Jul 10, 2019 Apps that are in the Applications folder on macOS should, on principle, show up in Launchpad. All apps from the Mac App Store are installed directly to the Applications folder and other apps, those that originate from outside the Mac App Store, will ask you to move them there. It’s easy but sometimes these apps still do not appear in Launchpad. The Launchpad is an application launcher for macOS. This feature was created to help users run applications faster. You can easily organize the Mac Launchpad, move the app icons, group them, and remove apps that you don’t need anymore. Aug 01, 2011 Look at the Launchpad icon. Then look at the blue corner of the game center app icon on your idevice. Aside my shenanigans, I like the launchpad feature. It’s not really useless. In my opinion it’s a much, much faster way to get to my apps and not.
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.
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.
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.
Delete Launchpad Icons
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
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So you downloaded and installed a fancy new app on your Mac, but when you go to look for it, it’s nowhere to be found. The new app doesn’t show up in your Mac’s launchpad.
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Launchpad Icon Mac Missing
4 Wait for Apple?
Related:
This is reportedly a known issue on both macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina. It’s not clear if Apple is aware of the issue or if it’s working on fixing it, but here are some solutions to try in the meantime.
Find the app
First thing’s first. By default, Launchpad will search the Applications folder for new additions. But not all Mac apps actually end up in your Applications folder — especially if you didn’t download them from the Mac App Store.
In these cases, you should find the app you downloaded and manually move them to the Applications folder. If you’re running macOS as-is, then the app is probably in your Downloads folder.
Once it’s in your Applications folder, check your Launchpad. If it’s not there (or the app was already in Applications), proceed to the following step.
Drag and drop apps to Launchpad
Mac Launchpad Missing Apps
Newly installed Mac apps should show up in Launchpad automatically if they’re installed in the Applications folder. But, sometimes, that doesn’t happen.
Luckily, you can add an app to Launchpad fairly easily.
Open the Finder app on your Mac.
Navigate to the Applications folder (or wherever your program is).
Click and drag the app from the Finder window to the silver Launchpad icon on the Dock.
Release the app.
At this point, your app should have appeared in the Launchpad.
Note: Some system apps, like Apple News, may be hidden within the Applications folder. You can press Command + Shift + Period/Dot.
Reset Launchpad
If the two above steps didn’t work, it may be time to take more drastic measures. Sometimes, the Launchpad can become corrupt — in which case it may be necessary to have macOS repair or rebuild it.
First, you can try these steps to reset the Launchpad.
Make sure you’re in Finder or on the desktop.
Click on the Go menu in the top menu bar.
Hold down the Option key and click Library.
Navigate to the. Application Support folder.
Double-click on Dock.
Delete all files that end in .db.
After that, restart your computer by clicking on the Apple icon and selecting Restart. At this point, macOS should reset the Launchpad (which is controlled by the dock).
Wait for Apple?
As we mentioned, this is a known issue that’s been around for quite a while. It’s obviously not intended behavior, which means it’s a bug.
But, interestingly, Apple has seemingly yet to patch the bug, even in its latest macOS Catalina betas.
If you’re running macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina and experience missing apps in Launchpad, we suggest that you let Apple known about the issue.
There’s a good chance that Apple will address the bug in a future update if enough people bring it to their attention.
Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California.
While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications.
He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer.