Will this stay like this? (Launchpad related)

[Iwavvns]

This may be a dumb question, but I'm still learning new things about macOS. I have rearranged my Launchpad to have a menu system similar to the one I used for years on Gnome 2.x. I was on Linux distros for over 20 years and loved the menu system in Gnome 2.x. See the attached image.

Questions:
1. Will this layout stay like this? Or, will it revert when upgrading to the next version of macOS?
2. Is there a way to open this menu system from the Dock other than right-clicking the Lunchpad icon in the Dock?
3. Any way to make this the default view when clicking the Launchpad icon in the Dock instead of it going full screen?

 

[zevrix]

I have rearranged my Launchpad to have a menu system

I'm curious how did you rearrange your Launchpad to display the folders?

I never use Launchpad and it's never in my Dock. I just added it back to the Dock out of curiosity - and its Dock menu only displays the list of apps.

 

[Iwavvns]

I'm curious how did you rearrange your Launchpad to display the folders?

I never use Launchpad and it's never in my Dock. I just added it back to the Dock out of curiosity - and its Dock menu only displays the list of apps.

Go into launchpad full screen and arrange all your apps into folders - there is already one folder in there, macOS ships with one folder, I believe it is called “utilities”. You can drag one icon over another icon and it automatically creates a folder. Once everything is arranged in folders, then click an empty space to close launchpad. Now you can right-click on the launchpad icon in the dock and it will display the folders you’ve created.

What I would like to do is have launchpad show the list of folders by default on left-click instead of right-click.

 

[zevrix]

Ok I see. Thanks for the info.

While it's still not useful for me (and Launchpad is going into oblivion again), it's good to know these options are there.

If you want true customization for accessing your apps and files in general (although not from the Dock), you may want to look into iCollections:

iCollections - Organize your Mac desktop icons with iCollections

iCollections is an expertly designed application which helps you keep your Mac desktop organized. The app's unique features are what make it the most popular method of desktop organization for Mac users.

naarakstudio.com

For example, you can organize your apps into different tabs accessible from a tab on the side of the screen.

There are tons of other options, too. (The huge amount of options can actually make the process confusing sometimes). But it gives you way more customization options than Launchpad though an actual real UI.

Some other utilities for this purpose also exist.

 

[Iwavvns]

Ok I see. Thanks for the info.

While it's still not useful for me (and Launchpad is going into oblivion again), it's good to know these options are there.

If you want true customization for accessing your apps and files in general (although not from the Dock), you may want to look into iCollections:

iCollections - Organize your Mac desktop icons with iCollections

iCollections is an expertly designed application which helps you keep your Mac desktop organized. The app's unique features are what make it the most popular method of desktop organization for Mac users.

naarakstudio.com

For example, you can organize your apps into different tabs accessible from a tab on the side of the screen.

There are tons of other options, too. (The huge amount of options can actually make the process confusing sometimes). But it gives you way more customization options than Launchpad though an actual real UI.

View attachment 2382301

Some other utilities for this purpose also exist.

One thing I keep forgetting is that you can press CMD+Spacebar and simply type the app you want to open. Maybe I should get in the habit of using this keyboard combination instead of trying to change launchpad.

 

[MacCheetah3]

1. Will this layout stay like this? Or, will it revert when upgrading to the next version of macOS?

Whenever a new app is installed, including if Apple adds a new (default) app, it will appear outside of your folder structurer, I assume. You’ll just need to go in and organize the new app. Other than that, it should remain — barring a deep/vast overhaul or removal of that Launchpad.

2. Is there a way to open this menu system from the Dock other than right-clicking the Lunchpad icon in the Dock?

Long press (left click or single finger for those using trackpad/touchpad).

3. Any way to make this the default view when clicking the Launchpad icon in the Dock instead of it going full screen?

Not that I am aware of… However… You can achieve what you’re seeking via an alternative, one not quite as elegant.

1. Create a folder — in my example, I named it “ApplicationsMenu”
• It’s going to act as something of a placeholder, so you may want to place it somewhere out of the way.
2. Create your structure within this folder (i.e., create folders named Accessories, Graphics, Internet, Media, etc).
3. Within those folders, place aliases to the desired apps
• I suggest using Finder window tabs. As you drag an app icon from the Applications folder to another, Finder will automatically create an alias — I believe, it’s because Applications is an admin/protected folder.
4. Drag this new folder (e.g., “ApplicationsMenu”) to the Dock — Reminder: folders (can only) go to the right of the separator/divider.
5. Control/right click on the folder (e.g., “ApplicationsMenu”) in the Dock and select List under the View content as: section.

Result:


P.S. I don’t know why the alias icons are showing up generic, but this was only a quick attempt and test (i.e., there’s probably refinement available).

 

[Iwavvns]

Not that I am aware of… However… You can achieve what you’re seeking via an alternative, one not quite as elegant.

1. Create a folder — in my example, I named it “ApplicationsMenu”
• It’s going to act as something of a placeholder, so you may want to place it somewhere out of the way.
2. Create your structure within this folder (i.e., create folders named Accessories, Graphics, Internet, Media, etc).
3. Within those folders, place aliases to the desired apps
• I suggest using Finder window tabs. As you drag an app icon from the Applications folder to another, Finder will automatically create an alias — I believe, it’s because Applications is an admin/protected folder.
4. Drag this new folder (e.g., “ApplicationsMenu”) to the Dock — Reminder: folders (can only) go to the right of the separator/divider.
5. Control/right click on the folder (e.g., “ApplicationsMenu”) in the Dock and select List under the View content as: section.

Result:
View attachment 2382431

P.S. I don’t know why the alias icons are showing up generic, but this was only a quick attempt and test (i.e., there’s probably refinement available).

Thank you for the tips!

I had completely forgotten that we can place folders to the right of that dock divider. Your screenshot is exactly what I want to achieve. Thank you very much for your time and efforts!

 

[Ben J.]

I never use Launchpad and it's never in my Dock. I just added it back to the Dock out of curiosity - and its Dock menu only displays the list of apps.

I also never use Launchpad. I found my own solution long time ago in "the big cat days", and that is I simply have a few folders containing aliases of apps (or anything, really) that I want to have there. They are categories that suits me, and they have nice little custom icons. I put these folders in the Dock, and if I want to add an app to one of these, I drop it directly in the folder in the dock, and the mac is smart enough to make an alias and not move it.

Looks pretty good, and contains only items essential to me, and not all apps.

I tried to post a .mov here but got:

Oops! We ran into some problems.

Then I uploaded the file to my Google Drive and tried to post the link to it via the 'Media' button, and got:

Oops! We ran into some problems.
The specified URL cannot be embedded as media.

What am I doing wrong?

Well, a quick search and I found a post recommending that I use 'Attach files…' and not 'Insert video', and it worked. Go figure.

 

[zevrix]

3. Within those folders, place aliases to the desired apps

P.S. I don’t know why the alias icons are showing up generic

That's indeed a great idea. And I totally forgot that there's a List option for folder display in the Dock. Now that I tried it briefly the alias icons are showing up as the originals (not generic) here.