If you have recently had a Mac or have not finished adapting to the macOS ecosystem, it may surprise you to see an application in the dock whose symbol is a rocket, although since macOS Big Sur this icon changes. In any case, this is the Launchpad and it cannot be uninstalled for reasons that you will now understand.
Launchpad utility on macOS
The reason why the Launchpad cannot be uninstalled from the Mac and why you should use it more often is that it is not an application as such but an application drawer neither more nor less. That is, all that program or tool that you have installed on your computer will appear here. Knowing this, it is possible that much more explanation about its meaning is not necessary, so we move on to another section in which to continue knowing what can be done with it. It is also possible to access the list of applications by secondary click with the mouse or trackpad, since these will be displayed in the list.
Move around the Launchpad
Not only is there one Launchpad screen, but there may be several depending on the number of applications and programs you have installed. Moving through it is as simple as using the keys , trackpad, or mouse.
If you use the keyboard you will have to use the arrows, although these will only allow you to move through the applications and not move between screens. When you notice that the icon of a specific application is shaded, you can press the enter key to open it. In any case, it is much more comfortable to use other systems such as the trackpad or mouse.
With any trackpad you can make gestures with two fingers and slide left or right to move through the different screens. The same happens with the Magic Mouse, although in this case a finger will be enough to slide. Then you can do the typical thing that is done with the cursor, since you can place it on top of any application or folder to open it. It should be noted that to close the Launchpad, all you have to do is click on any part of the screen other than its interface or press the ‘esc’ key.
How to sort the apps
By default, macOS adds the new applications on end screens. In fact, there are times when, even though there is a gap on another screen, it places them on a new one. If you have a certain animosity towards clutter, this may not convince you and you want to establish an order for the applications yourself. Doing this is extremely simple, since you just have to hold down the specific application you want to move with the cursor and slide it across the screen until it is located where you want. In fact, it is possible to create folders in which to group them and have everything categorized. It can be a good way to ‘clean’ your desktop and dock and have everything in view on the Launchpad.
Delete apps from the Launchpad
Unfortunately, it is not possible to uninstall programs from the Mac via the Launchpad. In fact, if you try to drag an icon to the trash you will see that it is a useless action, since the application will still be there. It is not possible in any way to make it disappear from there, unless you resort to the normal methods to delete applications from the Mac. In any case, we insist on emphasizing the aforementioned possibility of ordering the Launchpad, since in this way you can in a certain way make those applications that interest you less have less visibility, even though you have to use them from time to time.
If you delete the Launchpad from the dock
Whether by accident or not, removing the Launchpad from the dock can seem dramatic if you don’t know where to find it next. If you don’t want to have it in view because you don’t use it, great, but if at some point you want to recover it you will have to go to the Applications folder to locate it. This is in the Finder, so it has no loss and once you locate it you can open it from there whenever you want and if you want to have it back in the dock it will be as simple as dragging it to it so that it is fixed.