[Guide] Fixing Flow Launcher hotkeys not working (or "Unavailable") with GlazeWM

[DarkLion75]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a definitive solution for a common issue when running Flow Launcher alongside GlazeWM.

The Problem

If you set Flow Launcher to open with the Windows Key (using the WinHotkey plugin) or via Alt+Space, it often fails to open, or the hotkey settings page shows "Current hotkey is unavailable".

The Technical Root Cause

This is not a bug in either software, but a conflict in how Windows Input Hooks handle modifier keys:

1. GlazeWM's Hook: If your GlazeWM config.yaml uses Alt as the modifier key, GlazeWM installs a low-level keyboard hook (WH_KEYBOARD_LL) that aggressively consumes Alt key events to prevent focus stealing or menu activation while tiling.
2. The Conflict:
   • If you use Alt+Space: GlazeWM "eats" the Alt input before Flow Launcher receives it.
   • If you use the WinHotkey Plugin: This plugin captures the Win key and then programmatically simulates the keystrokes of your main configured hotkey (e.g., it sends a synthetic Alt + Space). GlazeWM detects this synthetic Alt press and blocks it just like a real one.

The Solution

To bypass the GlazeWM hook, you must use a modifier key that GlazeWM is not monitoring/blocking (usually Ctrl).

Step-by-Step Fix:

1. In Flow Launcher Settings:

   • Change the main hotkey to Ctrl+Space.
   • Why? GlazeWM typically ignores Ctrl, allowing the signal to pass through.

2. If you want to use the Windows Key:

   • Keep the WinHotkey plugin enabled.
   • Since the plugin forwards the input to your main hotkey, it will now simulate Ctrl + Space.
   • GlazeWM will allow the synthetic Ctrl event to pass, and Flow Launcher will open instantly.

3. In GlazeWM config.yaml (Optional but recommended):

   • Ensure you have an ignore rule for Flow Launcher to prevent tiling issues. Usually, ignore is enough (no need for set-floating):

   window_rules:
     - commands: ["ignore"]
       match:
         - window_process: { equals: "Flow.Launcher" }
   

Confirmed working on GlazeWM v3. Hope this saves someone else the hours of debugging I went through!