Launchpad not working on Mac? Fixes for F4, gestures and missing apps

If Launchpad stopped working right after an upgrade to macOS 26 Tahoe or 27 Golden Gate, nothing is broken: Launchpad was removed. F4 and the pinch gesture now open the Apps view in Spotlight. See What is Launchpad, and why is it gone.

To check your version, choose Apple menu › About This Mac. The fixes below are split by version.

Try these in order:

1. Restart the Dock: open Terminal and run killall Dock. Launchpad is part of the Dock, so this fixes most freezes.
2. If icons are missing, blank or duplicated, reset Launchpad: defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock. This removes your folders, so back up first; see Reset and back up your Launchpad layout.
3. If the pinch does nothing, check System Settings › Trackpad › More Gestures and turn Launchpad on.
4. If the icon is missing from the Dock, drag Launchpad back from the Applications folder; see Put Launchpad back in the Dock.

Two things open at once: the system Apps view is also bound to F4. Turn its shortcut off in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts.

F4 opens Spotlight instead: on Apple silicon MacBooks that key is the magnifier key, not a real F4. Turn on Open LaunchHome with the F4 Key in LaunchHome’s Shortcut settings, or hold fn while pressing it.

Nothing happens at all: make sure LaunchHome is running, since F4 only works while it is. Its icon should be in the menu bar; if not, open it from Applications, and turn on Open at Login in settings so it’s there after every restart.

Both need Accessibility access. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility, turn LaunchHome off and on again, then reopen the app. A macOS upgrade can reset this permission.

Check that the system Apps and Show Desktop gestures are off in System Settings › Trackpad. If they use the same pinch, the system gets it first.

For a hot corner, make sure the corner isn’t also set in System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Hot Corners. The gesture and the hot corner are Pro features, so they stop after the 7-day trial unless Pro is activated.

LaunchHome shows apps from the Applications and Utilities folders and the Applications folder in your home folder. An app sitting in Downloads or on the Desktop won’t appear until you move it to Applications, or add its folder as an app source folder (Pro).

You may have hidden it. Go to Settings › Organize › Layout Maintenance › Show Removed Apps.

Search for it by typing its name. If it shows up in search, it’s in a folder or on another page.

Restore Layout from Last Launch (Pro) on the Organize tab in settings puts things back the way they were when the app last started.

If the layout file was ever damaged, LaunchHome moves it aside under a new name instead of overwriting it, and keeps automatic backups in ~/Library/Application Support/com.wlh.launchpad/. Still stuck? Write to us from the Contact link at the bottom of this page.