How do I restore the old Launchpad in macOS Tahoe

In short, the macOS Launchpad cannot be restored in Tahoe.

You can reduce the Liquid Glass effect on your iPhone by reducing transparency.

Go to: Settings -> Accessibility -> Display & Text Size -> Turn on the Reduce Transparency toggle switch

Launchpad is not available in macOS 26 Tahoe. Instead, Apple has replaced it with a Spotlight-based application library similar to that on iOS. macOS organizes the apps, you cannot manually sort them. To have Apple consider your feedback on this issue, submit it here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

A possible workaround might be a 3rd party app, such as AppGridLauncher app (Mac App Store link) or https://www.launchie.app/.

Anthony Sbarro wrote:

It's entirely illogical

And completely irrelevant. Nobody here can bring it back.

There needs to be a way to curate the apps to efficiently launch them with muscle memory.

There has been a way since OS X was released in 2001. Just create folders with aliases to the apps you want to have available. Use Shortcuts to crest a shortcut to open that folder of aliases.

We already had Spotlight search to launch apps. Why remove LaunchPad without replacing it with something just as efficient?

LaunchPad was horribly inefficient. I had to open a window, move my mouse around, click on something, maybe more than once if it was in a folder. With Spotlight Ieave my hands on the keyboard, cmd-space, type two or three letters and hit return. Way more efficient.

This is truly mind boggling. I don't understand how people who work at Apple could make such drastic changes, unless they don't actually use the products they're engineering.

Perhaps they were just like those of us who couldn’t stand using LaunchPad.

bjuler222 wrote:

That would be excessive. I am not against the new OS version. I just find that the app launcher was better off to be full screen and not forced into a much smaller window without the ability to resize. I find the design of the new app launcher suboptimal. That's it.

There are lots of third-party replacements. Several have already been mentioned in the thread.

Here's one:

https://www.launchie.app/

You can also let Apple know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

I have. The changes in Spotlight are great. I use command-space command-4 multiple times a day.

I’d agree the Spotlight changes could be useful. Just to clarify (since I haven’t updated): in Tahoe, ⌘Space then ⌘4 is Spotlight’s Clipboard view? ie, it shows/searches clipboard history? And ⌘1 limits Spotlight to Apps? My understanding is these shortcuts limit Spotlight to a specific category (Clipboard vs Apps vs Actions vs Files).

Where I think we’re talking past each other is that this thread isn’t really about “Spotlight got new features” (or even “can you launch apps by typing”). I have nothing against Spotlight. But Launchpad did already support text search, and it could be invoked via a custom shortcut / Hot Corner / trackpad gesture. It worked both pointer-only and keyboard-only. The issue is the loss of user-controlled organization on top of that (custom order, folder names, stable spatial layout / muscle memory, large targets), which isn’t really what Spotlight is designed to replace.

Use case example: Setting up the projector and taking only my Magic Trackpad to the sofa. Quick, pointer-only app launching with big targets, because normal Finder is too finicky on a projector. I don’t see how Spotlight meets that use currently (and I’m not arguing it should, just arguing that launchpad covered different things)

While LaunchPad may be gone, there are the same ways there have always been to look at apps as a grid. Even without a third-party app.

Launchpad isn’t simply a grid. A grid that’s auto-arranged or non-customizable doesn’t function as an equivalent replacement for workflows built around stable placement and user grouping. The “folder in the Dock” workaround can be fine for some, but it’s solving a different problem than the one Launchpad solved.

Apple devices will never meet all the needs of all the people who use them. I think expecting that is unreasonable

Totally agree, no platform can satisfy every preference. In this case, the topic is much narrower: don’t remove a long-standing workflow without a comparable option, especially when it affects established organization and accessibility.

I’m sure this wasn’t your intent, but it’s worth noting the sequence: after accessibility-related examples were raised, the reply shifted to “not worth resources / only a small percentage care.” Even if unintended, that can come across as treating accessibility needs as optional. In accessibility and inclusive design, that “edge case” mindset is something people routinely have to push back on.

Also, accessibility improvements often help everyone (the classic curb-cut effect: ramps help wheelchair users but also strollers, kids, suitcases, etc.). In UI terms, larger targets, fewer required inputs, and less precision required benefit a wide range of real-world situations. For example, one-handed-friendly interaction isn’t just for amputees; it helps anyone carrying something, holding a coffee, or dealing with temporary injury/fatigue

Just to be clear, I’m not anti-Spotlight at all, it’s great! I’m only saying it doesn’t cover the same customizable, pointer-friendly workflow Launchpad did.

The most actionable step is submitting feedback to Apple, and for anyone arriving here from search, concrete use cases and workarounds are likely the most helpful. It’s also valuable to compare experiences, so users know they’re not the only ones who feel that way. Replies that focus on minimizing the concern aren’t very actionable and tend to discourage the peer-to-peer support these threads can provide.

There are at least 4 LaunchPad replacement apps.

Launchie (App Store)

AppGrid Launcher (App Store)

AppHub (paid app)

LaunchPad on GitHub

PattyKake48 wrote:

How do I get my Launchpad back?

