Learn how to use Launchpad in OS X Lion – Mac OS X Tutorial

Philip Morris

6 years ago

The Dock has always been a staple of OS X – over the years it’s evolved from a long rectangle full of square icons to something much more beautiful, and something with a lot more power. Now it does a lot more than launch apps; in fact, it’s now become a little more complex than it should be, and so Apple has designed a new interface that performs one simple function – launching apps. Launchpad is perfect for users that are new to the Mac, especially those who have migrated over from an iPhone or iPad. With a pinch, click or key press you will have access to every one of your apps in an iOS-like screen. So lets find out exactly what it can do.

Step 1: Swipe Settings
Launchpad will open with a four-finger pinch on your trackpad. Right now you can’t launch it with a Magic Mouse Gesture, sadly.

Step 2: Hardware
All new MacBook Airs and wireless keyboards have a hardware button on the F4 key that opens Launchpad with a tap rather than a swipe or a click.

Step 3: Apps
Launchpad’s first page contains your pre-installed apps. When you download more from the Mac App Store, they’ll be added to the next page by default.

Step 4: Swipe at the pages
Swiping across the trackpad with your finger (or fingers) will show you the next page of apps. It’s like the iPad Home screen.

Step 5: ’Wobble Mode’
When you click and hold on a single app, all the icons will start to shake and you will be able to delete those that you bought in the Mac App Store.

Step 6: Making a Folder
You can drop app icons on top of others to create a folder. You don’t need to be in Wobble Mode to do this, unlike on iPad where it’s mandatory.

Step 7: Rename the folder
When you drop the icon in it will intelligently name the folder based on the apps that you have included in it. You can rename it by clicking the title.

Step 8: Delete
Deleting an app is just as easy – click and hold until crosses appear in the top-left corner of icons, then click one to remove it. You will be asked to confirm.

Step 9: Adding pages
To create a new page of apps, all you need to do is drag an icon to the edge of one screen. After a tiny pause the app will appear on a blank page.

(Click the image below to zoom in and view the annotations)