---
id: pyobjc-framework-launchservices
version: "12.2.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pyobjc-framework-LaunchServices — Wrappers for the framework LaunchServices on macOS

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 659.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyobjc-framework-launchservices is a wrapper around Apple's LaunchServices framework, part of the larger PyObjC project that bridges Python and Objective-C on macOS. It allows Python code to interact with system-level services for launching applications, querying file type associations, and discovering available services—functionality normally accessible only through Objective-C or command-line tools.

The package depends on pyobjc-core (the bridge itself) and pyobjc-framework-CoreServices (a related framework wrapper). It is actively maintained, supports Python 3.10 through 3.15, and carries no known security vulnerabilities. Installation is straightforward via pip, and the MIT license imposes no restrictions on use.

Use it for:

- Query which applications can open a given file type or URL scheme on macOS.
- Launch applications programmatically from Python with full LaunchServices integration.
- Discover available system services and their capabilities without shelling out to command-line tools.
- Build macOS-native automation or system administration tools that need deep framework access.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Python bindings to the macOS LaunchServices framework, enabling programmatic control over application launching, file type associations, and system service discovery on macOS.

Yes, if you are developing on macOS and need programmatic access to LaunchServices. The package is actively maintained, has no security issues, installs cleanly, and carries a permissive license. It is only useful on macOS; do not install on other platforms.

## Install

pip install pyobjc-framework-launchservices
uv add pyobjc-framework-launchservices
poetry add pyobjc-framework-launchservices

## Installing pyobjc-framework-LaunchServices

Before you install: Low friction installation as a pure-Python wheel. Actively maintained with a release 3 days old and recent commits; the repository shows 803 stars and is not archived.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pyobjc-framework-launchservices

from LaunchServices import LSCopyApplicationURLsForURL
# Query LaunchServices for application information

Requires macOS; will not function on Windows or Linux. Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Specific LaunchServices APIs exposed and their stability across macOS versions.
- Performance characteristics when querying large numbers of applications or file associations.
- Compatibility with macOS versions older than the current release cycle.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 659.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

macos launchservices python, launch applications from python, file type associations macos, pyobjc framework bindings, macos system services python, macos-native, objc-bridge

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