You know that feeling when your Mac starts looking like a junk drawer? You open Launchpad to find that one specific app, and instead, you're staring at three different versions of Zoom, some random printer utility from 2019, and a game you downloaded during a weak moment on a Tuesday night. It's clutter. Pure and simple. Most people think learning how to delete in Launchpad is just a matter of clicking a button, but if you've spent more than five minutes with macOS, you know Apple likes to make things... specific.
It’s annoying.
Sometimes the icons jiggle, and there’s a little "X." Other times, you're clicking until your finger hurts and nothing happens. There is a logic to this madness, though. It usually comes down to where the app actually came from. If you grabbed it from the Mac App Store, Apple treats it like a VIP. If you downloaded a DMG file from a random website, you’re playing by different rules. Let's get into how you actually clear this stuff out so you can see your wallpaper again.
The Jiggle Mode Method
The most "Apple" way to handle this is the long press. It’s exactly like an iPhone. You click and hold on any icon until they all start shivering like they’re cold. This is the official way to how to delete in Launchpad for anything purchased through the official store.
Once they start shaking, look for that tiny "X" in the top-left corner. You click it, a prompt asks if you’re sure, and boom—gone. But here is the kicker: that "X" won't show up for everything. If it’s a system app like Safari, Mail, or Chess (does anyone actually play the built-in Chess?), you can’t delete it this way. Apple considers those load-bearing walls for your operating system.
Also, if you downloaded an app directly from a developer’s site—think Google Chrome, Adobe Creative Cloud, or Slack via their website—the "X" usually won't appear. It’s frustrating because it makes Launchpad feel broken, but it’s just macOS telling you that it doesn't have the "authority" to un-install that specific package through the Launchpad interface.
When the "X" Doesn't Show Up
So, what do you do when the jiggling starts but the delete button is missing? This is where most people get stuck. They think they’re stuck with the app forever. Honestly, you just have to go to the source.
Open your Finder. Go to the Applications folder. This is the real "brain" of your software library. Launchpad is really just a fancy visual layer over this folder. If an app doesn't have an "X" in Launchpad, find it in the Applications folder and drag that sucker straight to the Trash.
Wait.
Don't empty the trash yet. Some apps, especially heavy hitters from Microsoft or Adobe, leave behind "ghost" files. These are library files, caches, and logs that sit in your ~/Library folder taking up space. If you want a clean break, you might need a dedicated uninstaller or a tool like AppCleaner. It’s a free, tiny app that "catches" all those extra files when you drag an app into it. It's been a staple for Mac power users for years because it actually finishes the job Launchpad starts.
The Problem With Native Apps
You’ll notice that some apps simply refuse to die. Try deleting News or Stocks. You can’t. Not easily, anyway. Back in the day, you could use Terminal commands to force-delete these, but with the introduction of System Integrity Protection (SIP), Apple has locked down the system partition.
Essentially, your Mac's core files are on a read-only volume. Even if you're an administrator, you can't just go in and "rm -rf" Safari. It’s for your own protection, technically. It prevents malware from deleting vital components, but it also means you’re stuck with a few icons you might never use. The best workaround? Create a folder in Launchpad called "Junk" or "Apple Extras" and hide them all in there. Out of sight, out of mind.
Organizing the Chaos
If you're looking at how to delete in Launchpad because you can't find anything, maybe you don't need to delete; maybe you need to group. To create a folder, you just drag one icon on top of another. It’s exactly like iOS.
Give the folder a name that makes sense. "Work," "Games," "Utilities."
Did you know you can also use the search bar at the top of Launchpad immediately? You don't even have to click it. Just open Launchpad and start typing. If I want Spotify, I hit my Launchpad shortcut and type "S-P-O." It’s usually faster than hunting through three pages of icons.
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Resetting Launchpad to Factory Settings
Sometimes Launchpad just gets buggy. Icons stay there even after you've deleted the app, or things get rearranged into a mess you can't fix. There is a "nuclear option" that resets the database.
You’ll need to open Terminal (it’s in your Utilities folder).
Type this exactly: defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock
Your screen will flicker for a second. The Dock will disappear and come back. When you open Launchpad again, it will be reset to the default Apple layout. All your third-party apps will be moved to the subsequent pages. It’s a great way to start fresh if your organization has spiraled out of control.
Dealing with Ghost Icons
Every once in a while, you’ll delete an app, but a greyed-out icon or a "question mark" icon stays in Launchpad. This is a cache error. Usually, a simple restart fixes it. If it doesn't, it means there is a leftover .app file somewhere—maybe in your "Downloads" folder or an external drive you once plugged in. Launchpad scans your whole system for anything ending in .app.
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Search for the app name in Finder. If you find a stray installer file, delete it. The icon should vanish from Launchpad shortly after.
A Note on Steam Games
If you’re a gamer, how to delete in Launchpad gets even weirder. Steam games often show up as individual apps. If you drag them to the trash, Steam might get confused. The "correct" way is to open Steam, right-click the game, go to Manage, and select Uninstall. This ensures the gigabytes of data are actually cleared out, and the Launchpad icon usually disappears along with it. If it doesn't, use the Terminal reset trick mentioned above.
Why Does This Matter for Your Mac's Health?
Keeping your Launchpad clean isn't just about being a neat freak. Every app you have installed is a potential background process. Even if you aren't "using" it, many apps install "LaunchAgents" that start up when you log in. They check for updates, they sync data, they eat your RAM.
By aggressively deleting what you don't use, you're actually keeping your Mac faster.
Final Actionable Steps for a Clean Launchpad
Start by doing a "purge" once a month. It keeps the machine snappy and your brain less cluttered.
- Long-press any icon and hit the "X" for everything that allows it.
- Open Finder > Applications and drag the "un-deletable" third-party apps to the Trash.
- Check your Downloads folder for DMG files or old installers that are cluttering up the view.
- Use a tool like AppCleaner to find the hidden folders these apps leave behind in your Library.
- If the layout is still a mess, use the Terminal command to reset the database and start over.
- Create Folders for the "undead" Apple apps that you can't delete but don't want to see.
Managing your software library is a core part of being a power user. Don't let the icons win.