Zubin Choudhary

Contract Product Engineer

Holdem app demo

Holdem – A Tauri Desktop Utility for Smoother File Workflows

The Problem

Managing files across folders, applications, and browser tabs is tedious. Users constantly:

  • Lose track of files when switching between windows
  • Struggle to move multiple files in one flow
  • Need a temporary holding area while navigating destinations
  • Want to grab images directly from browser tabs

The desktop becomes a dumping ground, and the traditional drag-and-drop workflow breaks concentration.

Solution

Shake. Drop. Done.

Holdem is a lightweight, open-source desktop tool that creates a floating shelf for your files. It runs quietly in the system tray and activates with a simple mouse shake while dragging — no keyboard shortcuts needed.

Core Features

  • Shake to activate — Mouse shake gesture triggers the floating shelf
  • Floating holding area — Drag files or folders into the shelf temporarily
  • Browser image support — Drop images directly from web browsers
  • Cross-folder workflow — Move files between distant locations without losing track
  • System tray integration — Right-click access from the tray
  • Global hotkey — Alternative keyboard activation
  • Auto-launch on startup — Always ready when you log in

Coming Soon

  • Drop anything — Support for text, links, not just files
  • Multiple shelves — Organize into separate holding areas for different tasks

Technical Stack

  • Framework: Tauri (Rust + Web frontend)
  • Frontend: Web technologies (HTML/JS/CSS)
  • Backend: Rust for system-level operations
  • Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, Linux support via Tauri

Why Tauri

  • Small bundle: ~5MB vs 150MB+ Electron apps
  • Native performance: Rust backend with minimal memory footprint
  • System integration: Native file system, drag-and-drop, and window management APIs
  • Security: Rust's memory safety and smaller attack surface

Challenges

1. Mouse Shake Detection

Implementing reliable shake detection that doesn't false-trigger required careful tuning of gesture velocity, direction changes, and timing thresholds across different mouse sensitivities.

2. Floating Window Behavior

Creating a window that:

  • Appears instantly on shake
  • Stays on top during drag operations
  • Dismisses cleanly when done
  • Feels native to each OS

3. Cross-Application Drag-and-Drop

Handling drag operations from:

  • File explorers (Finder, Explorer, etc.)
  • Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
  • Other applications with file payloads Each source has slightly different data formats and permissions.

4. Browser Image Support

Special handling for images dragged from browsers — converting web URLs to actual image data that can be saved as files.

Outcome

  • 130+ GitHub stars — Validated product sense
  • Windows, macOS, Linux — Cross-platform via Tauri
  • Open source — Community contributions and feedback
  • Real usage — Solves an actual workflow friction

What I Learned

  1. Gesture interfaces are tricky — Small timing changes make or break the experience
  2. Tauri is production-ready — Mature enough for real desktop applications
  3. Cross-platform drag-and-drop is complex — Each OS handles it differently
  4. Simple tools get used — One feature done well beats many features done poorly

Relevant for

  • Teams needing internal desktop tools
  • Developer tools and utilities
  • Cross-platform applications
  • System-level workflow integrations

Download: holdem.iamzub.in Star on GitHub: github.com/iamzubin/holdem