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26.0 launchpad

PotentPeas said:
Would not recommend. It worked initially, but in the latest beta, it is broken (at least for some users). Apple seems to be in the process of pulling out Launchpad code.
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It's not broken at all. With the fix documented earlier in this thread, LaunchPad still works on all my Macs...
 
With the latest version of Tahoe taking away the Launchpad functionality entirely, I am deeply disappointed with Apple.

I have moved to QAL Pro, and that does the trick… It is different, it is not as versatile, maybe not even as "pretty", but at least I can categorize my 250ish applications into the folders I like.

I should be able to do that in the Application folder, but it doesn't work with all applications...
 
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Killerbob said:
With the latest version of Tahoe taking away the Launchpad functionality entirely, I am deeply disappointed with Apple.

I have moved to QAL Pro, and that does the trick… It is different, it is not as versatile, maybe not even as "pretty", but at least I can categorize my 250ish applications into the folders I like.

I should be able to do that in the Application folder, but it doesn't work with all applications...
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there are alternatives, options. or you could adapt (it took me less than a day), and get on with it. just a thought
 
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fisherking said:
there are alternatives, options. or you could adapt (it took me less than a day), and get on with it. just a thought
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I have tried. But, with 250+ applications, it is impossible for me to remember all the names, and often I just know I need one of the “Photo Editing Utilities” and hence look in that particular folder. If Apple let me decide on the folders the apps were categorized into, that would make it usable, but alas... QAL Pro does that... LaunchPad did that...
 
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make an apps folder, put it in documents (for example). in that folder, make the subgroup folders you want/need. put apps where they then go (you'll have aliases of everything). put the main folder you created in the dock...
 
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fisherking said:
make an apps folder, put it in documents (for example). in that folder, make the subgroup folders you want/need. put apps where they then go (you'll have aliases of everything). put the main folder you created in the dock...
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Maybe where I have gone wrong then, is that I created the folders in the Applications folder, and I dragged applications directly into said folders. That certainly didn't work. So, maybe I'll try with aliases, and then into a folder structure in Documents for instance. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Killerbob said:
Maybe where I have gone wrong then, is that I created the folders in the Applications folder, and I dragged applications directly into said folders. That certainly didn't work. So, maybe I'll try with aliases, and then into a folder structure in Documents for instance. Thanks for the suggestion!
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definitely make a folder outside of applications; when you drag programs into those folder FROM applications, that should create aliases only (check tho). let us know how this works.

i have about 90 apps in my applications folder (including apple's default apps). but i mostly use around 25, so it's easy to do with the new method (multi-finger swipe and start typing the app name i want). keeping track of 250 apps definitely needs a system! 👍
 
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Killerbob said:
LaunchBack is a decent ver. 1 attempt. It needs a lot of work, and IMHO is not workable at this time.
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Yes, I tried it in Sequoia. It's using the full screen and the icons are huge on my ultra-wide display. 6 icons per row, 4 rows and the last row is partly in the Dock and outside the screen. (1.1.1 Beta)

Launchpad has 7 icons per row, 5 rows and I can see my Wallpaper instead of just white or black.

But I always preferred the grid view of the Applications folder anyway. It can be zoomed in and out if you want to see less bigger icons or more smaller ones. Sometimes I change it to list view.

And not only the standard Applications folder, there is even one only showing the stock apps.

Screenshot 2025-08-25 at 22.24.05.png


Screenshot 2025-08-25 at 22.16.31.png

Screenshot 2025-08-25 at 22.16.49.png
 
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Adora said:
Is this already in here?

github.com

GitHub - trey-a-12/LaunchBack: A free and open-source re-implementation of the macOS Launchpad pre-Tahoe

A free and open-source re-implementation of the macOS Launchpad pre-Tahoe - trey-a-12/LaunchBack
github.com github.com

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It would have been nice if Apple had just adapted the translucency of LaunchPad to Liquid Glass, instead of slashing it. I’m still hoping for Apple to bring it back in the future but for now… let’s hope LaunchBack keeps improving.

It would be nice if we list all the LaunchPad alternatives in one place (this thread?). I’ve seen one more in the Mac App Store, called Quick App Launcher (Pro).
 
Populus said:
It would have been nice if Apple had just adapted the translucency of LaunchPad to Liquid Glass, instead of slashing it. I’m still hoping for Apple to bring it back in the future but for now… let’s hope LaunchBack keeps improving.

It would be nice if we list all the LaunchPad alternatives in one place (this thread?). I’ve seen one more in the Mac App Store, called Quick App Launcher (Pro).
Click to expand...

A point I made in the other tropic on this issue, is that the beauty of Launchpad and Dashboard were they acted as OS break out spaces, cognitive break spaces not constrained by the root OS UI, and Apple either does not value and understand this (what they created), or maybe that is their issue and this form of expansive sophistication needs to be eradicated.

What we're seeing here is really regressive and degenerative creativity and design.

Breaking out into these space at the click of a button or with a gesture, allowed OSX/macOS inhabit some of that UI space more familiar to gaming but just enough not to get all clippy!

I'm starting to think it's a case of who can bright and shiny out-mania the most in the curved halls of Apple Spaceship, where a kind of boredom is the new design trigger, yet these spaces (dashboard/launchapd) where more inviting of new, maybe more liberal spaces to experiment and try out things, without braking the whole structure, and bring something really new and useful, again as I said in previous post, without having to overhaul the entire OS UI and break user (who is customer) experience, i..e piss everyone off.

