Kenneth Collins1
Level 1 (9 points)
iWork

Q: Cannot Type in Launchpad

If I activate Launchpad on my MacBook Pro, I can type in the first few letters of an application's name to find its icon. On my iMac, it doesn't take the keyboard input at all.

 

It is too hard to find the application by inspection, because Launchpad produces a visual jungle of icons spread over many pages, all applications have the same importance (uninstall is just as important to Launchpad as my word processor is), organizing them is manual and tedious, and "folders" of icons can only go one level deep. So I want to use Launchpad's command-line feature to find applications.

 

How can I fix Launchpad to enable the typing feature?

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Mid-2007

Posted on Nov 17, 2012 11:40 AM

by Steven Slupsky,Solvedanswer
Steven Slupsky Steven Slupsky
Level 1 (35 points)
A:

Thanks for the tip Devvyn!  I was growing more and more frustrated with this irritating bug. 

Posted on Apr 11, 2014 6:35 AM

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Kenneth Collins1

Q: Cannot Type in Launchpad

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  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 18, 2012 8:29 AM in response to the0pticnerve
    Level 7 (32,009 points)
    iPad
    Nov 18, 2012 8:29 AM in response to the0pticnerve

    Yes, I've used that and it's great; personally, I don't like it if I have to use more than one click for often used apps or files. I'm still grumbling about the fact that I need to hit Command while opening a folder in the dock in order to get column view (which is the only thing I use) - one simple click used to open such a folder before they came up with stacks, etc. Here is a screenshot of my dock:

     

    Screen Shot 2012-11-18 at 8.21.10 AM.png

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Nov 18, 2012 9:20 AM in response to the0pticnerve
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Nov 18, 2012 9:20 AM in response to the0pticnerve

    I'm aware of this method. My question is not how to launch applications, but how to fix a broken feature.

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Nov 18, 2012 9:23 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Nov 18, 2012 9:23 AM in response to babowa

    Right-click on the folder in the dock and select how you want it displayed by default.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 18, 2012 10:13 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 7 (32,009 points)
    iPad
    Nov 18, 2012 10:13 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    Thanks - I have it set to show as list - column view is not available unless I then choose open in Finder to get what (and the only thing) I want: a Finder window in column view; so I still have to Command + ciick. Either way, it's two clicks rather than the old one click feature.

     

    FWIW, when Launchpad first appeared, I sent in a bug report/feature request to a) be able to adjust the icon sizes and b) be easily user controllable.......Apple's answer: it is working as designed. Okay then! As I later realized, it appeared to be the first of the Mac OS > iOS fusion features.

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Nov 18, 2012 7:16 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Nov 18, 2012 7:16 PM in response to babowa

    Apple said it works as designed because it already does what you said.

     

    Go to System Preferences | Dock (third from the left, top row) and play with the options there.

  • by Chris Lappas,

    Chris Lappas Chris Lappas Nov 19, 2012 12:42 PM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 12:42 PM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    It happened to me once. The search bar would not register typed letters. A log out/in solved the issue.

     

    I also prefer to launch applications through spotlight for which I have se the shortcut fn + F1

  • by Staley009,

    Staley009 Staley009 Mar 22, 2013 8:30 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mar 22, 2013 8:30 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    For some people (not for me though) the following seems to have helped:

    open a terminal, and type

    rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist

     

    Note that this will delete any personalized keyboard shortcuts. It didn't work for me. My Launchpad typing still doesn't work, and none of the suggestions have solved the issue so far.

     

    To all the comments here like "why would you use it?" or, "try this, I haven't had the problem myself but I thought I tell you something anyway" - not helpful. If something doesn't work on my Mac, I have a hard enough time with our IT people telling me "why would you want to use a Mac anyway?"

  • by G. K. Chesterton,

    G. K. Chesterton G. K. Chesterton May 11, 2013 3:30 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 11, 2013 3:30 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    I am also having this problem, and I am also bemused by all the comments here telling me to stop using Launchpad.

  • by 2Borno2B,

    2Borno2B 2Borno2B Jul 19, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Staley009
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Staley009

    I, too, have the launchpad problem. And removing my symbolichotkeys plist has not resolved it.

  • by dfigallo,

    dfigallo dfigallo Jul 27, 2013 8:41 PM in response to 2Borno2B
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 27, 2013 8:41 PM in response to 2Borno2B

    I, too...

    I can not type in the Launchpad, I can not filter apps and can not rename a new folder.

    I deleted the application database (sqlite3 file *.db) in folder /Users/myuser/Library/Application Support/Dock

    and then execute "sudo killall Dock" and rebuild Launchpad but...  the problem persists, I find no solution Any ideas?

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Jul 28, 2013 5:30 AM in response to dfigallo
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Jul 28, 2013 5:30 AM in response to dfigallo

    Here is a solution:

     

    • Go to Titanium Software
      They have three free, very high-quality untilities called Deeper, Maintenance, and Onyx.
    • Click on Downloads on the bar at the top
    • Download the version of Maintenance for your operating system. It is free.
    • Run Maintenance.
    • Check everything under the Maintenance and Cleaning headings
    • Uncheck everything under the Rebuild heading (not needed for this purpose)
    • Click Execute

    When it is finished, restart the computer as it suggests. The problem should be gone for a few months. When it comes back, run Maintenance again.

  • by Phil Stokes,

    Phil Stokes Phil Stokes Jul 28, 2013 7:50 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 2 (360 points)
    Jul 28, 2013 7:50 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    yeah, but that's like taking a sledgehammer to a walnut.

     

    This command in Terminal will cause Launchpad to reinitialize as if from birth...

     

    rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db; killall Dock

  • by dfigallo,

    dfigallo dfigallo Jul 28, 2013 9:38 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 28, 2013 9:38 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    Thanks Kenneth, very usefully apps...

    The repair permissions  solved the problem...

    I'm so happy...

  • by Coty Condry,

    Coty Condry Coty Condry Nov 12, 2013 8:19 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 12, 2013 8:19 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    Try pressing Command + Space Bar while Launchpad is running.

     

    I was having this problem after upgrading to Mavericks on a Macbook Pro Retina, and this just fixed it for me. After I close launchpad and open it again, I can search normally by just typing.

  • by Teanam,

    Teanam Teanam Nov 17, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Coty Condry
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Coty Condry

    i have 13' retinal late October model

     

    after creating additional profile for  my girlfriend i noticed that i can type in launchpad restart helps but not long

     

     

    Try pressing Command + Space Bar while Launchpad is running. fixed the problem , lets see how long its going to last

     

    thanks Coty Condry for the tip

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