Apps menu changed on the Dock with macOS 26

I too was extremely frustrated that Apple has done away with Launchpad, but I soon found several substitutes (i.e. free 3rd-Party apps) that, IMHO, range from "just as good as Launchpad" all the way to "even better than Launchpad". The three I have tried are (in the order I tested them out):

"Launchie" (which is mentioned a few times in this discussion by IdrisSeabright) works perfectly well, and is certainly a good substitute.

"AppGrid", which I personally like even more than I did Launchie (purely subjective preference on my part).

And finally, I just today downloaded and installed the "LaunchOS" app, which, so far, I like the most out of all 3 options. I'm not sure about the first two, but LaunchOS also offers an "upgraded" paid version that will "unlock" the options of their "Pro" version (with an automatic, no payment info required, 10 day free Pro trial to see if the "upgrade" is even worth it to you). I went ahead and purchased the upgrade when I saw that it was on sale for a one-time cost of $5.34 (after tax) for a Lifetime License, and provides some extra customization options that I thought was worth the small cost - but I likely would have still be satisfied with the unpaid option.

AppGrid and LaunchOS (and I assume Launchie as well) each allow you to Import your (no-longer-used, but still in your system files) Launchpad database, so that you won't have to take a bunch of time rearranging all the app icons and boxes/containers (let alone having to remember exactly how you had Launchpad configured/organized on your previous OS), so the initial setup is a breeze to do. And after that, each of these options allow a varying degree of customization options that weren't present in the "old" Launchpad.

Anyway, I hope that helps some here that are wanting their Launchpad back after upgrading to Tahoe.