The former trajectory was more dimensional, break out the dimeiniosn boys and girls, but now it's one dimension size will fit all, and as you can see (music.app being a great example fo the bad) how that is going, i.e. not well.

Instead of iterating and expanding launchpad (RIP), dashboard (RIP) We could have another third space feature at this point, like HiFi - man that woudl be some 3rd space. You can see it now right? Oh yea, control, dials, and big gorgeous album artwork, in it's own space like dashboard (it would be entirely complementary space to garageband, how no one thought of this I dunno) - hit that launch button and jump in HiFi space to play your tune, really neat.

But no, Apple is chopping down trees in the Apple UI orchard until there really is only a walled garden, so they can plant more squricles and squircles grow boxes of course!
 
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Omega Mac said:
A point I made in the other tropic on this issue, is that the beauty of Launchpad and Dashboard were they acted as OS break out spaces, cognitive break spaces not constrained by the root OS UI, and Apple either does not value and understand this (what they created), or maybe that is their issue and this form of expansive sophistication needs to be eradicated.

What we're seeing here is really regressive and degenerative creativity and design.

Breaking out into these space at the click of a button or with a gesture, allowed OSX/macOS inhabit some of that UI space more familiar to gaming but just enough not to get all clippy!

I'm starting to think it's a case of who can bright and shiny out-mania the most in the curved halls of Apple Spaceship, where a kind of boredom is the new design trigger, yet these spaces (dashboard/launchapd) where more inviting of new, maybe more liberal spaces to experiment and try out things, without braking the whole structure, and bring something really new and useful, again as I said in previous post, without having to overhaul the entire OS UI and break user (who is customer) experience, i..e piss everyone off.

The former trajectory was more dimensional, break out the dimeiniosn boys and girls, but now it's one diemoson size will fit all, and you can see (music.app being a great example fo the bad) how that is going, i.e. not well.

Instead of iterating and expanding launchpad (RIP), dashboard (RIP) We could have another third space feature at this point, like HiFi - man that woudl be some 3rd space. You can see it now right? Oh yea, control, dials, and big gorgeous album artwork, in it's own space like dashboard (it would be entirely complementary space to garageband, how no one thought of this I dunno) - hit that launch button and jump in HiFi space to play your tune, really neat.

But no, Apple is chopping down trees in the Apple UI orchard until there really is only a walled garden, so they can plant more squricles and squircles grow boxes of course!
Click to expand...
Wow, not only your post was creative and elaborate, but also you have a point.

Definitely bringing a disconnection screen back, along with widgets and direct access to apps, would be really cool indeed.
 
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If any of you guys out there are still looking for a near-perfect replacement for LaunchPad, look no further than LaunchOS app! It has nearly all features, folders, fluid smooth scrolling and even the finger pinch gesture ($5.00) to open from your TrackPad!

Apart from a couple of minor things such as animations (App Icon wiggling), it's a perfect 100% re-creation.
 
palyons said:
If any of you guys out there are still looking for a near-perfect replacement for LaunchPad, look no further than LaunchOS app! It has nearly all features, folders, fluid smooth scrolling and even the finger pinch gesture ($5.00) to open from your TrackPad!

Apart from a couple of minor things such as animations (App Icon wiggling), it's a perfect 100% re-creation.
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Is it on the Mac App Store? I usually distrust apps from outside due to the lack of sandboxing…
 
Populus said:
Is it on the Mac App Store? I usually distrust apps from outside due to the lack of sandboxing…
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It does not seem to be, no. But I've been using it for about 4-5 days now and it's really good. And also I have been using apps on macOS since before the App Store was even a thing.
 
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Another option is AppGrid - works really well and even has a few features we did not have in LaunchPad, like auto sort everything.
 
Macbookey said:
I hope they add pinning apps to the Spotlight applications UI. That would reduce cognitive overhead and not force cluttered docks on Launchpad refugees like I will be. As of now, that App Library UI that comes up isn’t good enough. We adapt, but if they are going to replace something, they should make it better on many fronts.
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i don't ever think about it; command-spacebar (or finger evoke on the trackpad), type a couple of letters, hit return. love it.

the thing i miss the least about launchpad was the mess of addding a new app, then re-arranging icons. yikes
 
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For reasons that aren’t relevant now, I’ve been using Tahoe for a week. And I really miss Launchpad.

After installing a few apps, when I invoque the new Apps menu, I just simply can’t find them. Something that just worked, now is more difficult to make it work.

Sure, entering Spotlight and the first few letters of the app still works but there are apps whose name we don’t clearly recall…

As a temporary patch, I’ve dragged back my Apps folder to the dock. Yeah, just like I had it on the Snow Leopard days, 15 years ago.

I already have sent feedback to ask for the comeback of Launchpad, and you?
 
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Populus said:
For reasons that aren’t relevant now, I’ve been using Tahoe for a week. And I really miss Launchpad.

After installing a few apps, when I invoque the new Apps menu, I just simply can’t find them. Something that just worked, now is more difficult to make it work.

Sure, entering Spotlight and the first few letters of the app still works but there are apps whose name we don’t clearly recall…

As a temporal patch, I’ve dragged back my Apps folder to the dock. Yeah, just like I had it on Snow Leopard.

I already have sent feedback to ask for the comeback of Launchpad, and you?
Click to expand...
lots of 3rd-party apps, workarounds. check the forum for great alternative ideas...
 
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