Use this command to install FanFolder with WinGet:
winget install --id=OleBhartvigsen.FanFolder -e
FanFolder is a taskbar utility for Windows that turns any folder into an animated, arc-shaped popup on the taskbar. When clicked, the most recently modified items in the configured folder fan out in a smooth animation, allowing users to open files, use the full shell context menu, or drag items into other applications. Ideal for organizing and accessing frequently used files, FanFolder supports local folders as well as cloud-synced services like OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.
Key Features:
Multiple Animation Styles: Choose from Fan, Glide, Spring, Fade, or None to customize how files appear.
Smart Sorting & Filtering: Organize items by date modified, date created, or name. Use optional regex filters to show specific file types.
Full Shell Context Menu Support: Right-click for standard Windows actions or drag files into other apps directly from the popup.
Low Memory Usage: Weighs just ~160 KB and runs efficiently with minimal system resources.
Native Builds for x64 and ARM64: Optimized for all modern Windows devices, including laptops and tablets.
Install via Winget: Easily deploy FanFolder using the command line with winget install OleBhartvigsen.FanFolder.
Target Audience and Benefits:
Ideal for power users, developers, and professionals who need quick access to frequently used files. FanFolder streamlines file management by creating a customizable, animated shortcut to any folder on the taskbar, reducing time spent navigating through file explorer. With its lightweight design and support for cloud sync, it’s perfect for organizing projects, downloads, or personal documents in a visually appealing way.
Available via Winget, FanFolder provides an intuitive and efficient way to manage files directly from the Windows taskbar.
README
FanFolder
Your latest files, one click away from the Windows taskbar.
Stop digging through File Explorer for files you just used. FanFolder puts your recent documents (or any folder you choose) directly on the taskbar. Click the icon and the files fan out. Open, drag, copy, rename, or delete them with the same Windows actions you already know.
Use it for recent documents, an active project folder, Downloads, or whatever you open often.
FanFolder is a native Win32/C++ app. No .NET runtime needed. The executable is about 161 KB.
Homepage:
License
FanFolder is proprietary software, free to use for personal and commercial use forever. The source code is not publicly distributed. See LICENSE for full terms.
If you find FanFolder useful, an optional "buy me a coffee" donation is appreciated but never required.
Once FanFolder is running, it sends a single anonymous app_installed event to the FanFolder Aptabase project in the EU. This uses the Windows WinHTTP API, runs in the background with a short timeout, and is skipped entirely if there is no network. It will not slow you down or get in the way. Both release and debug builds send this unless you disable it in the registry.
The event contains a random per-user installation identifier, the application version, CPU architecture, and the platform identifier Windows. Aptabase may also derive coarse region information from the network request. FanFolder does not send usernames, folder paths, filenames, account information, or file activity. Aptabase can receive normal network metadata associated with the HTTPS request. The identifier is stored under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\FanFolder; the event is only marked as sent after a successful response, so a failed delivery is retried on a later launch.