In Ubuntu (GNOME desktop), the primary application launcher (the Ubuntu Dock) is designed to be highly visible. If you plug a second or third monitor into your computer, Ubuntu’s default behavior is to replicate the dock, placing an identical copy of the launcher on the left edge of every single monitor connected to your system.
While useful for massive ultrawide setups where the primary monitor feels miles away, having the dock duplicated across three standard monitors is a massive waste of screen real estate and creates unnecessary visual clutter. You can easily configure Ubuntu to only display the dock on your primary monitor, keeping your secondary screens completely clear.
How to Remove the Ubuntu Dock from Secondary Monitors
You can isolate the dock to a single screen directly from the Ubuntu Appearance settings.
- Click the network/battery icon cluster in the top-right corner of the Ubuntu top bar and select Settings (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Appearance (or Ubuntu Desktop on newer versions).
- Look for the section titled Dock.
- Locate the setting labelled Show on. By default, it is set to “All Displays.”
- Click the drop-down menu and change it from “All Displays” to Primary Display (or choose a specific monitor like “Display 1”).
The change is instantaneous. The dock will immediately vanish from your secondary monitors, leaving them completely dedicated to your open application windows. The dock will remain securely anchored only to the screen you designated as your primary display.