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

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

Thanks - a solution hiding in (almost) plain sight!

I encountered the same wish for Sierra (2016) on iMac.

An app (not on app store but a major one) had an oops on it's first run after upgrade, then Sierra decided since it failed and wasn't an app store app it couldn't be validated. Ok just re-install will be fine.

All worked but no icon in Launchpad.

This might help. Per-user data for an app is in /Users/username/Libarary/appname. Before you install an app first close the app and remove the app in the apple documented manner. If it's directory the ~/Library/appname still exists it might interfere with installing a fresh copy. Carefully* decide if you can remove /Users/Library/appname if that exists. (*carefully, since your settings or downloaded data would be lost and need to be re-downloaded or reset). After that, re-installing should show the icon in Launchpad as it had done for initial installation.

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OS X El Capitan: Use Launchpad to view and open apps

Add and remove apps

Add an app to Launchpad: If you want Launchpad to include an app that you didn’t download from the App Store, move the app to the Applications folder in the Finder; the app automatically appears in Launchpad. For more information, see See your files in the Finder.

Add an app to the Dock: Drag the app from Launchpad to the Dock, then drop the app to the left of the Dock’s separator line. The app is in the Dock and in Launchpad.

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By that we understand when /Applications/ folder is changed (by finder) that applications are notified of the change (Finder updates, so does Launchpad). However launchpad wont recognize anything dumped in /Applications/ as having an icon to launch. (it expects applications made by Xcode for iMac and also that the developer provided an icon for the purpose of launching)

As far as how an end user can add any icons to Launchpad for any app? I think the answer is for now: it isn't supposed to.

Here's a remedy: instead, open the app using Finder or use Finder to create an icon on the Desktop. The desktop acts like a (more primitive) Launchpad. There's a shortcut key (fn-F11) to temporarily clear windows for using icons (which in another click, re-shuffles back to where they were).

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!

Thanks,Worked for me,I deleted user/Library/Application Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db and launchpad magically recreated the applications icons.

I have both the latest version and an older version of iMovie. The old version isn't in Launchpad. Dragging it from the Applications folder to the Launchpad icon does not work. I have Sierra.