Miss Launchpad In Macos 26? I Found A Way To Restore It For Free - Here's How

1 month ago

How to switch Spotlight successful MacOS 26 pinch a civilization launchpad app - and why I did

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Apple removed Launchpad successful Tahoe, breaking musculus representation workflows.
Spotlight's caller app grid is clunky, buggy, and astir unusable.
A free combo of Launchie and Hot-Corners restores nan Launchpad feel.

In 2011, Apple introduced Launchpad to MacOS. It's an almost pixel-for-pixel clone of nan iPhone Home screen, but bigger. When it was introduced, die-hard Mac users almost universally gave it a "meh" because location were different well-traveled ways to motorboat apps connected nan Mac. But complete nan years, immoderate of america grew to trust connected Launchpad for its simplicity and clarity of presentation.

Also: 5 things I emotion astir MacOS 26 Tahoe aft 1 week pinch it connected my Mac

But now, successful MacOS Tahoe 26, it's gone. Unfortunately, I didn't deliberation to take a fewer screenshots of my perfectly organized Launchpad connected my main machine. This is simply a speedy threat of Launchpad connected 1 of our spare Mac minis.

In spot of Launchpad is simply a horrid small grid of apps that drops down nether nan Spotlight bar. You can't rearrange nan apps. You can't take which apps spell successful which category. You can't moreover delegate your ain categories aliases prime which apps spell into them.

For that matter, you can't really scroll nan database of categories if you only person a mouse. That horizontal scrolling action is constricted to Mac users pinch trackpads utilizing nan two-finger horizontal scroll.

Also: MacOS Tahoe yet turned maine into a desktop widget personification - here's why

Worse, it's buggy. This is simply a screenshot of what it looked for illustration aft scrolling down conscionable a small bit. It has chunks of matter from portion of my to-do list, chunks of matter from immoderate notepad notes, and a group of mini Reminders icons on nan near side.

It is ever truthful frustrating erstwhile a caller merchandise takes distant thing you counted on. It adds reproach to wounded erstwhile nan replacement is worse than nan original. Now, to beryllium fair, arsenic a package publisher, I've done that to my customers for what I thought were very bully reasons. So I'm judge nan folks connected immoderate committee astatine Apple approved this point had their reasons, too.

How to switch Spotlight pinch a civilization Launchpad app connected Mac

What you'll need: Fortunately, location is simply a group of free apps that approximates nan functionality of Launchpad. The look isn't rather arsenic nice, and nan solution is simply a mini spot clunky, but it works. I settled connected Launchie because it was some free and distributed done nan Mac App Store (and presumably somewhat vetted by Apple), but location are different options that show committedness arsenic well.

Once you person it installed, spell up and motorboat it. The first point you'll want to do is click "Grant Access to User Applications Folder." Doing truthful will bring you to System Settings, wherever you'll request to o.k. Launchie to entree nan User Applications files successful ~/Applications, arsenic good arsenic nan main Applications folder.

Also: How to nonstop speedy messages via Spotlight successful MacOS Tahoe - and why I'm obsessed

OK, that's capable Launchie setup for now. We'll beryllium back.

While you could motorboat Apple's Launchpad from an icon connected nan Dock, nan much communal measurement of invoking it was done nan lower-left basking corner. You'd conscionable resistance your rodent to nan lower-left area and Launchpad would appear.

Also: How to customize MacOS Liquid Glass and make it uniquely yours

Launchie doesn't do that. Worse, while you tin configure basking corners connected your Mac, you can't usage a basking area to motorboat an application. The MacOS basking corners configuration options will only invoke system-level features. This is what nan Desktop & Dock mounting for basking corners allows.

The Apps point presently selected opens that messiness of an app model successful Spotlight I showed you earlier.

But there's an app that will fto you configure basking corners to motorboat specified applications. Go up and constituent yourself to nan Mac App Store 1 much time, and this clip install Hot-Corners.

Do that, and past group Hot-Corners to motorboat astatine login.

Next, popular unfastened nan selector for nan lower-left basking area and take Launchie.

Now, immoderate clip you move your rodent to nan lower-left area of your screen, Launchie will launch, conscionable for illustration Launchpad.

Let's conscionable activity our measurement down. Turn connected Start astatine Login. Then, it's a bully thought to refresh nan apps database by clicking Refresh Now.

Next, here's nan mounting I mentioned supra that you don't want to miss. Hit nan Clear fastener to move disconnected nan Command-K hotkey. Command-K is nan cardinal series utilized by Google Apps, Microsoft Office, WordPress, Notion, and a ton of different apps to quickly insert a URL into text. It's astir apt 1 of nan astir communal cardinal sequences location is, and you don't want Launchie to hijack it!

Also: Your aged MacBook's days are numbered, arsenic Apple confirms extremity of support

Moving down beneath nan scroll sky of this dialog are 2 much options. Make judge Close connected Background Click is turned connected to make nan Launchie surface spell distant if you click its background. You tin besides take Add to Dock if you want Launchie to show successful nan Dock. I didn't because I usage nan basking corner.

