diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
index bb97d5e..5d214f2 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
         </rectangle>
         <!-- BOTTOM PANEL -->
         <rectangle
+          consume_mouse_events="1"
           width="100%"
           height="48"
           min_height="48"
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
index 6887caf..ff2e188 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
@@ -1,22 +1,33 @@
 <layout>
   <include src="t_tab_title.xml" />
+  <include src="../theme.xml" />
 
   <template name="AppEntry">
     <Button
       id="button" width="116" max_width="140" min_height="100" flex_grow="1"
-      flex_direction="column" overflow="visible" align_items="center" justify_content="center" gap="4">
+      flex_direction="column" overflow="visible" align_items="center" justify_content="center" gap="4"
+      color="#3385FF10"
+    >
       <div>
         <sprite src="${src}" src_ext="${src_ext}" width="64" height="64" />
       </div>
       <div align_items="center" justify_content="center">
-        <label width="116" weight="bold" text="${name}" size="12" wrap="1" align="center" padding_left="16" padding_right="16"/>
+        <label width="116" weight="bold" text="${name}" size="12" wrap="1" align="center" padding_left="16" padding_right="16" />
       </div>
     </Button>
   </template>
 
+  <template name="CategoryText">
+    <rectangle width="100%" flex_direction="column" round="8" border="2" gradient="vertical" color2="#4477FF09" color="#5588FF10" border_color="#FFFFFF00">
+      <label margin="8" text="${text}" weight="bold" size="22" />
+      <rectangle height="2" color="~color_accent" margin_left="4" margin_right="4" />
+    </rectangle>
+  </template>
+
   <elements>
     <TabTitle translation="APPLICATIONS" icon="dashboard/apps.svg" />
     <!-- placeholders for now -->
+    <!--
     <div gap="4" align_items="center">
       <Button width="48" height="38">
         <sprite src_builtin="dashboard/alphabetical.svg" width="24" height="24" />
@@ -25,18 +36,17 @@
         <sprite src_builtin="dashboard/category_search.svg" width="24" height="24" />
       </Button>
       <sprite src_builtin="dashboard/search.svg" width="24" height="24" />
-      <!-- placeholder editbox -->
       <rectangle flex_grow="1" height="100%" color="#1d2e51" border_color="#294774" border="2" round="4" align_items="center" padding_left="12">
         <label text="Search" color="#FFFFFF88" weight="bold" />
       </rectangle>
     </div>
+    -->
     <div
       id="app_list_parent"
       flex_direction="row"
       flex_wrap="wrap"
-      justify_content="center"
       gap="4"
       overflow_y="scroll"
     />
   </elements>
-</layout>
+</layout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/view/app_launcher.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/view/app_launcher.xml
index 92f1c03..3611edf 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/view/app_launcher.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/view/app_launcher.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   </template>
 
   <template name="ApplicationIcon">
-    <sprite src_ext="${path}" width="128" height="128" />
+    <sprite src_ext="${path}" width="96" height="96" />
   </template>
 
   <include src="../t_separator.xml" />
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
   <elements>
     <div flex_direction="row" gap="16">
-      <rectangle macro="group_box" id="icon_parent" padding="8" color="#0033aa66" color2="#00000022" gradient="vertical" justify_content="center">
+      <rectangle macro="group_box" id="icon_parent" padding="16" color="#0033aa66" color2="#00000022" gradient="vertical" justify_content="center">
 
       </rectangle>
       <div flex_direction="column" gap="8">
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
         <Separator />
         <RadioGroup id="radio_compositor" flex_direction="row" gap="16">
           <RadioBox text="Native mode" value="Native" checked="1" />
-          <RadioBox text="Compatibility mode" value="Cage"/> <!-- TODO: tooltips -->
+          <RadioBox text="Compatibility mode" value="Cage" /> <!-- TODO: tooltips -->
         </RadioGroup>
         <Separator />
         <label text="Resolution" />
@@ -51,4 +51,4 @@
       </div>
     </div>
   </elements>
-</layout>
+</layout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dash-frontend/src/tab/apps.rs b/dash-frontend/src/tab/apps.rs
index aa52a27..0c4b078 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/src/tab/apps.rs
+++ b/dash-frontend/src/tab/apps.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct AppList {
 	//data: Vec<ParserData>,
 	entries_to_mount: VecDeque<DesktopEntry>,
 	list_parent: WidgetPair,
+	prev_first_letter: char,
 }
 
