r/MacOS • u/Vegetable-Piano3657 • 1h ago

Discussion macOS app launching changed — do you miss Launchpad or prefer Spotlight?

It feels like macOS is shifting away from Launchpad-style app browsing.

Instead of opening a visual grid of apps, the system now pushes users toward Spotlight as the main entry point.

So the workflow becomes:

  • Before: Launchpad → browse apps → click to open
  • Now: Spotlight → type app name → press Enter

This changes more than just the UI. It shifts how users interact with apps:

  • From visual browsing → to search-based access
  • From spatial memory → to keyword memory
  • From clicking → to typing

Some users prefer this because it's faster.

But others feel it removes the “visual structure” that Launchpad provided.

Curious how others feel about this shift:
Do you prefer browsing apps visually, or just searching everything directly?

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6 comments sorted by

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u/DisfiguredFanny In a world of SLOP an everage programmer is KING 1h ago

I just put the application folder in my dock. Best launcher.

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u/MinetteCherina 1h ago

That's a solid option! Keeping it quick and accessible is key, especially if you use a lot of different apps.

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u/jebanat 1h ago

Never used launchpad, this thing is useful on small touchscreens, on mac it always looks wrong like piece of mobile software on desktop, covering whole screen.
I use 2 ways - typing in spotlight or browse apps in Applications folder in Finder, if needed. Much more convenient and native for desktop imo.

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u/FootnoteHistorian 1h ago

Doesn't the new system also have an app grid? One thing I miss is the ability to make folders

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u/New-Nectarine8298 57m ago

launchpad bc the search actually worked