The fastest way to open Launchpad

Launchpad is the grid of app icons on your Mac that works like the home screen on an iPhone. To open it, press the F4 key on your keyboard, or pinch inward with four fingers on your trackpad. Both actions bring up the full-screen app grid when ready.

If neither of those works, your Mac may have a different keyboard setup. Some older Macs use different function keys, and some keyboards reassign F4 to something else. In that case, you can open Launchpad from the Dock — look for the rocket ship icon and click it. If you do not see it in the Dock, you can add it there by opening Finder, going to Applications, finding Launchpad, and dragging it to the Dock.

Once Launchpad is open, you can search for any app by typing its name. You can also swipe left and right with two fingers on your trackpad to move between pages of apps, or click the dots at the bottom to jump to a specific page.

Key Takeaways

  • Press F4 or pinch inward with four fingers on your trackpad to open Launchpad when ready.
  • If F4 does not work, click the rocket ship icon in your Dock, or add Launchpad to the Dock from the Applications folder.
  • Type an app name while Launchpad is open to search for it without scrolling through pages.
  • Swipe left and right with two fingers or click the dots at the bottom to navigate between app pages.

When the F4 key does not work

Some Macs require you to hold the Function key while pressing F4, or they may have reassigned F4 to control brightness or volume instead. Check the symbols printed on your F4 key — if you see a brightness or volume icon, your Mac is using those as the default action.

To use F4 for Launchpad on these Macs, hold down the Function key (labeled Fn) and press F4 at the same time. If you want F4 to open Launchpad without holding Function every time, you can change this in System Settings. Go to System Settings, click Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts, then Function Keys, and toggle on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys."

Adding Launchpad to your Dock for one-click access

If you use Launchpad often, keeping it in your Dock saves you from pressing keys every time. Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar. Scroll down until you see Launchpad, then drag it to the Dock at the bottom of your screen. You will see a line appear in the Dock showing where it will land — release the mouse or trackpad to drop it there.

Once Launchpad is in your Dock, you can click it anytime to open the app grid. You can also right-click the Launchpad icon in the Dock and choose Options to decide whether it stays in the Dock permanently or only when it is open.

Organizing apps in Launchpad

Launchpad shows every app on your Mac in a grid format, but you can organize them into folders to reduce clutter. Click and hold any app icon, then drag it onto another app icon. Launchpad will create a folder and ask you to name it. You can name it anything — for example, "Productivity" or "Games."

To add more apps to a folder, drag them onto the folder icon. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder by clicking it, then click and hold the app you want to move out, and drag it back to the main grid. You can also delete apps from Launchpad by clicking and holding an icon until a small X appears in the corner, then clicking the X — this removes the app from your Mac entirely, so only do this if you are sure you want to delete it.

Searching for apps in Launchpad

If you have many apps and do not want to scroll through pages, you can search directly in Launchpad. Open Launchpad and start typing the name of the app you want. A search box will appear at the top, and Launchpad will show only the apps that match what you typed. This works even if you only type part of the name — for example, typing "photo" will show Photos, Photoshop, and any other app with that word in its name.

Press Enter or click the app name to open it. To clear the search and go back to the full app grid, press Escape or click the X in the search box.

Navigating between app pages

Launchpad spreads your apps across multiple pages if you have more than fit on one screen. You can move between pages in three ways: swipe left or right with two fingers on your trackpad, click the dots at the bottom of the screen to jump to a specific page, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

The dots at the bottom show how many pages you have and which page you are currently viewing. A filled dot means you are on that page; an empty dot means there are more apps on that page. Click any dot to jump directly to that page without swiping through the ones in between.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove Launchpad from my Mac?

Launchpad is built into macOS and cannot be uninstalled, but you do not have to use it. You can open apps through Finder, Spotlight (press Command-Space), or the Dock instead. If Launchpad is in your Dock and you want it gone, right-click the icon and choose Remove from Dock.

Why does Launchpad show apps I thought I deleted?

Launchpad shows all apps installed on your Mac, including ones you may have hidden or moved to a different folder. If you want to remove an app completely, click and hold its icon in Launchpad until an X appears, then click the X. This deletes the app from your Mac. If the app is still there after that, it may be a system app that cannot be removed.

Can I change the size of app icons in Launchpad?

No, Launchpad does not have a built-in option to resize icons. The grid layout and icon size are fixed. If you want more control over how your apps are organized, you can use Finder or Spotlight to open apps instead, or create folders in Finder to group them by category.

Does Launchpad work the same way on all Macs?

Launchpad works the same way on all Macs running macOS, but the keyboard shortcut may differ depending on your keyboard and settings. The trackpad pinch gesture (pinch inward with four fingers) works on all Macs with a trackpad. If you are using an external keyboard or mouse, check your Mac's keyboard settings to see which key opens Launchpad.