2 Easy Ways To Delete An Empty Folder In Launchpad On Mac

Have you ever encountered an empty folder stubbornly clinging to your Launchpad, mocking you with its useless existence? While it may seem like a minor annoyance, having disorganized and unnecessary folders can disrupt your workflow and make it harder to find what you’re looking for. To put an end to this clutter, let’s embark on a journey to eliminate those pesky empty folders from your Launchpad. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll uncover the methods to banish these digital phantoms and restore order to your Mac’s home screen.

In the uncharted territory of the Launchpad, empty folders lurk like hidden traps, ready to ensnare your unsuspecting mind. These folders, devoid of any useful content, serve no purpose but to clutter your screen and impede your productivity. However, fear not, there’s a secret weapon at your disposal – the “Remove” option. By wielding this mighty tool, you can swiftly eliminate empty folders, leaving your Launchpad as pristine as a freshly fallen snow.

The “Remove” option is not just a mere button; it’s a gateway to a world of tidy organization. With a simple click, you can banish empty folders into the digital abyss, freeing up precious space and restoring balance to your Launchpad. As you continue to remove these digital nuisances, a sense of accomplishment will wash over you, leaving you with a sleek and clutter-free Launchpad that’s a joy to behold. So, embrace the power of the “Remove” option, and bid farewell to the days of empty folders cluttering your digital landscape.

Identifying Empty Folders

Empty folders can be a nuisance in Launchpad, taking up valuable space and making it harder to find the apps you need. Deleting them is easy, but first you need to identify which folders are empty. Here are three ways to do it:

1. Use the Terminal

The Terminal is a powerful tool that can be used to perform a wide variety of tasks, including identifying empty folders. To use the Terminal to find empty folders, follow these steps:

1. Open the Terminal. You can do this by pressing Command + Space and typing “Terminal” into the Spotlight search bar, or by navigating to /Applications/Utilities.
2. Enter the following command: find /Applications -name.appdir -type d -empty -print
3. Press Return. The Terminal will display a list of all empty folders in the Applications folder.

Tip: If you want to search for empty folders in a specific location, replace “/Applications” with the path to that location.

2. Use a third-party app

There are a number of third-party apps that can help you identify empty folders. One popular option is Empty Folder Manager. This app scans your Mac for empty folders and allows you to delete them with a single click.

3. Manually check your folders

If you don’t want to use the Terminal or a third-party app, you can also manually check your folders for empty folders. To do this, simply open Launchpad and click on the “Applications” tab. Then, scroll through your folders and look for any that are empty.

Using the Terminal

The Terminal is a powerful command-line interface that allows you to interact with your Mac’s operating system directly. To delete an empty folder in Launchpad using the Terminal, follow these steps:

Method 1: Using the “rm” Command

The “rm” command is used to remove files and directories. To delete an empty folder, simply navigate to its location in the Terminal and type the following command:

rm -rf [folder name]

Replace “[folder name]” with the name of the empty folder you want to delete.

Method 2: Using the “find” Command

The “find” command can be used to search for files and directories based on specific criteria. To delete all empty folders within a specific directory, use the following command:

find [directory] -empty -type d -exec rm -rf {} \;

Replace “[directory]” with the path to the directory containing the empty folders.

Method 3: Using the “Trash” Command

The “Trash” command can be used to move files and directories to the Trash. To move an empty folder to the Trash, use the following command:

mv [folder name] ~/.Trash

Replace “[folder name]” with the name of the empty folder you want to move to the Trash.

Employing Spotlight Search

Spotlight search is a speedy and convenient method for seeking out and removing empty folders in your Launchpad. Follow these detailed instructions to leverage this method:

1. Launch Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space simultaneously.
2. Type in “kind:folder” into the search bar to filter the results to only display folders.
3. Navigate through the search results and locate the empty folder you wish to delete. To refine your search, you can further specify the folder’s name or location within the Launchpad.
4. Once you have identified the empty folder, select it and press Delete key. You will receive a confirmation prompt; choose “Delete” again to confirm your action.

