The Dock is the central navigation hub on your Apple Mac, housing all your favorite apps and currently running programs. By default, it sits horizontally at the very bottom of your screen. While this placement is familiar, it is not always the most efficient use of space, especially if you are using a modern widescreen monitor where vertical space is precious. Fortunately, macOS allows you to deeply customize the Dock, enabling you to change its size, reposition it to the side of the screen, and even hide it completely when not in use.
How to Change the Dock Size
If you have dozens of apps pinned to your Dock, the icons can become incredibly small and difficult to click. If you only use a few apps, a massive Dock might feel like a waste of screen real estate.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings (or “System Preferences” on older Macs).
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Desktop & Dock.
- At the very top of this menu, look for the Size slider.
- Click and drag the slider to the left to shrink the Dock, or drag it to the right to make the icons larger. The Dock on your screen will adjust in real-time so you can find the perfect fit.
Quick Tip: You can also change the size without opening the Settings menu. Move your mouse cursor over the vertical divider line in the Dock (the line separating your apps from your folders/trash). The cursor will turn into a double-sided arrow. Click and drag up or down to resize the Dock instantly.
How to Move the Dock to a Different Screen Edge
Moving the Dock to the left or right edge of your screen is highly recommended for users on MacBooks, as it frees up valuable vertical space for reading long documents and browsing websites.
- Open System Settings and navigate to Desktop & Dock.
- Look for the option labeled Position on screen.
- Next to it, you will see a toggle button with three options: Left, Bottom, and Right.
- Click your preferred orientation. The Dock will instantly snap to the new edge of the screen.
How to Automatically Hide the Dock
If you want absolute maximum screen space and prefer a completely distraction-free desktop, you can set the Dock to hide itself whenever your mouse is not near it.
- In the Desktop & Dock settings menu, look for the toggle switch labeled Automatically hide and show the Dock.
- Turn this toggle switch ON.
The Dock will instantly slide off the screen, leaving your desktop completely empty. To access your apps, simply push your mouse cursor against the very edge of the screen where the Dock is positioned (e.g., the bottom edge). The Dock will smoothly slide back into view, ready for you to click an icon, and will disappear again as soon as you move your mouse away.