Raycast 2.8 makes File Search up to six times faster

Raycast released version 2.8 for macOS on October 16, and nearly every change in it is about speed.

What changed

According to the official changelog, File Search now returns results up to six times faster and copes better with typos. Root Search and other lists scroll up to twice as fast, and extensions install and update about four times faster on average. Raycast also says the app uses roughly 20% less memory at launch and starts faster.

There are smaller additions too:

• Installed extension skills can be browsed in the AI settings.
• The Calendar command can join Gong meetings.
• Emoji & Symbols can insert Greek letters.
• In Raycast Notes, Command-clicking a parent to-do toggles its nested to-dos.
• Raycast now respects the HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY and NO_PROXY environment variables for all of its traffic, which matters on corporate networks.

In AI Chat, mention labels now tell skills apart from MCP tools, and chats start with less data because extension tools load more selectively.

Why it matters

Raycast 2.0, which left beta in August, rebuilt the app on a new cross-platform architecture that also runs on Windows. Some long-time Mac users worried the move away from a fully native app would cost speed and memory. Version 2.8 is part of an effort to close that gap, with its work on search, memory and launch time.

For people who use Raycast mainly as a Spotlight replacement, faster file search is the change you will notice most. If you use it for clipboard history and window management instead of separate apps like Paste or Rectangle, the faster lists help there too.

How to get it

Raycast installs updates automatically. The core app is free; AI features are part of Raycast Pro.

Source: Raycast changelog, v2.8 for macOS.