diff --git a/src/AppMenu/AppMenuButton.vala b/src/AppMenu/AppMenuButton.vala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea17dfb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/AppMenu/AppMenuButton.vala
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2025 elementary, Inc. (https://elementary.io)
+ */
+
+// Not sure if Gtk.Button is the best method for this
+public class Dock.AppMenuButton : Gtk.Button {
+    private AppMenuWindow window;
+
+    construct {
+        window = new AppMenuWindow ();
+
+        set_label ("AppMenu");
+        // TODO: design icon and add it here somehow?
+        //set_icon_name ("AppMenu");
+        set_has_frame (false);
+
+        clicked.connect (toggleWindow);
+        window.present ();
+    }
+
+    private void toggleWindow() {
+        if (window.is_visible ()) {
+            window.hide ();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        window.present ();
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/AppMenu/AppMenuWindow.vala b/src/AppMenu/AppMenuWindow.vala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d26358e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/AppMenu/AppMenuWindow.vala
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2025 elementary, Inc. (https://elementary.io)
+ */
+
+public class Dock.AppMenuWindow : Gtk.Window {
+
+    private const string STYLE = """
+        .transparent { background: transparent; }
+        .overlay-window {
+            background: transparent;
+        }
+
+        .overlay-background {
+            background: alpha(@accent_color, 0.18);
+            border: 1px solid alpha(white, 0.12);
+            border-radius: 0;
+        }
+
+        .overlay-card {
+            background: alpha(black, 0.45);
+            border: 1px solid alpha(white, 0.15);
+            border-radius: 12px;
+            padding: 32px 40px;
+        }
+
+        .overlay-title {
+            font-size: 28px;
+            font-weight: 700;
+            color: white;
+            text-shadow: 0 2px 12px alpha(black, 0.8);
+        }
+
+        .overlay-subtitle {
+            font-size: 14px;
+            color: alpha(white, 0.72);
+            margin-top: 4px;
+        }
+
+        .overlay-close {
+            background: alpha(white, 0.1);
+            border: 1px solid alpha(white, 0.2);
+            border-radius: 6px;
+            color: white;
+            padding: 8px 20px;
+            font-size: 13px;
+            font-weight: 600;
+            transition: background 200ms ease;
+        }
+
+        .overlay-close:hover {
+            background: alpha(white, 0.2);
+        }
+
+        .overlay-close:active {
+            background: alpha(white, 0.08);
+        }
+
+        .overlay-hint {
+            font-size: 12px;
+            color: alpha(white, 0.45);
+            margin-top: 24px;
+        }
+
+        .separator-line {
+            background: alpha(white, 0.12);
+            min-height: 1px;
+            margin: 20px 0;
+        }
+    """;
+
+    construct {
+        // ── Window setup ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        // Remove decorations and make the window itself transparent
+        decorated = false;
+        resizable = false;
+        set_default_size (-1, -1);
+        add_css_class("transparent");
+
+        // -- Enable transparency ------------------------------------------
+        //realize.connect(() => {
+            var surface = get_surface();
+            if (surface != null) {
+                // null region = entire surface is transparent/blended
+                surface.set_opaque_region(null);
+            }
+        //});
+        // ── CSS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        var provider = new Gtk.CssProvider ();
+        try {
+            provider.load_from_string (STYLE);
+        } catch (Error e) {
+            warning ("CSS error: %s", e.message);
+        }
+        Gtk.StyleContext.add_provider_for_display (
+            Gdk.Display.get_default (),
+            provider,
+            Gtk.STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION
+        );
+
+        // ── Full-screen background overlay ───────────────────────────────
+        var bg_box = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, 0);
+        bg_box.add_css_class ("overlay-background");
+        bg_box.halign = Gtk.Align.FILL;
+        bg_box.valign = Gtk.Align.FILL;
+        bg_box.hexpand = true;
+        bg_box.vexpand = true;
+
+        // ── Centre card ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        var container = new Gtk.Box (Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, 0);
+        container.add_css_class ("overlay-card");
+        container.halign = Gtk.Align.CENTER;
+        container.valign = Gtk.Align.CENTER;
+        container.hexpand = true;
+        container.vexpand = true;
+
+        // Search Bar
+        var search_bar = new Gtk.Label ("Applications Menu");
+
+        // Subtitle
+        var app_grid = new Gtk.Grid ();
+
+        // Separator
+        var separator = new Gtk.Separator (Gtk.Orientation.HORIZONTAL);
+        separator.add_css_class ("separator-line");
+
+        // Hint
+        var hint = new Gtk.Label ("Press Escape or click Close to dismiss.");
+        hint.add_css_class ("overlay-hint");
+        hint.halign = Gtk.Align.CENTER;
+
+        container.append (search_bar);
+        container.append (app_grid);
+        container.append (separator);
+        container.append (hint);
+
+
+        // ── Key bindings ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        /*key_press_event.connect ((event) => {
+            if (event.keyval == Gdk.Key.Escape) {
+                destroy ();
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        });*/
+
+        bg_box.append (container);
+        set_child (bg_box);
+
+        // Go fullscreen after everything is wired up
+        fullscreen ();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ItemManager.vala b/src/ItemManager.vala
index a3e7e964..44112e8e 100644
--- a/src/ItemManager.vala
+++ b/src/ItemManager.vala
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
     }
 
     construct {
+        var app_launcher = new AppMenuButton ();
+
         var app_group = new ItemGroup (AppSystem.get_default ().apps, (obj) => new Launcher ((App) obj));
 
         var background_item = new BackgroundItem ();
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@
         settings.bind ("icon-size", separator, "height-request", GET);
 #endif
 
+        append (app_launcher);
+        append (new Gtk.Separator (VERTICAL));
         append (app_group);
         append (background_group);
 #if WORKSPACE_SWITCHER
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 4e860dee..48a5534d 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ sources = [
     'AppSystem' / 'Background' / 'BackgroundAppRow.vala',
     'AppSystem' / 'Background' / 'BackgroundItem.vala',
     'AppSystem' / 'Background' / 'BackgroundMonitor.vala',
+    'AppMenu' / 'AppMenuButton.vala',
+    'AppMenu' / 'AppMenuWindow.vala',
     'DBus' / 'AppCenter.vala',
     'DBus' / 'GalaDBus.vala',
     'DBus' / 'ItemInterface.vala',