However, if you’re in a hurry, the methods below can help you quickly delete duplicate app icons in the Mac’s Launchpad.

1. Move an App to the Trash and Put It Back

This is a simple fix that involves moving the problematic app to the Mac’s Trash, and then putting it back into the Applications folder. The action deletes all duplicate Launchpad icons related to the app. Just follow these steps:

Open a new Finder window, select Applications on the sidebar, drag the app into the Trash. Or, Control-click the app and select Move to Trash. You may have to enter your administrator password to complete the action. Remove any stuck instances of the app’s icon from the Dock. To do that, Control-click the icon, go to Options, and select Remove From Dock. Open the Trash. Locate and Control-click the relevant app. Then, select Put Back. Open the Launchpad. You likely won’t see any duplicate icons of the same app anymore.

2. Reset the Mac’s Launchpad

If the fix above didn’t work, you must try resetting the Mac’s Launchpad. That comes at the expense of losing your folders and custom app arrangement. Skip ahead to the next method if you want to avoid that. Here’s what to do:

Open the Mac’s Launchpad and select Other > Terminal. Copy and paste the following command and press Enter: defaults write com. apple. dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock Type in your Mac’s administrator password and press Enter. The Dock and Launchpad will disappear for a few seconds as your Mac resets the database.

3. Use Launchpad Manager to Delete Duplicates

Launchpad Manager is a third-party applet that allows you to delete any icon from the Mac’s Launchpad. It does include paid features, but you don’t have to pay anything for the task at hand. Follow these steps:

Download and install Launchpad Manager (Free, premium version available). Open the Launchpad and select Launchpad Manager. Navigate through the Launchpad preview screens and the duplicate icon or icons you want to delete. Select the Remove icon. Select Apply.

Duplicate Launchpad Icons Removed

The tip above should’ve helped to remove duplicate icons from the Mac’s Launchpad. If the problem persists, your best shot at fixing the issue involves removing the offending app completely and reinstalling it from scratch.