Launchpad Plus
Open SourceModern macOS app launcher with glassmorphism design and advanced features
AI Summary
Launchpad Plus is a modern replacement for the macOS Launchpad with advanced features like glassmorphism design, intelligent fuzzy search, and fully customizable layouts. The tool offers drag-and-drop folder management, flexible grid adjustments, and supports keyboard, mouse, and touch navigation. All layout changes are automatically saved and can be exported as JSON.
✓ Pros
- +Modern glassmorphism design with smooth animations and responsive layout
- +Extensive customization options for grid size, icon size, and behavior
- +Free and open source with automatic saving of all layout changes
✗ Cons
- −Requires macOS 15.6 or newer, no support for older systems
- −Requires manual quarantine removal as app is not signed
Use Cases
- →Quickly launch and organize macOS applications with customizable grid layout
- →Create app folders through simple drag-and-drop for better organization
- →Find apps lightning-fast through real-time fuzzy search and keyboard navigation
- →Backup and sync app layouts between multiple Mac devices via JSON export
Who is it for?
Ideal for macOS users looking for a modern, customizable app launcher with advanced organization and navigation features.
Tags
What is Launchpad Plus?
Launchpad Plus is an open-source replacement for the macOS default Launchpad, built with SwiftUI and designed around customisation. The visual design follows glassmorphism principles: translucent surfaces, fluid animations, responsive layout. Users who find the original macOS Launchpad too rigid get an alternative that makes grid sizes, icon sizes and folder structures fully configurable. The app saves all changes automatically. Layouts can be exported as JSON, enabling backups and synchronisation across multiple devices.
Core features
- Customisable grid layout: Column count, row count and icon sizes can be configured freely.
- Drag-and-drop folder management: Apps move into folders by dragging, with no detour through System Settings.
- Real-time fuzzy search: The search matches input tolerantly and displays results immediately, without requiring exact spelling.
- Multiple input modes: Keyboard, mouse and touch are all supported equally.
- JSON export: The saved layout can be backed up and transferred to other Macs.
Who is Launchpad Plus for?
Anyone with a large number of installed apps who wants to access them in an organised way, without navigating deep folder hierarchies with the mouse, benefits directly. The tool is particularly useful for users who work across multiple Macs and prefer a consistent app layout on each. The JSON export makes that possible without third-party software.
Two limitations are worth keeping in mind. First, Launchpad Plus requires macOS 15.6. older system versions are not supported. Second, the app is not signed. To run it, you need to manually remove the quarantine flag, for example with xattr -d com.apple.quarantine in Terminal.
Context & alternatives
Launchpad Plus belongs to the category of macOS app launchers. Raycast is the most prominent point of comparison: it offers similarly fast keyboard-driven app access, but goes well beyond launching and is aimed more at developer workflows. Alternatives such as Alfred also cover fast app launching, but use their own interface rather than a visual grid.
Launchpad Plus occupies a different niche. It explicitly replaces the visual grid of the macOS Launchpad, preserves its logic and extends it. For users who want to keep exactly that grid view while controlling it fully, this is the only open-source option with JSON export.
