- How to Access Launchpad on Mac. The Launchpad is the application launcher introduced in macOS X Lion. With it, all the apps on your Mac are organized in one convenient location, making it is easier to see, access, and manage them. Essentially, it makes Mac’s screen look similar to that of an iPhone or iPad.
- In the Dock on your Mac, do any of the following: Open an app: Click the app icon. For example, to open the Finder, click the Finder icon in the Dock. Open a file in an app: Drag the file over an app’s icon. For example, to open a document you created in Pages, drag the document over the Pages icon in the Dock.
- Jul 30, 2015 I had the same issue and below steps fixed it. Goto Settings - Applications - click on “launcher” - clear cache - Clear data - Force Stop. Now you should be able to.
Jan 07, 2020 Launchpad was part of Apple's 'Back to the Mac' initiative, which sought to make the desktop more like the iPad. It's for everyone who wants a Home screen-like launcher on macOS, and a way to see, start, search for, delete, and otherwise manage apps on the Mac. Jan 10, 2020 Click “Launchpad” in the Dock Find the app icon that you want to remove Press and hold the Alt (⌥) key, or click and hold the app icon until it jiggles Click the cross next to the app that you want to remove and click “Delete” to remove the app and app icon immediately form your Mac. Mar 20, 2013 Add the app to Launchpad: Open finder, navigate to your app and drag it onto the Launchpad icon in your dock. This will add the app to the Launchpad onto the first free spot in the Launchpad, so either check all pages to find it or simply use the search at the top of the Launchpad page. Make sure the app is compatible with your Mac OS X.
Launchpad was part of Apple's 'Back to the Mac' initiative, which sought to make the desktop more like the iPad. It's for everyone who wants a Home screen-like launcher on macOS, and a way to see, start, search for, delete, and otherwise manage apps on the Mac.
How to launch an app in Launchpad on Mac
- There are three ways to enter Launchpad:
- Click on the Launchpad icon in your Dock (it looks like a rocket).
- Do a four-finger pinch gesture on your trackpad.
- Press the Launchpad button on your Apple keyboard (look like a 3x2 grid of icons, and is also labeled F4).
- Click on the app you want to launch.
How to search an app in Launchpad on Mac
If you have a lot of apps installed you can easily search for them in Launchpad
- Open launchpad.
- Select the search bar at the top center of the Launchpad screen.
- Enter the name of the application you wish to find.
You will notice that as soon as you start typing, Launchpad will begin filtering the results, so in most cases you shouldn't even have to type the entire name of the app to find it.
How to move apps in Launchpad on Mac
If you want to have all your favorite and most used apps in a certain location in Launchpad, you can easily move them around to arrange them however you want.
- Open launchpad.
- Click and hold the app you wish to move until it starts wiggling.
- Drag the app to your new desired location.
How to organize apps into folders in Launchpad on Mac
You can put apps into folders — which are a group of apps —to better organize your Launchpad. It's perfect for putting similar apps together.
![Icon Icon](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126472173/293892923.png)
- Open launchpad.
- Click and hold on the app you wish to put in a folder until it starts wiggling.
- Drag the app on top of another app you wish to put into the same folder until a white box appears around both apps.
- Let go.
How to delete apps in Launchpad on Mac
You can certain apps on your Mac from Launchpad, which is a great way to keep your desktop clean and organized. Please note that you can't delete certain built-in apps or apps that are running in the background on your Mac.
How To Restore Launchpad Mac
- Open launchpad.
- Click and hold the app you want to delete until it starts wiggling.
- Click on the X that appears in the top-left corner of the app to delete it. If there is no X, the app cannot be deleted in Launchpad.
How to reset Launchpad on Mac
Sometimes after you install a new app (especially third-party apps) you may notice it doesn't show up in Launchpad. There is a way to manually refresh Launchpad, which will most likely resolve the issue.
- Click on your desktop.
- Click on the Go menu. It's up on the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Press and hold the Option key.
- Click on Library.
- Double click on the Application Support folder.
- Double click on the Dock folder.
- Drag all files ending in .db into the trash.
- Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen. It should look like this .
- Click on Restart.
- Click on the Restart button.
Your computer will restart, and when it boots back up you should find all your apps available in Launchpad.
macOS Catalina
Main
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In case you are puzzled to find a particular App or certain Apps missing from the Launchpad on your Mac, you will be pleased to know that most problems with the Launchpad on your Mac can be fixed by resetting the Launchpad.
The Launchpad On Mac
The Launchpad on your Mac is intended to provide an iOS like environment, making it easy to see, access and manage all the Apps on your Mac in one convenient location.
Just like an iPhone, the Mac Launchpad displays a screen full of neatly arranged App icons. In case there are more Apps, the Launchpad creates another page of icons that can be easily accessed by swiping on your Trackpad or by clicking on the page indicators at bottom of the Launchpad.
As you must have noticed, the Launchpad never appears sluggish, lags or drags in any way. Every time you click on the Launchpad, it instantly displays App icons, that too in high resolution graphics. This lightning speed of Launchpad is made possible by the cleaver manner in which the Launchpad is programmed in MacOS.
The Launchpad maintains its own dedicated database which includes the App icons, information about where the Apps are located in the file system, where the Apps need to be displayed and other related information. This allows the Launchpad to display App icons with lighting speed, which would not be possible if the Launchpad was programmed to build thumbnails for App icons, each time it was launched.
Sometimes the Launchpad on Mac is known to suffer from minor failures like Deleted Apps appearing in Launchpad, Apps not appearing in the Launchpad or Apps missing from the Launchpad. Luckily, all such programs can be easily fixed by resetting the Launchpad.
Recover Apps Missing From Launchpad On Mac
Apple Launchpad Icon
Since, the Launchpad relies on its database to store all the information needed for it to perform, most Launchpad related problems can be fixed by forcing the Launchpad to rebuild its internal database.
![How to restore launchpad mac How to restore launchpad mac](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126472173/667963870.png)
Launchpad Icon Mac Missing
This can be done by deleting the Launchpad Database and then restarting the Launchpad. When the Launchpad is unable to find its Database, it scans for the Apps on your Mac, grabs their icons, and rebuilds its internal Database File.
1. Left-click your mouse anywhere on the screen of your Mac. This will reveal the Go Option in the top menu bar of your Mac.
2. Next, click on the Go option in the top menu-bar of your Mac.
3. While you are still on the Go option, press and hold the Option key on your Mac and then click on the Library option that appears when you press down the Option Key.
Note: Press the Alt Key in case you are using a Windows keyboard with your Mac
4. On the Library window, open the Application Support Folder by double-clicking on it.
5. Next, open the Dock Folder by double-clicking on it.
Delete Launchpad Icons
6. Inside the Dock Folder, you will see files ending with .db, simply move all the files ending in .db into the trash-bin (See image below).
7. Next, Click on the Apple icon located in the top menu bar and then click on the Restart… option.
8. You will see a pop-up, click on Restart again.
Once your Mac restarts, you should be able to see the missing App icons back in the Launchpad.