There are a few different ways to access all of the apps that you have installed on your Mac. One of the easiest ways comes via the iOS-style grid courtesy of Launchpad which is found in your Dock. From here, you’re able to manually rearrange your apps, even grouping some of them together in folders.
While Launchpad is extremely convenient, you may run into some instances where those new apps that you just installed don’t appear. Even after verifying that they are, in fact, installed via the ~Applications folder, they might not be available in Launchpad.
If that’s the case, you don’t have to go through the process of uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Instead, you can just reset Launchpad on Mac which should then fix the issue and show all of your apps. Here’s how you can do so:
Open the Finder app on your Mac.
Hold down the Option key on your Keyboard.
While holding the Option key, click Go in the Menu Bar.
From the drop-down menu, select Library.
Open the Application Support folder.
Scroll through the list of folders and open the one named Dock.
Right-click any files ending in .db.
Select Move to Trash from the context menu that appears.
Right-click the Trash icon in your Dock.
Select Empty Trash from the context menu that appears.
Restart your Mac.
When your Mac restarts, it automatically repopulates Launchpad with any apps that you have installed. After you’ve logged in, you can double-check and make sure that the app that wasn’t there before is available now.
How to Reset Launchpad on Mac With Terminal
There’s another method available if you find yourself needing to reset Launchpad on Mac. However, this method is not for the faint of heart, as you’ll need to use Terminal. Usually, Terminal commands are nothing to be worried about, but with the rm command, it’s possible for you to end up deleting important files on your Mac. This also goes for the use of the * in the command, as it will match any files that end in the file type you are deleting.
If the method above didn’t work, here’s how you can reset Launchpad on Mac using the Terminal app:
Open the Terminal app on your Mac.
Type (or copy and paste) the following command into Terminal:
rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db ; killall Dock
Press Enter.
Restart your Mac.
Again, once your Mac is finished restarting, a new database for your installed applications will be created. This will provide easy access to the various apps that you have installed, including ones that were not previously accessible.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
Write a Comment