Apple blocks developer from updating Mac app because its similar to a defunct feature
Mac users mourning the loss of Launchpad have found solace in a few third-party apps that replicate its functionality. However, one popular replacement, AppGrid, is now being blocked by Apple from receiving updates in the App Store.
Why? According to the app's developer, Apple told them it's too similar to Launchpad, which, again, no longer exists on the Mac.
Launchpad was an iPad-like app grid on the Mac, accessible from the dock. Apple released Launchpad alongside Mac OS X Lion in July 2011. When a user clicked Launchpad in the dock, a pop-up filled the screen with all the apps installed on the Mac. Users could curate and order the apps in Launchpad, however they liked.
However, Apple killed off Launchpad with macOS Tahoe, released last September. Launchpad was replaced with a new app called Apps. However, Apps simply lists the Mac's apps in alphabetical order, with no way to sort the app icons. In addition, the search function in Apps is buggy and doesn't always find the app that a user is looking for.
Many Mac users were quite unhappy with Apple removing Launchpad. Third-party developers have since stepped in to replace Launchpad, launching their own apps with their take on the feature.
One of the more popular Launchpad replacements in Apple's official App Store is AppGrid. However, according to its developer, Attila Miklósi, Apple is blocking the app's ability to release new updates in the App Store.
According to Apple's developer guidelines, apps cannot be “confusingly similar to an existing Apple product or interface.” However, Launchpad no longer exists in the latest version of macOS. Apple is essentially blocking developers from creating a feature that no longer exists.
Miklósi says that Apple shared that they would accept updates if AppGrid looked less like Launchpad did when it existed. However, the developer is hesitant to change AppGrid's look, as thousands of users have already paid for the version that looks like it currently does.
While Miklósi has maintained the app with updates through direct downloads on AppGrid's website, the App Store version hasn't been updated since November 2025.
As Miklósi points out, Apple oddly didn't remove the app from the App Store. Users can still buy the Pro version of the app too, giving Apple its percentage of the App Store revenue cut. However, the AppGrid version in the App Store can't be updated there and is essentially in a "zombie state" due to Apple's policies.