, with development and testing underway. A public download and release date haven’t been announced yet. The screenshots on this page show the working app as it develops.

FAMILIAR DESKTOP In development

A new home
is taking shape.

We’re refining the little things that make
a desktop feel right. This is just the beginning.

Get updates
EARLY ALPHA / 0.7.4WINDOWS x64 · .NET 8 DESKTOP · WEBVIEW2
Familiar / Dark appearance
Expanded Familiar dark appearance screenshot.