Next is nan Appearance tab.

There's thing present I urge you change. I was disappointed to observe I couldn't alteration nan spacing of nan icons aliases nan colour of nan background. I'm not ace thrilled pinch nan ray gray. If you are moving Dark Mode connected your Mac, nan Launchie surface will besides spell dark, truthful that's something.

I person much than 200 applications that are showing up successful nan Launchie window. Launchie doesn't springiness that information, but I did an ls /Applications from Terminal to find out. Needless to say, my Launchie interface needed a batch of organizing.

Also: How to region package from a Mac - and why you should do truthful regularly

There's an Add Folder fastener astatine nan precocious correct (shown astatine 1), and past you tin adhd a files title to nan dialog (shown astatine 2). New folders ever look successful nan first icon position astatine nan precocious near of nan screen, but you tin resistance them to wherever you want them to go.

I for illustration to put each nan Adobe apps into 1 folder. I do nan aforesaid pinch Microsoft. Here's what nan Adobe files looks for illustration astatine nan apical level of Launchie.

And here's what it looks for illustration erstwhile you click into it. When you click 1 of nan exertion icons, nan programme will motorboat and Launchie will hide. But if you deed nan Back button, you'll spell backmost to nan main screen.

I effort to debar being excessively anal successful my first pass. My extremity is simply to get astir of nan applications into class folders. For example, I person 3D Printing and Video Editing folders because I person a batch of devices that fresh those categories.

Also: New to MacOS? 8 beginner tips and tricks to effort first - and why

To put applications into a folder, you tin resistance an icon into nan files you want. But Launchie has a bully small characteristic wherever you tin right-click and take Send to Folder.

This really comes successful useful erstwhile you're measurement down successful nan database and your folders are astatine nan top. Here's a speedy petition to Nick Friedrich, nan author: please shape this database alphabetically (or astatine slightest make that an option). Still, you get utilized to nan placement of nan names erstwhile doing a large organizing sweep.

Also: Using SSH connected MacOS is easy, acknowledgment to this built-in relationship manager

Unfortunately, immoderate of nan exertion names tin look truncated, moreover though location is plentifulness of abstraction for them. I'm guessing he built this exertion connected a laptop screen, not a super-wide show for illustration I'm using.

A bully commencement

Once my first walk is done, I'll spell backmost into nan folders complete clip and optimize what's successful them. I'll move immoderate applications to folders that amended correspond really I work. But for now, here's my first pass.

Here's a look wrong 1 of nan folders, nan Games folder. Most of these are from my Apple Arcade subscription.

And location you go. While I do person immoderate insignificant nits astir Launchie, it fills a reasonably important musculus representation need. The programme is free. It's really very helpful. Hot-Corners is besides free. That makes this solution bully capable to switch Apple's very wrong-minded determination to get free of Launchpad successful favour of its ugly, unusable, buggy Spotlight applications grid.

Also: Addicted to making lists? Here are my apical apps for Windows and MacOS

What astir you? Have you tried building your ain Launchpad replacement yet, aliases are you still struggling pinch Tahoe's caller Spotlight app grid? Do you for illustration Apple's uglified interface, aliases do you miss nan power and ocular statement Launchpad offered? Have you experimented pinch Launchie aliases Hot-Corners (or possibly 1 of nan different apps I mentioned) to get your workflow backmost to nan measurement you for illustration it? Share your acquisition and ideas successful nan comments below.

Which Launchpad features do I miss?

Here are nan features from Launchpad I trust upon:

A grid of colorful icons. I admit colors acold faster than matter aliases moreover shapes. So nan icons get maine to immoderate I'm moving connected faster.
Deliberate location of each icon. I besides create musculus representation for icon location. The caller point conscionable places icons wherever it wants, but we want to beryllium deliberate astir wherever they are placed.
Folders for categories. This way, we don't person to take from hundreds of icons each successful 1 shot.
Custom files names. This allows america to group apps successful a measurement that's logical for immoderate we're moving on.
Instant access. One motion aliases mobility opens it up, truthful there's nary delay.
Instant close. Once an app is chosen, nary further actions are required to put things away.

I find this group of features conducive to my productivity. You whitethorn arsenic well.

Also: 4 Apple devices you really shouldn't bargain this period (and 9 that are safe for now)

Are location much Launchpad replacement apps?

Digging astir these interwebs, I found a Reddit post showcasing a number of Launchpad-replacement apps. Here's what I found:

Old Launchpad: Free, unfastened source, connected GitHub
LaunchNow: Free, unfastened source, connected GitHub
Raspberry: Feature-limited free open-source version, $5 paid version
Quick App Launcher: There's a free, feature-limited type and a Pro $8 type connected nan Mac App Store
AppHub: $10 launcher app distributed done Gumroad
LaunchOS: Currently successful beta, nary mention of price
LaunchMe: Very customizable app launcher, successful beta, looks for illustration location will beryllium a Pro aliases subscription type eventually

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