Mac Launchpad Too Slow? Faster Ways to Open Apps (and What Changed in macOS 26)

Launchpad shows every installed app in a full-screen grid. If finding anything in it feels slow, the quickest fixes depend on your macOS version, because Apple changed this feature in macOS 26 Tahoe.

Short answer: the best app for a short, curated list of apps you click, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it adds up to four extra docks to the edges of your screen, or floating anywhere, each with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

Launchpad on macOS 15 and earlier

Launchpad opens a full-screen grid of your apps on several pages. You can drag apps into folders, type in the search field at the top, or swipe between pages.

Why it can feel slow:

• It covers your whole screen, so you lose sight of your work for a moment.
• Every installed app is there, including helper apps you never open.
• The layout can shift as you install new apps.

What changed in macOS 26 Tahoe

On macOS 26 Tahoe, Launchpad is replaced by the Apps view. You reach it through Spotlight, where it lists your apps. We explain the details in what happened to Launchpad in macOS Tahoe.

The Apps view is part of Spotlight, so it works mainly as a search surface. It still lists everything installed, not a short list you chose.

The seven ways to open apps without it are ranked in Launchpad is gone in macOS Tahoe.

Faster ways to open apps

You have several options, whatever your version:

1. Spotlight: press Command-Space, type, and press Return.
2. The Dock: keep your five or six most-used apps there.
3. Finder: open the Applications folder.
4. A Jetty bar (our pick, in my opinion as its developer): a launcher where you add the apps you use, and nothing else. Spotlight, the Dock and Finder are the free built-in options.

Each built-in way is explained step by step in how to find and open apps on Mac.

A curated list with Jetty

Jetty is an example of the fourth option. It shows exactly the tiles you add, grouped in tabs, on a bar at an edge of your main screen (or floating). It does not open full screen, and it does not list apps you did not add.

Short list, not a full list

If you use 20 apps, add 20 tiles. System utilities and apps you installed once are not there unless you put them there.

Stays on screen

Because the bar floats above normal windows and stays when you switch desktops, you do not open and close anything. Click a tile and the app opens. If you prefer the bar out of sight, turn on auto-hide; it fades when the pointer leaves, and you bring it back from Jetty's menu-bar item.

Stays where you put it

Tiles keep the order you set. Drag tiles to rearrange them.

What Jetty does not do

Jetty is not a Launchpad clone. It does not show all your apps automatically, and it has no search field. You build the list yourself, by dragging apps from Finder onto a bar. It does not change the macOS Dock or the Apps view either.

For other Dock-related options, see Dock apps compared.

How we checked

Jetty's details on this page were checked against the app's source code and its App Store listing on 2026-10-10 and are collected on the facts page; I build Jetty. For built-in macOS steps, Apple's Mac User Guide is the reference for your version of macOS.

FAQ

Why is Launchpad slow on my Mac?

It draws a full-screen grid of every installed app, so a large number of apps means more pages to go through. Spotlight or a short list of your own apps skips that.

Where did Launchpad go in macOS Tahoe?

macOS 26 Tahoe replaced Launchpad with the Apps view, which you open through Spotlight. See our explainer on Launchpad in macOS Tahoe.

Can I bring Launchpad back on macOS 26?

Apple removed it, so there is no setting to restore it. Jetty is not a Launchpad clone, but it gives you a short grid of the apps you choose.

Does Jetty work on macOS 14 and 15?

Yes. Jetty needs macOS 14 or later, and uses a translucent look on macOS 14 and 15 and Liquid Glass on macOS 26.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.