You don’t (unless Apple decides to restore it, but given that they removed it that seems unlikely). There are third-party alternatives that may suffice.

yeah, my advice is never, never ever blindly update. Apple does this all the time, always wait and check the forums. Turn off auto update. I'm straight up just not updating until they fix it, and if everyone did this I bet they'd be more careful about just surprise-deleting user content, which is what this was.

Submit feedback!

There's also an app on the App Store called AppGrid Launcher you might like to try.

zZKableZz wrote:

I would use whatever method that works best for me, but Apple took that away.

I didn't think it was necessary to add that you should chose from the methods that are actually available to you in the current timeline.

Now I'm being forced to use a different method that is very apparent that a lot of people don’t like or want.

"Some" people. Based on what I've read in the press and seen on these forums, it doesn't rise to the level of "a lot."

Have you tried any of the other options people have suggested, such as Launchie? Or are you just sitting about, hoping that something will suddenly change?

Either way the 26 update across the entire ecosystem is a complete dumpster fire.

Hmm. Again, I'd say not for most people. But you should certainly let Apple know how you feel:

Product Feedback - Apple

idontwantanamebutapplemademe wrote:

Please give me back launchpad.

“We” are users like you and have no power to implement any suggestions. To have Apple consider your feedback, submit it here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

I sympathize with your issues, but I would strongly suggest you adopt a 3rd party solution rather than hope Apple changes their mind. This thread has a few hundred upvotes, which sounds like a lot until you realize that there are tens of millions of Mac users running Tahoe.

I thought that he new Apps application was a bit "funky" at first. But I have found that there is some sort of intelligence in it. When first opening, the top row lists apparently seems most recent apps. After a while though, I have been noticing that depending on the time of day I open Apps, it will list "favorites" in order of the apps that have been most commonly opened at that time of day. At least that is what seems to happen.

It would be nice though if it had the ability to create user defined categories.

One option other than Launchpad, create Stacks in the dock. Create a folder, put aliases of the apps you want in a group, then move it to the dock.

Use folders in the Dock on Mac - Apple Support

Just throwing my personal preference into the discussion. Since the early days of Mac I have never understood the purpose of either Launchpad or the desire to install 3rd party launchers. When possible, it's my opinion that I should never install a third-party app if an OS already has features that serve that need quite effectively. To each their own, however, the following built-in, native, features of macOS have always allowed me to launch any application I want within a second:

• Spotlight can launch any application in a mere second without even looking at the screen. Simply hit command+spacebar, type a few characters of the apps name, then hit return. For example, it takes typing six keys and one second to open Microsoft Word (command+spacebar, "wor", return).
• If you want a visual solution, simply put commonly used apps on your dock. That what it is intended for.
• A second visual solution is to add the Applications folder to the dock for an instant launcher. Right-click it for some additional behavior choices as well.

You should totally be able to reinstall Sonoma by booting into recovery mode download the official image on a usb stick and then boot up that image by selecting reinstall macOS and then specifying that image

neuroanatomist wrote:

bjuler222 wrote:

The new app launcher is a good example for changed upon the user nobody asked for breaking valuable habits and harming productivity. This is not innovation, it is empty change.

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I get it. If you didn't ask for it, then nobody asked for it. This thread got 204 upvotes, and the installed base of Tahoe is tens of millions. Some simple math should give you a sense of the scale of the 'problem' here.

I understand the point about scale, but I don’t think thread upvotes or total install base are good proxies for whether a change was requested or welcomed—especially when users weren’t clearly warned that updating could remove existing Launchpad organization (custom order, folder names, and workflow-based grouping). If people didn’t know their setup would be lost, the number of installs doesn’t say much about satisfaction with that outcome.

Many users also accept update prompts (or have auto-updates enabled) without researching release notes or forum threads, so “they updated” doesn’t necessarily mean this particular change was wanted.

It’s also worth noting that forums skew toward power users who can quickly launch apps via Spotlight by typing names. That doesn’t make a visual, customizable grid workflow any less valid—especially for people who rely on it to reduce cognitive load or fine-motor demands.

One data point that seems relevant: multiple third-party Launchpad-style replacements have appeared, and many reviews explicitly mention installing them because the new “Apps” view removed customization and made app-finding harder for their workflow. That suggests there’s meaningful demand for the previous approach.

For some users this isn’t just preference—it’s accessibility. A large, stable, user-arranged grid can reduce mis-clicks and cognitive load for people with reduced fine-motor precision or vision challenges (for example: tremor/Parkinson’s, MS, arthritis, post-stroke effects, neuropathy, low vision, or fatigue/injury). In those cases, larger targets and consistent spatial placement aren’t cosmetic—they’re what makes app launching reliable instead of error-prone.

Finally, for constructive discussion: phrases like “some simple math” and putting “problem” in quotes can come across as dismissive to people describing a real disruption. It’s possible to disagree on scope while still acknowledging the impact on affected users. An option to preserve/restore Launchpad-style organization (or offer a customizable grid view alongside the new approach) would address both workflow and accessibility needs.

Of course this forum doesn’t drive Apple decisions, but it’s valuable for sharing experiences. I’ve filed feedback with Apple and encourage others to as well.

Now I am using Launchie, it is good, at least I can use grups, and free