Activating Launchpad.app doesn't trigger Launchpad-specific settings

Bug Reports
1

Activating Launchpad.app doesn't trigger Launchpad-specific settings. When I have e.g. Logic Pro X as the active app, I'm having all those keyboard and magic mouse activated shortcuts being active in the launchpad app itself. It is really a nuisance because on some software I'm using single key input for activating mouse clicks here and there. If I enter Launchpad.app when Logic Pro X (or any other software with the single key shortcuts enabled) is open and active on the foreground, I'm unable to search for apps with those letters for which I have created shortcuts for. Even disabling BTT for Launchpad.app doesn't help, because BTT doesn't recognise that Launchpad.app is activated.

Affected input device (e.g. MacBook Trackpad, Magic Mouse/Trackpad, Touch Bar, etc.):
All input devices.

Device information:

  • Type of Mac: MJLT2 / Mid 2015 MacBook Pro Retina 15"
  • macOS version: 10.13.6
  • BetterTouchTool version: Latest: 2.660 (967)
2

Unfortunately Launchpad and Mission Control are special apps - there is no reliable way to detect when they are active.

3

Well, in that case, how about enabling the launchpad activating key to be grabbed by BTT globally to disable all keyboard shortcuts (or BTT as a whole) for a user-defined time or perhaps until enter key is pressed or the launchpad key is pressed again? There's certainly a pattern that I'm repeating when launching apps with launchpad.

4

Unfortunately the Launchpad key can also not be grabbed by BTT (doesn't behave like normal keys). And that would just solve one of many ways to open Launchpad.

5

So, we'd need some kext to grab keyboard input to send a signal for BTT and disable macOS Launchpad.app launching service from launching launchpad upon keypress? Seems like lots of work with little return of investment. I guess I'll change to some other software launcher for now.

6

Quick question: why not just use spotlight? I never really saw the advantages of Launchpad :slight_smile:

//edit: however that won't help either because Spotlight is also one of these "non-detectable" apps ;-(

7

Well, since 1) spotlight searches for all types of files 2) Launchpad searches only for apps 3) I know strictly if I'm looking for a file or for an app. 4) launchpad will find the apps faster than spotlight and show more app search results for the search term. Multiple reasons for this.