Can't find Launchpad on your Mac? Apple replaced it with Apps in macOS 26 Tahoe, and macOS 27 keeps it that way. Here's where it went and how to get it back.
Short answer: Launchpad is gone. Apple removed it in macOS 26 Tahoe and replaced it with a view called Apps, which lives inside Spotlight. macOS 27 Golden Gate, released on September 14, 2026, keeps Apps and does not bring Launchpad back.
Nothing is broken on your Mac, and you did not delete it by accident. If your Mac runs macOS 26 or later, there is no Launchpad to find.
Below: what Launchpad was, how to open its replacement, and how to get the old full-screen grid with folders back.
Launchpad was the full-screen grid of app icons that shipped with every Mac from OS X Lion in 2011 through macOS 15 Sequoia. It looked like an iPhone home screen:
Many people used it as their main way to open apps, which is why its removal caught so many off guard.
Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose About This Mac.
Bought a new Mac? New Macs ship with a current version of macOS, so they have never had Launchpad. That is why so many people search for it right after unboxing.
Apple kept most of the old shortcuts. They now open Apps instead of Launchpad:
| Old Launchpad shortcut | What it does now |
|---|---|
| F4 (the Launchpad key) | Opens Apps inside Spotlight |
| Three-finger pinch on the trackpad | Opens Apps |
| Apps icon in the Dock | Opens Apps where the Launchpad icon used to be |
Two new ways to get there:
Apps shows a list by default. To see icons instead, click the More button (the circle with three dots) at the top right and switch to Grid.
Apps is a good search tool, but it was built for a different job. Launchpad was a place you arranged yourself; Apps is a view the system arranges for you:
If you mostly type an app’s name to open it, you may not miss Launchpad at all. If you relied on remembering where an app lived on the screen, Apps will feel like a step back.
No. There is no setting in macOS 26 or macOS 27 that brings the original Launchpad back, and macOS 27 did not reverse the change.
What you can do is install an app that recreates the Launchpad workflow.
Launchie is a Launchpad replacement built for macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate. It brings back what Apps took away:
People have been running Launchie on the macOS 27 betas since the first developer beta in June.
Pick whichever way you normally install Mac apps:
Launchiebrew install --cask launchieOn first launch, Launchie finds your apps and lays them out in a grid. From there, drag them into the order you want and build your folders. The keyboard shortcuts guide covers the rest.
On a MacBook running macOS 26 Tahoe or later, Launchpad has been replaced by Apps. Press F4, pinch with three fingers on the trackpad, or click the Apps icon in the Dock to open it.
Yes. Apple removed Launchpad in macOS 26 Tahoe in September 2025 and replaced it with Apps, a view inside Spotlight.
No. macOS 27 Golden Gate keeps the Apps view from macOS 26. The classic Launchpad grid with custom arrangement and folders has not returned.
Updating to macOS 26 or later replaces the Launchpad icon with the Apps icon. The rocket icon is gone because Launchpad itself is gone.
macOS has no setting to restore it. To get a Launchpad-style grid with your own layout and folders, install a replacement such as Launchie.
Discover more tips, updates, and insights about Launchie and macOS productivity.