How to Add, Reorder, and Remove Favourite Apps on the Ubuntu Dock

The desktop dock in Ubuntu Linux serves as the central command post for launching everyday applications, checking running background windows, and managing active workspaces. By default, Ubuntu pins a curated collection of standard tools—such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Files, and Ubuntu Software—along the left side of the display. Customising this dock to hold only your most critical development tools, productivity suites, and media players helps streamline your everyday workflow and keeps your Linux desktop neat and functional.

Adding New Applications to Your Ubuntu Dock

Pinning frequently used utilities to your dock prevents you from having to search through the full application menu every time you begin work:

1. Click the Show Applications button (the grid of nine dots) located at the bottom or top of your dock, or press the Super (Windows) key on your keyboard to reveal the dash search bar.
2. Begin typing the name of the software you want to pin (such as GIMP, VLC, LibreOffice Calc, or Terminal).
3. Once the application icon appears in the search results, right-click on it.
4. Select Pin to Dash (or Add to Favourites in earlier GNOME desktop versions).
5. The application icon will immediately anchor itself to the dock, remaining permanently accessible even after you close the program.

Alternatively, if the application is currently running on your desktop, simply right-click its active dock icon and select Pin to Dash from the contextual menu.

Reordering Dock Icons for Ergonomic Access

Placing your primary web browser, code editor, and file manager in logical spatial groupings makes switching between tasks much faster:

1. Position your mouse pointer over any pinned icon on the Ubuntu dock.
2. Click and hold the left mouse button on the desired shortcut.
3. Drag the icon vertically along the dock bar. Other pinned icons will smoothly slide apart to create a gap for your selected item.
4. Release the mouse button once the icon rests in your preferred position.

Tip: Ubuntu assigns quick keyboard shortcuts to your first ten pinned dock items. Pressing Super + 1 launches or focuses the very top dock shortcut, Super + 2 opens the second item, and so forth, making icon order a key productivity advantage.

Removing Unwanted Shortcuts from the Dock

If there are pre-installed applications on the dock that you rarely use, removing them takes just two clicks without uninstalling the underlying software:

1. Right-click the icon of the application you wish to remove from the dock.
2. From the contextual menu, click Unpin (or Remove from Favourites).
3. The icon will disappear from the dock immediately. The application itself remains fully installed on your Linux system and can still be opened at any time via the Show Applications menu or terminal.

Fine-Tuning Dock Appearance in Ubuntu Settings

In addition to managing individual application shortcuts, Ubuntu includes built-in visual customisation controls within the native Settings panel:

1. Open Settings from the top-right system quick settings menu.
2. Click on the Ubuntu Desktop tab in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Under the Dock section, adjust the Icon size slider to shrink or enlarge launcher dimensions to match your monitor resolution.
4. Toggle Auto-hide the Dock if you want the launcher to slide away automatically when application windows overlap it.
5. Use the Position on screen selector to move the dock from the default left edge to the Bottom or Right side of your desktop display.