 // called after the user clicks any desktop entry
@@ -130,12 +131,21 @@ impl<T> TabApps<T> {
 		let tasks = Tasks::new();
 		let state = Rc::new(RefCell::new(State { view_launcher: None }));
 
-		let mut entries = frontend.interface.desktop_finder(data).find_entries();
 		let parser_state = wgui::parser::parse_from_assets(&doc_params(globals.clone()), &mut frontend.layout, parent_id)?;
 		let app_list_parent = parser_state.fetch_widget(&frontend.layout.state, "app_list_parent")?;
+
+		let mut entries_sorted: Vec<_> = frontend
+			.interface
+			.desktop_finder(data)
+			.find_entries()
+			.into_values()
+			.collect();
+		entries_sorted.sort_by(|a, b| a.app_name.cmp(&b.app_name));
+
 		let app_list = AppList {
-			entries_to_mount: entries.into_values().collect(),
+			entries_to_mount: entries_sorted.drain(..).collect(),
 			list_parent: app_list_parent,
+			prev_first_letter: ' ',
 		};
 
 		Ok(Self {
@@ -156,37 +166,55 @@ impl AppList {
 		doc_params: &ParseDocumentParams,
 		entry: &DesktopEntry,
 	) -> anyhow::Result<Rc<ComponentButton>> {
-		let mut template_params = HashMap::new();
+		if let Some(ch) = entry.app_name.chars().next()
+			&& self.prev_first_letter != ch
+		{
+			self.prev_first_letter = ch;
+			let mut params = HashMap::<Rc<str>, Rc<str>>::new();
+			params.insert("text".into(), format!("{}", ch).into());
 
-		// entry icon
-		template_params.insert(
-			Rc::from("src_ext"),
-			entry
-				.icon_path
-				.as_ref()
-				.map_or_else(|| Rc::from(""), |icon_path| icon_path.clone()),
-		);
+			parser_state.parse_template(
+				doc_params,
+				"CategoryText",
+				&mut frontend.layout,
+				self.list_parent.id,
+				params,
+			)?;
+		}
 
-		// entry fallback (question mark) icon
-		template_params.insert(
-			Rc::from("src"),
-			if entry.icon_path.is_none() {
-				Rc::from("dashboard/terminal.svg")
-			} else {
-				Rc::from("")
-			},
-		);
+		{
+			let mut params = HashMap::new();
 
-		template_params.insert(Rc::from("name"), entry.app_name.clone());
+			// entry icon
+			params.insert(
+				"src_ext".into(),
+				entry
+					.icon_path
+					.as_ref()
+					.map_or_else(|| "".into(), |icon_path| icon_path.clone()),
+			);
 
-		let data = parser_state.parse_template(
-			doc_params,
-			"AppEntry",
-			&mut frontend.layout,
-			self.list_parent.id,
-			template_params,
-		)?;
-		data.fetch_component_as::<ComponentButton>("button")
+			// entry fallback (question mark) icon
+			params.insert(
+				"src".into(),
+				if entry.icon_path.is_none() {
+					"dashboard/terminal.svg".into()
+				} else {
+					"".into()
+				},
+			);
+			params.insert("name".into(), entry.app_name.clone());
+
+			let data = parser_state.parse_template(
+				doc_params,
+				"AppEntry",
+				&mut frontend.layout,
+				self.list_parent.id,
+				params,
+			)?;
+
+			data.fetch_component_as::<ComponentButton>("button")
+		}
 	}
 
 	fn tick<T>(
diff --git a/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs b/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
index ac1a522..5b44483 100644
--- a/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
+++ b/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ fn handle_button_click(button: Rc<ComponentButton>, label: Widget, text: &'stati
 }
 
 impl TestbedGeneric {
-	fn doc_params(globals: &WguiGlobals, extra: ParseDocumentExtra) -> ParseDocumentParams {
+	fn doc_params(globals: &'_ WguiGlobals, extra: ParseDocumentExtra) -> ParseDocumentParams<'_> {
 		ParseDocumentParams {
 			globals: globals.clone(),
 			path: AssetPath::BuiltIn("gui/various_widgets.xml"),