Tips for Enhancing Your Search:

Dragging and Dropping

If you find an empty folder in your Launchpad, you can remove it by dragging and dropping it into the trash. Here are the steps:

1. Click on the Launchpad icon in your Dock.
2. Find the empty folder you want to delete.
3. Click on the folder and hold down the mouse button.
4. Drag the folder to the Trash icon in the Dock.
5. Release the mouse button to drop the folder into the Trash.

Additional details for step 5:

• If the folder is not empty, you will not be able to drag and drop it into the Trash. You will need to first delete the files or folders inside the folder.
• If you change your mind and do not want to delete the folder, you can simply drag it back out of the Trash.
• You can also delete multiple empty folders at once by selecting them all and then dragging them into the Trash.

Utilizing Automator

Automator is a macOS tool that enables you to automate repetitive tasks. It serves as a powerful solution for deleting empty folders in the Launchpad.

To create an Automator task:

1. Launch Automator.
2. Select “New Document” and choose “Application” as the template.
3. In the library pane, search for “Get Specified Finder Items.” Drag and drop this action into the workflow.
4. Click on “Finder Items” and navigate to your Launchpad folder (typically in “/Applications/Launchpad”).
5. Check the “Skip Get Selected Finder Items” box.
6. In the library pane, search for “Filter Finder Items” and drag and drop it below the “Get Specified Finder Items” action.
7. Set the “Filter Folders” option to “is a folder” from the drop-down menu.
8. Set the “Filter Files” option to “is not a file.” (This ensures that only empty folders are filtered.)
9. In the library pane, search for “Delete Finder Items” and drag and drop it below the “Filter Finder Items” action.
10. Confirm that the “Move to Trash” option is selected.
11. Save your workflow with a recognizable name (e.g., “Delete Empty Launchpad Folders”).

Once saved, double-click on the workflow to run it. Alternatively, you can assign a keyboard shortcut for quick access.

Renaming and Deleting

Launchpad is a convenient way to organize and launch apps on your Mac. However, over time, you may accumulate empty folders in Launchpad that you no longer need. Here’s how to rename or delete them:

Renaming Folders

1. Click and hold on the folder you want to rename.
2. When the Quick Actions menu appears, select “Rename”.
3. Enter the new name for the folder and press Enter.

Deleting Folders

1. Click on an empty folder to select it.
2. Click on the “X” button that appears in the top-left corner of the folder.

Alternatively, you can drag and drop an empty folder to the Trash icon in the Dock.

If you accidentally deleted a folder that contained apps, don’t worry. The apps themselves are not deleted and can be found in the Applications folder.

Managing Folders with Multiple Tabs

If you have multiple tabs open in Launchpad, managing empty folders becomes more complex. Here’s a detailed guide:

1. Click on the “Launchpad” menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Select “Preferences” from the menu.
3. In the Preferences window, uncheck the “Organize apps into folders automatically” checkbox.
4. Click on the “Done” button to save your changes.
5. Now, you can drag and drop apps to create your own custom folders.
6. To delete an empty folder, simply drag it off the Launchpad grid.
7. To restore the default Launchpad organization, go back to the Preferences window and check the “Organize apps into folders automatically” checkbox.

Accessing Hidden Folders

To access hidden folders in Launchpad, you can use the following steps:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type the following command:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{ "tile-data" = {"app-path" = "/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app", "tile-type" = "application-tile"} ; "tile-type" = "spacer-tile" ; }' && killall Dock

3. Press Enter.
4. The hidden folders will now be visible in Launchpad.
5. To hide the hidden folders, type the following command in Terminal:

defaults delete com.apple.dock persistent-others

6. Press Enter.
7. The hidden folders will now be hidden again.
8. To remove an empty folder from Launchpad, you can use the following steps:

• Option 1: Using drag-and-drop

Click on the empty folder and drag it to the Trash.

• Option 2: Using the keyboard

Select the empty folder and press the Delete key.

• Option 3: Using the Terminal

Open Terminal and type the following command:

rm -rf ~/Applications/Launchpad/[folder name]

Replace [folder name] with the name of the empty folder.
Press Enter.

rm -rf ~/Applications/Launchpad/[folder name]

Troubleshooting Difficulties

If you’re having trouble deleting an empty folder in Launchpad, there are a few things you can try:

1. Make sure the folder is actually empty.

Sometimes, a folder may appear to be empty, but it actually contains hidden files or folders. To check if a folder is truly empty, open it in Finder and select “Show Package Contents” from the File menu.

