The Dock may feel like a pretty integral part of the macOS experience, but is Appleβs version of the Dock really the best there is?
If youβre frustrated with your Macβs built-in Dock, or simply fancy a change, then you can replace Appleβs version of the Dock with a range of third party alternatives.
In this article, Iβll show you how to setup and use a third party Dock that lets you arrange all of your apps and shortcuts into tabs.
Banish the built-in Dock
Before you replace Appleβs Dock with a third party program, youβll need to remove the current Dock, so that it doesnβt interfere with its replacement.
While technically itβs not possible to disable the Dock, you can set it to hide automatically, with a delay of 1,000 seconds, so even if you hover over the Dock by accident, it wonβt make an appearance.
To hide the Dock with a 1,000 second delay:
- Open a new βFinderβ window.
- Navigate to βApplications > Utilities.β
- Launch the Terminal application.
- Copy/paste the following command into the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 1000; killall Dock
- Press the βEnterβ key on your keyboard.
Your Macβs built-in Dock will now disappear, clearing the way for its replacement.
Bring some order to your Dock, with TabLauncher
As the name suggests, TabLauncherβs major selling point is its ability to separate your Dockβs various apps and shortcuts into different tabs.
To install TabLauncher:
- Head over to the TabLauncher website and download the latest version.
- Once TabLauncher has finished downloading, launch its .dmg file and follow the onscreen instructions to install.
- Once the application has installed, launch it.
- Hover your cursor over the left-hand side of the screen, and TabLauncher should appear.
Getting started with TabLauncher
TabLauncher is divided into three tabs: Main, Tools and and Net. These tabs appear as a translucent overlay when TabLauncer is in a collapsed state, and as solid colours when TabLauncher is in an expanded state. To expand TabLauncher, simply hover your cursor over it.
Since weβre using the free version of TabLauncher, youβre limited to three tabs. By default, TabLauncher already has the maximum three tabs, but you can customise these tabs in a range of ways:
- Rearrange your tabs. You can change where a tab appears in the pecking order, by dragging the tab in question and then dropping it into a new position.
- Add items to a tab. You can add any app, file or folder to TabLauncher, by grabbing the item in question and then dropping it onto the correct tab.
- Remove an item. To remove an item from a tab, drag that item away from TabLauncher and then drop it. As soon as you release the item, itβll vanish from TabLauncher.
- Move an item to a new tab. Grab the item in question, and then drag it to a new tab. Wait a few moments until TabLauncher switches to that tab, and then release the item.
- Rename. By default, TabLauncherβs three tabs are titled Main, Tools, and Net, but you can replace these automatically-generated names, with any labels of your choice. To rename a tab, right-click the tab in question and then select βRename Tabβ from the dropdown that appears. In the subsequent window, enter the tabβs new name and then click βOK.β
Creating new tabs
As already mentioned, the free version of TabLauncher limits you to three tabs. If you want to create more than three tabs, then youβll need to purchase a license, which is priced at $3.99.
If you do want to upgrade, then you can purchase a license by heading over to TabLauncherβs webpage and selecting βBuy Nowβ from the left-hand menu.
To create a new tab:
- Right-click anywhere on TabLauncher.
- In the subsequent dropdown menu, select βNew Tab.β
- When prompted, give your tab a name.
- Click βOK,β and a new tab will appear. You can now customise this tab, in exactly the same ways you customised the three automatically-generated tabs.
Launch at login
Thereβs one area where macOSβ built-in Dock has an edge over the competition: itβs available as soon as you boot up your Mac. By default, youβll need to explicitly launch the TabLauncher application, before you can access this third party Dock.
If you decide to make TabLauncher your permanent Dock replacement, then save yourself some time and effort, by setting it to launch automatically at login:
- Launch TabLauncher, if it isnβt already open.
- Select the βTabLauncherβ icon in your Macβs menu bar.
- Select βPreferencesβ¦β
- In the subsequent window, make sure the βGeneralβ tab is selected.
- Find βOpen TabLauncher at login,β and select it.
Now, every time you log into your user account, TabLauncher will startup automatically.
Missing macOSβ built-in Dock?
Perhaps you gave TabLauncher a spin and realised that itβs not for you, or maybe you miss Appleβs version of the Dock. You can temporarily uncover the built-in Dock at any time, using the βOption + Command + Dβ keyboard shortcut.
Alternatively, if youβre after something more permanent, then you can restore macOSβ Dock with a single Terminal command:
- Navigate to βApplications > Utilities,β and launch the Terminal application.
- Copy/paste the following command into the Terminal:
defaults delete com.apple.dock autohide-delay; killall Dock
- Press the βEnterβ key on your keyboard; Appleβs default Dock should now make a reappearance!
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