Understanding the macOS Dock Magnification
One of the most recognisable visual features of macOS is the Dock magnification effect. When enabled, the application icons in the Dock expand and zoom towards you as you move your mouse cursor over them. While this animation is visually impressive and can be helpful for users with visual impairments to see icons more clearly, it can also be distracting, cause the dock to constantly resize unpredictably, and make it difficult to click specific icons quickly during a busy workflow.
How to Turn Off Dock Magnification in System Settings
Disabling the magnification animation provides a more stable and predictable desktop experience.
1. Click the Apple logo () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions of macOS) from the drop-down menu.
3. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Desktop & Dock.
4. Locate the Magnification option near the top of the settings pane.
5. Click the toggle switch next to Magnification to turn it Off.
Alternative: Using the Dock Context Menu
If you frequently need to toggle this feature on and off depending on your workflow, there is a much faster method than navigating through the System Settings.
Look at the dividing line in your Dock (the vertical line that separates your applications from your pinned folders and the Trash bin). Right-click (or Control-click) directly on this dividing line. A small context menu will appear. Simply select Turn Magnification Off to instantly disable the effect. You can use this exact same menu to turn it back on whenever necessary.