Find apps, files, and music with the Dash

Unity Search

The Dash allows you to search for applications, files, and music, and shows you items that you have used recently. If you have ever worked on a spreadsheet or edited an image and forgot where you saved it, you will surely find this feature of the Dash to be useful.

The dash includes a search bar, application and files shortcuts, and launchers for commonly-used applications (your web browser, email program, etc.).

To start using the dash, click on the Ubuntu logo in the top-left portion of the screen, or press the meta key. To hide the dash, press Esc.

Application and file shortcuts

Click the buttons in the row at the bottom of the dash to switch between lenses. Lenses allow you to focus the Dash results and exclude results from other lenses.

Clicking the second icon in the row will display the Applications lens. This displays applications you use most frequently, applications you have installed, as well as additional applications you can install from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Clicking the document icon allows you to browse the files you have used most recently, files in your Downloads folder, and your bookmarked folders.

The final lens shows songs and albums you've recently listened to.

To return to the main dash view, just click the first icon in the row, the Home button.