It's time to talk about Launchpad.

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Tim Cook, please pull up a chair.

I don't think it's asking too much to give Launchpad an update. It was first introduced in 2011 and, from what I can recall, has received only one update in the subsequent 13 years - a feature that should have been there in the first place, which was... a Search box.

I get that Macs, iPads and iPhones are not all used in the same manner. For instance, on the iPhone and iPad the library of apps you select are on the Home Screen, and you have the App Library if you need it. On a Mac, you have Launchpad, Dock, Finder, and Spotlight (Cmd+Space).

But in its current state Launchpad is abysmal compared to the iOS versions. It frequently re-arranges apps that you arranged yourself, thus making the process pointless. Moving apps and folders can result in glitches that make placement impossible without moving a whole bunch of other content. System updates result in more glitches, duplicate or missing apps.

Would it not be better to have App Library from iOS instead? This would create some categorisation and potentially improve screen real estate. And if a user does want customisation, that's what the Dock is for. Or continue to allow the user to create their own folders.

Thoughts?

 

[nostradumbass]

Almost nobody uses this Launchpad **** on macOS. It came from the dumb era when Microsoft was also doing dumb **** like Windows 8 start screen. It's going to be stripped out like that dumb full screen media player the Mac had for about two years. It should have happened already.

 

[dmccloud]

Tim Cook, please pull up a chair.

I don't think it's asking too much to give Launchpad an update. It was first introduced in 2011 and, from what I can recall, has received only one update in the subsequent 13 years - a feature that should have been there in the first place, which was... a Search box.

I get that Macs, iPads and iPhones are not all used in the same manner. For instance, on the iPhone and iPad the library of apps you select are on the Home Screen, and you have the App Library if you need it. On a Mac, you have Launchpad, Dock, Finder, and Spotlight (Cmd+Space).

But in its current state Launchpad is abysmal compared to the iOS versions. It frequently re-arranges apps that you arranged yourself, thus making the process pointless. Moving apps and folders can result in glitches that make placement impossible without moving a whole bunch of other content. System updates result in more glitches, duplicate or missing apps.

Would it not be better to have App Library from iOS instead? This would create some categorisation and potentially improve screen real estate. And if a user does want customisation, that's what the Dock is for. Or continue to allow the user to create their own folders.

Thoughts?

I don't use Launchpad enough to care whether it stays, gets updated, gets replaced, or removed entirely. Furthermore, the last thing I want is for my desktop/laptop OS to become indistinguishable from my phone/tablet OS. Also App Library still does not allow for customization of folders, so how apps are categorized there is left to the OS. I prefer to categorize apps myself, because then I am in control of which app goes into which folder.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I use Launchpad on my Mac Studio because there's a button on my Keychron keyboard that launches it. I then type either the app name or the first letter of each word of apps with multiple word names. In either case if multiple apps show up I can use the right arrow key to get the the proper one.

My new M3 MacBook Air doesn't have that button but Spotlight (command-spacebar) seems to work just as well, really. It just doesn't look as snazzy. I configured control-option-spacebar to open Launchpad but haven't been using it on there much.

 

[MacCraig Pro]

I use launchpad and I really like it. Great place to have the apps centrally and I have no issues with the way it works or operates.

 

[Ben J.]

I never use it. I use cmd-spacebar and type app name first letters, then 'enter', but most often I use the custom folders I created and put in the Dock. They're called "Photo", "Video", "Audio" etc., and if I need to put a new app one of these places, I just drag it there and it turns into an alias. That's how I "organize" my apps.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I don’t use Launchpad either; but not for any particular reason. I was just used to not having it before it existed, and didn’t see how it might improve the experience or efficiency so never tried to integrate it into my workflow.

 

[thebart]

Apple's MO:

1) make a feature
2) barely bother to update
3) decide "nobody" uses this half assed feature, so no need to do anything further.

Their whole development cycle is apparently driven by demos. What can Craig show off at the next WWDC. Making improvements to launchpad would just make people scratch their head and go "who uses launchpad?"

 

[JSDK]

I use Launchpad all the time. I've organized all my apps in there, with folders and everything. Using the hot conor feature to access Launchpad, I just swipe down the right corner and all my apps come up. Brilliant feature. But I also miss some development. I thought the idea of implementing App Library would make good sense, so it can categorize one's apps automatically. Also liked that the folder design followed the theme. I mainly use dark mode on my Mac, but the folders in Launchpad are still in the light theme.

In short. I definitely thought Launchpad should be kept but updated OR replaced with App Library.

 

[zevrix]

Almost nobody uses this Launchpad **** on macOS

exactly. one of the first things i do when installing a new system is remove this bizarre concoction from the Dock to never see it again. weirdly looking childish monstrocity with no customization options and barbarian UX.

