Organizing Apps with Launchpad on macOS Tahoe
Launchpad provides a simple, iPad-like interface for finding and opening your apps. It displays all your installed applications in a grid of icons, making it easy to browse your collection visually.
Accessing Launchpad
There are three main ways to open Launchpad:
- Dock: Click the Launchpad icon (a grid of colorful squares) in the Dock.
- Trackpad Gesture: Pinch your thumb and three fingers together on the trackpad.
- Keyboard: Press the F4 key (often labeled with a grid of six squares).
To exit Launchpad, click anywhere on the background (not on an app), press Esc, or pinch out with your thumb and three fingers.
Organizing Your Apps
Just like on an iPhone, you can rearrange apps to suit your workflow.
Moving Apps
Click and drag an app icon to a new location. If you drag it to the edge of the screen, it will move to the next page of apps.
Creating Folders
To group related apps (e.g., "Productivity" or "Games"):
- Drag one app icon directly on top of another.
- macOS will automatically create a folder and suggest a name based on the category.
- Click the folder to open it. You can rename it by clicking the name at the top.
Removing Apps from Folders
Drag an app out of the folder and drop it back onto the main grid. If a folder becomes empty, it disappears automatically.
Searching
If you have many pages of apps, the fastest way to find one is to start typing immediately after opening Launchpad. The grid will filter to show only apps matching your search.
Deleting Apps
You can uninstall apps downloaded from the App Store directly through Launchpad.
- Click and hold any app icon until they all start to jiggle.
- Apps that can be deleted will have a small "X" in the top-left corner.
- Click the "X" and confirm to delete the app.
Note: Apps not installed via the App Store (those you downloaded from the web) will not have an "X". You must delete these by dragging them from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Related Guides
- Downloading and Installing Apps on macOS Tahoe
- Master Guide to macOS Tahoe