There is no such thing as two identical Mac Docks. Then again, they might be like faces: you might recognize one, but closer inspection reveals something else.
Either way, you can fix that by customizing your Dock on Mac. Customizing your Dock allows you to rearrange things how you want them on your computer. The Dock on your Mac can be customized for a unique look and feel using macOS.
Customizing your Mac Dock in macOS
You can view the Dock settings on your Mac by going to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar. You should ensure that Dock & Menu Bar is selected in the side menu when you open the preference pane. You’re now ready to customize the Dock.
Size
You can either shrink or expand your Dock by adjusting the Size slider. Alternatively, you can drag them to the Dock or away from it by clicking and holding down on the line that barely separates the apps from the Trash. You may not be able to use a big Dock on a smaller display, especially if you have a large screen. Docks that are too small may be difficult to see and ultimately be useless.
Magnification
Magnification is switched on by putting your cursor over it, causing your Dock to magnify. It’s ideal if you decide to opt for a smaller Dock to save space but don’t want your eyes to be forced up against the screen as you click between apps.
Position on screen
The option allows you to switch the Dock’s position from Right to Left, Bottom, or Bottom to Left. Apple does not offer middle or top options. The Dock should be detachable from macOS to move it wherever you wish. The Apple Support team can remain busy locating people’s missing Docks in this manner.
Minimize windows effect
Minimizing windows behaves differently when this setting is changed. As the name implies, this effect simulates an animation of a genie entering a bottle. Scale simply shrinks the Dock window, and it’s a less exciting effect. As the simple animation requires fewer resources to run, choosing the Scale effect is the best option if your Mac is experiencing performance issues.
Other Dock preferences
- Double-click a window’s title bar
- Minimize windows into application icon
- Animate opening applications
- Automatically hide and show Dock
- Show indicators for open applications
- Show recent applications in Dock
Several of the settings are self-explanatory and do not require further explanation. One of the most notable is the automatic hide and show features. The Dock can be hidden away if it embarrasses you, so you only have to see it when necessary. Additionally, turning off Animate opening could boost your computer’s performance if you run an older Mac that has trouble keeping up with newer software.
Customize your Mac Dock to make it special
You’re finished customizing all the settings when you’re ready to add apps, folders, documents, and any other files you want to be displayed to your Dock. Make sure you choose items you frequently use. You could decide to decorate it with only nice items if you wish to have the best Dock around.