 

[nostradumbass]

exactly. one of the first things i do when installing a new system is remove this bizarre concoction from the Dock to never see it again. weirdly looking childish monstrocity with no customization options and barbarian UX.

The only difference between the way I use macOS today vs 20 years ago is Mission Control (Expose) and now windows snapping. A desktop environment doesn't need to be convoluted with overlays and special effects.

When I see most non-techie people using their computers they don't even know Mission Control exists. Windows users forget they have a touchscreen on their laptops because it feels unnatural when the trackpad is right under their hand anyway. They use desktop operating systems more or less the same way people used them in the 90s.

Dashboard, the full screen media center and Launchpad were obviously conceptual and in response to Microsoft doing the same things. Good for tablets but not for desktops.

Now the Launchpad button is being phased out of macOS keyboards. When the last Mac with that button is no longer supported I expect the app to be removed also.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Some great points here. I’d like to add that, with Apple Intelligence, Siri might be more reliable at launching apps through voice commands.

 

[nostradumbass]

Some great points here. I’d like to add that, with Apple Intelligence, Siri might be more reliable at launching apps through voice commands.

Language models don't interact with the file system. Even on Windows with Copilot if you use voice commands it isn't using anything related to generative AI or LLMs.

Besides using voice commands to launch things is fine if you are disabled but an annoyance if you are able bodied and working with people around you. People generally hate hearing other people talking to their devices. Just click the icon in the Dock or hit Spotlight and type two letters.

In movies people talk to their computers because audiences will get bored watching you use a computer like you do in real life and there isn't enough screen time to film actors moving the cursor around.

 

[fisherking]

i use launchpad constantly on my macbook air, don't have any real issues with it (altho it might be useful to be able to have smaller icons, and more apps on a page). i have my most-used apps on one page, and the last item there is a folder ("xtras") for everything else, so i live on one page.

simple swipe on the trackpad, and everything's in front of me...

 

[dsemf]

As is true of many features, some people like them and others do not.

I use Launchpad extensively, the icons always stick where I put them. I occasionally used command-space to launch an app. My dock has no inactive app icons.

DS

 

[gilby101]

... but most often I use the custom folders I created and put in the Dock. They're called "Photo", "Video", "Audio" etc., and if I need to put a new app one of these places, I just drag it there and it turns into an alias. That's how I "organize" my apps.

To me, that is really interesting. I add Finder tags to all my apps and create Saved Searches for each tag. Like you I then have this in a folder in the Dock. This exactly the same effect as yours. BUT, your method is simpler to maintain (tags can get lost with some app updates) - I will likely change!

One thing that people miss is that more than one tag can be added to an app, and more than one alias can be created. These allow an app to be in two or more custom folders (or saved searches).

 

[Ben J.]

To me, that is really interesting. I add Finder tags to all my apps and create Saved Searches for each tag. Like you I then have this in a folder in the Dock. This exactly the same effect as yours. BUT, your method is simpler to maintain (tags can get lost with some app updates) - I will likely change!

I did a short video showing this in another macrumor thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-macbook-owner-need-help-with-some-basics.2439354/post-33470355

I forgot to mention; this folders-in-dock thing also works fine with sub-folders. Also; to get the custom folder icon to show in the Dock: right-click and select "show as folders". Duh.

I mentioned that apps dragged to a dock folder will automatically create an alias, no so with documents; opt-cmd-drag will make an alias.

 

[Slix]

I'm in the minority of people who actually use Launchpad. I've always liked my Dock to be fairly empty of apps unless they're constantly used, so things like Reminders and Notes that I don't open every single day live in Launchpad instead. One gesture on the trackpad and click and boom, it's open. That said, I think Launchpad should have been where widgets went when we got desktop widgets last year. Give me the option to put widgets alongside my apps in there, and even Control Center stuff maybe. It's a quick gesture to get to Launchpad, make it more worth getting to for everyone else.

 

[dsemf]

I'm in the minority of people who actually use Launchpad. I've always liked my Dock to be fairly empty of apps unless they're constantly used, so things like Reminders and Notes that I don't open every single day live in Launchpad instead. One gesture on the trackpad and click and boom, it's open. That said, I think Launchpad should have been where widgets went when we got desktop widgets last year. Give me the option to put widgets alongside my apps in there, and even Control Center stuff maybe. It's a quick gesture to get to Launchpad, make it more worth getting to for everyone else.

After a restart, I have Finder, the Downloads Folder and Trash in the dock.

DS

 

[01cowherd]

It frequently re-arranges apps that you arranged yourself, thus making the process pointless.

This is my only real complaint about Launchpad. Every time I update macOS, it creates a "Games" folder, shoving in Chess and a few of my games, when I don't want them in folders and don't care about the built-in Chess.

Otherwise, I think it's fine. And I like that I can right-click on the Launchpad icon in the dock to get an alphabetical list of all installed apps without having to open Finder.