How to add missing apps to Launchpad? Most of the apps in my Finder do not appear in Launchpad.

Here's what worked for me when a couple specific apps (maybe due to sub-folder permissions?) did not appear in Launchpad after my Lion upgrade:

1. Move the app to Applications

2. Wait a second or two and then open Launchpad--you should see the app. Do this in EACH USER ACCOUNT where you want that app to appear.

3. Now you can move the app back into whatever subfolder it came from. It will still work in Launchpad.

(FWIW, the app in question was in a subfolder that user "everyone" had access to, but my specific account was not listed as an owner. I had to add myself as an owner of the folder before I could move the app out into Applications.)

Mino, the first time I opened my launchpad all the app screens were pretty messed up... so I forced launchpad to rebuild its database. Therefore I opened the Terminal app (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and typed in the following commands:

1. cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock
2. rm *.db
3. killall Dock

After that Launchpad needs some seconds to rebuild its database.

Thanks for your solution! I used a variation of it which worked under Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion.

I put an alias of the application in the main Application folder, which wasn't showing up in Launchpad, into my Users’ Application folder. An icon for the formerly missing application then appeared in Launchpad. The icon persisted in Launchpad even after I trashed the alias from my User’s Application folder. I only have one account on my computer, not multiple users.

In Lion and Mountain Lion, you can drag an Application onto the Launchpad icon in your Dock (only in your Dock, so add it momentarily if it isn't there already) and it will show up. To remove an application from Launchpad, click on it with the ctrl+opt+cmd keys all pressed.

Strangely however, adding apps doesn't work that way with OS X Mavericks [as of Dev Preview 2]. I really hope they add that back for the final release.

duh, I didn't realize there were more than one page, on page 2 were all my downloaded apps. thanks

Hi, hope people find this ueful...

I read all these posts after having a mysterious missing app. The app was from the app store, but for some reason just wouldnt appear in launchpad. I tried most of the things suggested here and then tried moving the application to the trash, waiting for 10 seconds and then moving back into the applications folder. This triggered a refresh of the applications folder and my app immediately appeared in the launchpad.

You have looked at all of the launchpad screens right? There might be more than one (1). Also note that some may already be grouped into folders.

There are multiple screens on the launch pad, newly installed programs are on the second screen. Just swipe to the left to see the second screen 🙂

I'm also missing some of my applications from my Utilities folder in the launchpad... I just made them appear in the launchpad by moving them out of the Utilities folder directly in my Applications folder (and back again).

Hm... looks as if Lion doesn't like my way of organizing applications... ;-)

I think you should first look where the programs are on your computers. Seems that they are not in the Applications Folder. Look for them with Spotlight (magnifying glass in the upper right corner) and when you find Word and Excell try to move them to the Applications Folder or better perhaps: install both again from your CD or DVD.

Good luck!

i just searched for the finder app in finder (finder icon was the one missing in my case) dragged it to desktop, i went to the applications folder in finder and dragged the shortcut on my desktop to the applications folder and it appeared instantly in launchpad!

Try to move the missing apps in the top level of your application folder. Shortly after that they should appear on your launchpad screen... well, that's how I managed to make them visible. ;-)

You could try resetting LaunchPad by deleting the file that is in your user/Library/Application Support/Dock

u just drag an app from the applications folder onto the launch pad dock icon. easy.