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Launchpad is gone: macOS 26 Tahoe brings a big change to how you find apps on your Mac

Apple borrows from iOS to organize your apps by category, with shortcuts and actions baked in.

By Iskra Petrova

Published: Jun 10, 2025, 8:09 AM

1comment

Apple Laptops

macOS 26 Tahoe is bringing a new App Library-like interface that will replace the Launchpad.

Alongside the redesigned iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, Apple also announced macOS 26 Tahoe during the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9. Apple's operating system for Macs and MacBooks is also getting a gorgeous new redesign, and alongside it, quite a lot of useful features.

One of the upgrades supported Macs and MacBooks are going to get in September is an entire new Launchpad, in a way. The Launchpad is the feature that shows you all the apps on your Mac, which, with macOS 26 Tahoe, will be replaced with a new "Applications" interface that resembles quite a lot the App Library found on the iPhone and iPad.

The new interface organizes apps on your Mac by category. The Categories are Utilities, Productivity and Finance, Social, Creativity, Information and Reading, Entertainment, and Other. You'll also get a new Suggested section at the top of the interface.

Actions are basically what you can do with the new version of Spotlight. There, you'll see options ranging from sending a message to starting a timer. Understandably, accessing the Clipboard will bring up your clipboard history. You'll also see images you've copied there, and the things you've pasted.

The Applications interface will show your apps in a tiled view, organized by category by default. However, you can customize this if you don't like this order. You can choose a list view, where your apps can be either categorized or shown by app name. Meanwhile, you can also use the alphabetical option in a tiled view.

Applications sorting options. | Image Credit - PhoneArena

Meanwhile, you can also set your own Quick Keys from some Spotlight results:

These Quick Keys can be reset from Spotlight's Settings:

Spotlight's Settings. | Image Credit - PhoneArena

This replacement of the Launchpad is a part of Apple's big Spotlight overhaul. It can also be used to access Actions, Files, and Clipboard, by using quick-access keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts are called "Browse Modes".

Here are the shortcuts you can use:

Command + 1 for opening Applications.
Command + 2 for opening Files.
Command + 3 for opening Actions.
Command + 4 for opening Clipboard.

MacOS 26 Tahoe, together with this new Applications interface, is available in a developer beta right now. The public beta is expected to be opened in July, and the stable version is going to follow in September.

This is one of the changes that I may appreciate more than others. The current Launchpad seems to me a bit messy, especially if you happen to have a lot of apps. Right now, I default to the search straight away and don't even bother looking below. To me, personally, an App Library-like view may be more helpful.

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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.

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