2. Try deleting the folder from the Applications folder.

If you can’t delete the folder from Launchpad, try deleting it from the Applications folder instead. To do this, open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder. Find the folder you want to delete and drag it to the Trash.

3. Try restarting your Mac.

Restarting your Mac can sometimes fix minor software issues that may be preventing you from deleting the folder. To restart your Mac, click on the Apple menu and select “Restart”.

4. Try using a third-party app.

There are several third-party apps available that can help you delete folders from Launchpad. One popular option is “AppDelete”.

5. Try resetting Launchpad.

Resetting Launchpad can sometimes fix issues that are preventing you from deleting folders. To reset Launchpad, hold down the Option key and click on the Launchpad icon. Then, click on the “Reset Launchpad” button.

6. Try creating a new user account.

If you’re still having trouble deleting the folder, you can try creating a new user account. To do this, go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups and click on the “+” button. Enter a name for the new user and click on the “Create User” button.

7. Try using Terminal.

Terminal is a powerful tool that can be used to delete folders from Launchpad. To delete a folder using Terminal, open Terminal and type the following command:

rm -rf ~/Applications/foldername

Be sure to replace “foldername” with the name of the folder you want to delete.

8. Try contacting Apple Support.

If you’ve tried all of the above troubleshooting steps and you’re still unable to delete the folder, you can contact Apple Support for assistance.

9. Additional Tips for Deleting Empty Folders in Launchpad

Maintaining a Clean and Organized Launchpad

Remove Empty Folders Using the Command Line

Sometimes, empty folders can persist in Launchpad even after you’ve deleted their associated apps. To manually remove these empty folders, open the Terminal app (located in /Applications/Utilities). Type the following command and press Enter:

“`
defaults read com.apple.dock persistent-apps | grep -v enabled
“`

This command will output a list of all the applications stored in Launchpad, including their unique identifiers. Find the identifier for the empty folder you want to remove, then type the following command and press Enter:

“`
defaults delete com.apple.dock persistent-apps $IDENTIFIER
“`

Replace “$IDENTIFIER” with the unique identifier of the empty folder you found in the previous step. The empty folder should now be removed from Launchpad.

Rebuilding Launchpad

If the above methods don’t work, you can try rebuilding Launchpad using the following steps:

1. Quit the Dock by right-clicking on it in the menu bar and selecting “Quit.”
2. Open Terminal and type the following command:
“`
killall Dock
“`
3. Press Enter and wait for the Dock to close completely.
4. Open Terminal again and type the following command:
“`
defaults delete com.apple.dock persistent-apps
“`
5. Press Enter and wait for the command to finish.
6. Open Terminal one last time and type the following command:
“`
defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true
“`
7. Press Enter and wait for the command to finish.
8. Restart your Mac.

After restarting, Launchpad should be completely rebuilt, including the removal of any empty folders.

How to Delete An Empty Folder in Launchpad on Mac

To delete an empty folder in Launchpad on a Mac, follow these steps:

1. Open Launchpad by clicking on the Launchpad icon in the Dock or by using the Spotlight search.
2. Locate the empty folder you want to delete.
3. Click and hold on the folder until it starts to jiggle.
4. Click on the “X” button that appears in the upper-left corner of the folder.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the folder by clicking on the “Delete” button.

People Also Ask

How do I delete a folder in Launchpad that is not empty?

To delete a folder in Launchpad that is not empty, you must first remove all of the items from the folder. You can do this by dragging the items out of the folder and onto the Launchpad. Once the folder is empty, you can follow the steps above to delete it.

How do I create a new folder in Launchpad?

To create a new folder in Launchpad, drag one app icon onto another app icon. A new folder will be created and the two apps will be placed inside the folder. You can then drag other apps into the folder to add them.

How do I change the name of a folder in Launchpad?

To change the name of a folder in Launchpad, click on the folder to open it. Then, click on the “Name” field at the top of the folder and enter the new name. Press “Enter” to save the new name.