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

47 replies

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.

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

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.

2Borno2B

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.

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

dfigallo

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... 🙂

M.S.-C.

Level 1

0 points

Nov 19, 2013 12:16 AM in response to Teanam

Pressing Command+Space while Launchpad running worked for me, too. It also started to me after upgrading to Mavericks. Quite curious issue and solution.

Dec 15, 2013 8:34 AM in response to M.S.-C.

Thank you!

np1500

Level 1

0 points

Jan 27, 2014 7:27 PM in response to Devvyn

This solved my problem, thx Devvyn, Tabs give the focus back to the search input at some point.

Feb 10, 2014 6:56 PM in response to Devvyn

Had the same issue. Devvyn's advice did wonders. Thanks!

Apr 18, 2014 4:14 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

I just tried control-tab (not Cmd-tab) and it worked for me (Mountain Lion 10.8.2).

hunkir

Level 1

0 points

Apr 21, 2014 9:39 AM in response to Devvyn

Perfect! Thanks!

Loby

Level 1

4 points

May 20, 2014 6:49 AM in response to np1500

Hitting the "tab" a few times fixed the issue!!! Thanks!!!!!! Now I can type to search again!!!

May 29, 2014 1:31 PM in response to Devvyn

Been frustrating me for months as it's an on/off problem. You're amazing Devvyn!

jrperser

Level 1

24 points

Nov 7, 2014 10:05 AM in response to Devvyn

This worked for me too. Can't believe I hadn't tried this before. Thank.

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Cannot Type in Launchpad