What is Launchpad on Mac, and why is it gone in macOS 26 and 27?
What Launchpad on Mac was, how it worked, why Apple removed it in macOS 26 Tahoe, what the Apps view does instead, and how to get the full-screen app grid back with LaunchHome
At a glance
Launchpad on Mac, in short:
- What it was
- A full-screen grid of every app on your Mac, with pages you swipe between and folders you make yourself, much like the iPhone home screen
- When it existed
- From Mac OS X Lion in 2011 to macOS 15 Sequoia
- How you opened it
- The Launchpad key (F4 position), a pinch with your thumb and three fingers, its icon in the Dock or a hot corner
- macOS 26 and 27
- Removed. The Apps view in Spotlight replaced it; F4 and the pinch gesture now open that view
- Getting it back
- A third-party replacement such as LaunchHome restores the full-screen grid, pages and folders, and can import your old layout
What Launchpad did
Launchpad showed every installed app as a big icon on a full-screen grid over a blurred desktop. When one page filled up, the next page started, and you swiped or used the arrow keys to move between them.
You arranged it by hand: drag an icon to move it, drop one icon on another to make a folder, hold Option to delete Mac App Store apps. Many people kept the same layout for years and found apps by where they were, not by name.
Typing searched by app name, and Return opened the first result. Esc or a click on empty space closed it.
Why it’s gone
With macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple folded app browsing into Spotlight. The Launchpad app is no longer there, and its spot in the Dock went to a new Apps icon.
Apple’s Mac User Guide now describes only Spotlight for viewing and opening apps. macOS 27 Golden Gate kept it that way, so there is no setting that turns the old Launchpad back on.
Spotlight is the central location where you can search, browse, and open your apps.
Launchpad vs the Apps view
What changed for everyday use:
| Launchpad (macOS 15 and earlier) | Apps view (macOS 26 and 27) | |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Full-screen grid split into pages | Grid or list inside Spotlight |
| Order | Your own, by dragging | Decided by the system |
| Folders | Made by you, any name | None; filter by category instead |
| Search | By app name | By app name, plus categories |
| How to open | F4, pinch, Dock, hot corner | F4, pinch, Apps in the Dock, or Spotlight then ⌘1 |
How to get Launchpad back
LaunchHome is a native Mac app that brings back the full-screen grid, pages, folders and drag-and-drop, opened with F4. It can also import the pages and folders of your old Launchpad if your Mac used it before upgrading.
It’s free to use, and every new install gets 7 days of Pro to try. Setup takes about two minutes; see How to get Launchpad back. To compare it with other options, see Best Launchpad alternatives.
FAQ
Is Launchpad still on my Mac?
Only on macOS 15 Sequoia and earlier. On macOS 26 and 27 there is no Launchpad app; the Apps view in Spotlight replaced it.
What is the Launchpad icon on a Mac?
On macOS 15 and earlier it was a grey rocket icon in the Dock that opened Launchpad. On macOS 26 and 27 the Dock has an Apps icon in that spot, which opens the Apps view in Spotlight.
Is Launchpad the same as the Applications folder?
No. The Applications folder is where apps are stored. Launchpad was a full-screen view of those apps that you could arrange; moving icons in it never moved the apps themselves.
Can I download Launchpad for macOS 26?
Apple doesn’t offer it. You can install a replacement such as LaunchHome instead, which recreates the same full-screen grid.