# Activating Launchpad.app doesn't trigger Launchpad-specific settings **URL:** \ **Category:** Bugs or Unexpected Behavior\ **Created:** [November 7, 2018, 9:05am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867 "2018-11-07T09:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/basstony/32/2801_2.png) [@BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/u/BassTony)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 9:05am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/1 "2018-11-07T09:05:24Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 9:14am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/2 "2018-11-07T09:14:06Z")
Unfortunately Launchpad and Mission Control are special apps - there is no reliable way to detect when they are active. ---
**Author:** ![BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/basstony/32/2801_2.png) [@BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/u/BassTony)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 11:05am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/3 "2018-11-09T11:05:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/4 "2018-11-09T11:18:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/basstony/32/2801_2.png) [@BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/u/BassTony)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 11:30am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/5 "2018-11-09T11:30:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 11:33am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/6 "2018-11-09T11:33:49Z")
Quick question: why not just use spotlight? I never really saw the advantages of Launchpad 🙂 //edit: however that won't help either because Spotlight is also one of these "non-detectable" apps ;-( ---
**Author:** ![BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/basstony/32/2801_2.png) [@BassTony](https://community.folivora.ai/u/BassTony)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 11:45am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/activating-launchpad-app-doesnt-trigger-launchpad-specific-settings/4867/7 "2018-11-09T11:45:50Z")
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.