Choose a Dock layout around your work
Make room for the apps you open daily before trying to match a screenshot. A compact Dock may leave more of an organizer wallpaper visible, but tiny icons are harder to select. Keep a note or screenshot of your current settings so you can compare the result and reverse choices individually.
Adjust size, position, and magnification
Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and change one option at a time. Keep your normal windows open while testing the available space.
| Control | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Size | The resting size of Dock icons. |
| Magnification | How much icons grow when the pointer passes over them. |
| Position on screen | The left, bottom, or right edge used by the Dock. |
Source: Apple: Desktop & Dock settings ↗
Pin apps and arrange shortcuts
Arrange the most useful items first rather than adding every installed app. Keep related work tools close together and leave enough room to recognize each icon.
- Open an app, Control-click its Dock icon, and use Options > Keep in Dock to pin it.
- Drag an app icon to rearrange it among the app items.
- Place file and folder shortcuts on the other side of the separator used for those items; on a vertical Dock, the areas are above and below it.
Source: Apple: Use the Dock ↗
Hide the Dock or reduce recent suggestions
Use Automatically hide and show the Dock if you want more visible desktop space. Move the pointer to its screen edge to reveal it again. If the Dock keeps displaying extra recent or suggested apps, review that separate option in Desktop & Dock settings. Hiding and removing shortcuts solve different problems.
Source: Apple: Desktop & Dock settings ↗
Remove a shortcut without uninstalling anything
Drag the item away from the Dock and release when Remove appears. The app or folder stays on your Mac. An app that is currently open can still appear in the Dock, so do not confuse a running app with a permanently pinned shortcut.
Source: Apple: Use the Dock ↗
Restore a missing icon or undo the layout
Open the app again, then use Options > Keep in Dock if you want its shortcut to stay. Return to Desktop & Dock to restore the size, position, or hiding behavior you recorded earlier. These changes do not require replacing system files or installing an old Dock theme.
Source: Apple: Use the Dock ↗