If you ’re serious aboutusing macOSto its full potential , then you require to be serious about make the most of the Dock — and that means pull off and custom-make it to suit your workflow , the apps you need , and the way you use your Mac . Here ’s how to get the macOS Dock set up the right way for you .
macOS Dock basics
The macOS Dock sit down at the bottom of the screen by default option , though you’re able to alter this : open up scheme Preferences from the Apple menu , then prefer General and you’re able to switch the Dock to the left or right of the screen door using the deterrent boxes .
All sorts of other Dock preferences can be customized from the same dialog box seat : you may vary the size of the Dock , you may change the effectiveness of the enlargement force that complain in as you move the mouse Spanish pointer over the Dock ( or turn it off all ) , you may arrange the animation upshot for minimizing windows , and so on .
The check mark boxes at the bottom give you even more options to play with . Untick the Automatically hide and show the Dock box seat to have the Dock for good on screen , for exemplar , or untick the Show late applications in Dock if you do n’t want to take up outer space with links to apps you ’ve just been using .
Photo: David Nield (Gizmodo)
You ’ve got other option for launching apps as well , do n’t draw a blank : Cmd+Space will work up Spotlight search , which you may use to find apps , while a jot with three fingers and a thumb on the trackpad lend up the iOS - style Launchpad .
Adding and organizing apps
Speaking of the Launchpad , you’re able to get behind apps to the Dock right from it . you’re able to also tot up app crosscut by dragging them in from the Applications folder in Finder , and indeed just about everywhere else in macOS where program shortcuts come out . To exchange the monastic order of icons , just click and drag them .
If you ’ve got an app icon in the Dock , but it is n’t there permanently — it might just be subject at the moment , or it might be in the recent apps list — come home and book ( or Cmd+click ) on it , then select Options and Keep in Dock to pin it to the Dock for good .
To remove shortcuts from the Dock — all those Apple apps that get admit by nonpayment on a fresh macOS install , maybe — just drag them out until the Remove recording label appears . Alternatively , click and hold ( or Cmd+click ) on a cutoff , then select Options and Remove from Dock .
Using a Terminal trick you could add spaces to the Dock , if you desire to group your icons more clearly . From the Terminal prompt , character “ defaults compose com.apple.dock persistent - apps -array - add together ‘ { ” roofing tile - type”=”spacer - tile ” ; } ’ ; killall Dock ” and hit Enter for every space you want to add — these spaces can be rearranged and removed like any other Dock icon .
Adding other shortcuts
The Dock is n’t just for app shortcut — you’re able to keep links to filing cabinet , folders , and websites in there . By nonremittal you ’ll see some recently used folders as well as open applications down on the right - hired hand side of the Dock ( if it ’s anchored at the bottom ) , but this section can be easily tweaked if needed .
sum file and folder is as easygoing as dragging them down from a Finder window . Make certain to put them on the right - hand side of the Dock , rather than dropping them on top of an app ( which will give up the take file in the chosen app — if you did n’t screw about that small conjuration , now you do ) .
To tote up websites , hang back the website favicon ( the footling web site logo ) from the address bar down to the Dock ( on secure web site , it may well just be a padlock symbol ) . Any site you press in the Dock will spread in your default web internet browser , no matter which internet browser you used to imitate the radio link in the first position .
Click once on booklet icons in the Dock to preview their contents and to give Indian file ( Cmd+click the icon to change how this appears ) ; you could also choose Open in Finder to do just that . undivided file in the Dock open with a single dog in whichever broadcast is assigned to handle them . To remove file , folders , or websites from the Dock , trail them up the projection screen until Remove appear , or penetrate and defy ( or Cmd+click ) and choose Remove from Dock ( which might be behind Options ) .
macOS dock extras and features
Dragging files from Finder on top of app shortcuts to open them , as mentioned above , is one Dock trick you might not hump about . Another is to Option+tap the Dock icon for the app that ’s currently open to go back to the app you were using previously — a handy way of switch between apps .
Another keyboard shortcut you may expend is Option+Cmd+click , which when apply to an app ikon , interchange to that app and minimizes all the others you ’ve got open on sieve . Use it when you need to cut down on the on - silver screen welter and begin refreshing with a different app .
Other alternative will seem if you click and hold ( or Cmd+click ) on icons in the Dock , depending on the broadcast you ’re dealing with — you may use it to quick shift to open up windows in a internet browser app or Finder , for example . If System Preferences is in the Dock , the come out - up menu will conduct you to all its different sections .
And finally , to quick adjust the size of the Dock , move the shiner pointer over one of the separator argument , then drag up or down . you could also Cmd+select a extractor line for ready access to other Dock options , including automobile - hide and picture magnification .
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