Struggling with Finder or the Applications folder to open Mac apps? Looking for a slick and fast way instead to find and launch applications on your Mac? Look no further than Launchpad, which gathers programs for easy discovery and one-click opening. Find out here how to open Launchpad (or Spotlight Applications with Tahoe) on a Mac ⤓ with trackpad, mouse and keyboard shortcut.
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How to Open and Use Launchpad or Spotlight Applications on a Mac
Using Trackpad
Time needed: 1 minute
To switch to Spotlight Applications or Launchpad fast with a trackpad gesture to open programs and apps on your Mac:
- Pinch with the thumb and three or four other fingers on the trackpad.
No pinching: See below for enabling the pinching gesture to open Launchpad.
- Click any application to launch it.
macOS Tahoe and later: Instead of Launchpad, Spotlight search will open with all your applications listed just like in Launchpad.
Inside folders: With Launchpad, click folders to open them.
Find applications: Start typing on the keyboard to find programs.
Their word: Apple includes information on finding apps in the macOS User Manual.
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Open Spotlight Apps or Launchpad with Hot Mouse Corners
To bring up Spotlight Apps or Launchpad on a Mac by just moving the mouse:
- Set up a hot corner for launching Spotlight Applications; see below.
- Move the mouse cursor to the designated screen corner.
That’s all: That's really all there is to it.
Close: To hide Spotlight Apps again, move the mouse curser to the corner again (after moving it away at least briefly, of course).
Open Spotlight Apps or Launchpad Using the Dock
To go to Launchpad using just your mouse on a Mac:
- Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
No Launchpad icon: For macOS Sequoia and earlier, see below for adding Launchpad to your Dock.
No Spotlight icon: In macOS Tahoe and later, Spotlight Applications, which replaces Launchpad, cannot be added to the Dock as a separate icon.
- Use Launchpad to open apps; see above.
Change which apps open with macOS: How to Change Mac Startup Apps
Open Spotlight Apps Launchpad with a Mac Keyboard Shortcut
To open the Applications tab in Spotlight or Launchpad on your Mac using the keyboard:
- Press the Launchpad key.
Here’s what it looks like: The Launchpad key shows two rows of three (landscape-oriented) rectangles; it doubles as the F4 key.
No Launchpad key: Without a special Launchpad key, you can set up a key combination to open Launchpad; see below.
Launchpad key does not work: If the Launchpad key does not work as expected, press Function together with the Launchpad key or Function F4.
macOS Tahoe and later: With macOS Tahoe 26 and later, you get to use an additional keyboard shortcut for opening applications; press Command Space followed by Command 1 to bring up Spotlight Applications. - Open the desired app with Launchpad.
How to Set up Opening Spotlight Applications or Launchpad on your Mac
Enable Trackpad Pinching to Open Spotlight Apps or Launchpad
To make pinching on a trackpad open Launchpad on your Mac:
- Open System Settings (or Preferences) on the Mac.
- Now open the Trackpad category.
- Go to the More Gestures tab.
- Enable the Launchpad gesture.
Set up a Hot Corner for Opening Spotlight Apps or Launchpad
To make moving the mouse cursor to a specific screen corner open the Applications tab on Spotlight or Launchpad directly:
- Open System Settings.
- Go to the Desktop & Dock category.
- Select Hot Corners… at the very bottom.
- Choose Apps as the action for the desired corner.
- Click Done.
Add the Launchpad Icon to the Dock on Your Mac
To add an icon for Launchpad to your Mac’s Dock:
- Open the /Applications folder in Finder.
Mac keyboard shortcut: Press Command Shift A to go right to the folder. - Drag and drop the Launchpad application to any position in the Dock.
Set up a Keyboard Shortcut for Launchpad on a Mac
To designate your own Mac keyboard shortcut for opening Launchpad:
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences).
- Go to the Keyboard category.
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts….
macOS Monterey: On macOS Monterey 12 and earlier, switch to the Shortcuts tab. - Select Launchpad & Dock on the left.
- Turn on Show Launchpad.
- Now press the desired key combination for opening Launchpad.
Example: Press F4 to make F4 the key for opening Launchpad.
How to Open and Use Launchpad or Spotlight Applications on a Mac: FAQ
Can I remove the Launchpad icon from the Dock?
Yes.
To remove Launchpad from your Mac’s Dock:
- Click and hold the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
- Drag the icon away from the Dock until it appears slightly dimmed and Remove shows above it.
- Release the mouse button.
Can I rearrange the icons on Launchpad?
Yes.
To put your favorite apps front and center, you can rearrange app icons on Mac Launchpad (and move less-used applications to folders or separate screens).
Can I reset the Launchpad layout?
Yes.
To reset the layout of Launchpad apps to its default:
- Open Terminal.
- Type
defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true.
Here’s why: This command adds the ResetLaunchPad toggle, which instructs Finder to return Launchpad to its default configuration. - Press Enter.
- Now type
killall Finder.
Here’s why: This command closes and restarts Finder; Finder acts on the ResetLaunchPad option only when it starts.
Alternative: You can also log out of your Mac and log back in or restart the Mac, of course. - Press Enter again.
Can I rearrange icons in Spotlight Applications?
No.
Within sections, Spotlight sorts app alphabetically.
(Tested with macOS Tahoe 26.0–26.5, Sequoia 15.0–15.3, Sonoma 14.3, Ventura 13 and Monterey 12.5; first published September 2022, last updated June 2026)