How can i add apps to launchpad?

The easiest way I found is as follows. Open launchpad, type the app name in the search box at the top. The app should show up. Then click on the app and drag it down onto the page. That's all there is to it.

There are two ways to get an application to show up in the LaunchPad... one is to install the application in your Applications folder. This is where LaunchPad is looking for applications. It doesn't care if you got it through the App Store or if it's an Apple application or not. The second way is to drag the application over the LaunchPad icon residing on the dock and release it. This will create a symbolic link to the application without actually moving the application into the Applications folder. It has to be the application itself, not an installer for it, not a folder containing the application, the application. The application should be added to the LaunchPad if you don't rush it, hold it over the LaunchPad icon for a second or two.

Check to make sure it's not already in there... you won't see the LaunchPad dock icon do anything, you will just see the app you are dropping disappear. It could be on a second page. Click on the little dots when you launch LaunchPad to see if it's on one of the other pages.

If that didn't do the trick, try resetting LaunchPad (note that any applications or folders you created/added in LaunchPad will have to be recreated/added):

In Terminal, enter these two commands:

defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true;killall Dock

then

defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool false;killall Dock

If that still isn't working, what is this app's name and where does it currently reside on your system?

Billish wrote:

@Baby Boomer: Actually, the basic "how to use the Launchpad" help page that you just blithely slapped in as a reply to the poster's question doesn't actually explain how to add things to the Launchpad, as the person was asking. It gives basics on how to use the Launchpad in general. Kind of surprising for a Level 9 guy....

"When you download an app from the Mac App Store, it automatically appears in Launchpad."

"Add an app to the Dock: Drag the app 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."

The OP did not mention in his/her original posting that the app was not from the App Store until a few days after I originally responded.

OS X Yosemite: Use Launchpad

Drag the icon to the LaunchPad icon on the dock... it will now show up in LaunchPad.

@Baby Boomer: Actually, the basic "how to use the Launchpad" help page that you just blithely slapped in as a reply to the poster's question doesn't actually explain how to add things to the Launchpad, as the person was asking. It gives basics on how to use the Launchpad in general. Kind of surprising for a Level 9 guy....

Launchpad Reset

thats correct. and the easiest way to add an app .

Dennis, I just tried your method and it worked very well. Thanks so much.