CrackMacHow to move the Dock on a Mac: to the side, to another screen, or out of the way
Open System Settings, Desktop & Dock, and set Position on screen to Left, Bottom or Right. To move it to another display, turn on Displays have separate Spaces, then push the pointer against the bottom edge of the other screen. Option-Command-D hides it. The Dock can't go along the top edge.
Move the Dock to the side
- Open System Settings, Desktop & Dock.
- Set Position on screen to Left, Bottom or Right.
A quicker way: right-click the thin divider line in the Dock, near the Trash, and choose Position on Screen. On a wide screen, a side Dock gives you more height for documents and web pages.
Move the Dock to another display
- Open System Settings, Desktop & Dock, and scroll down to Mission Control.
- Turn on Displays have separate Spaces, then log out and back in.
- Move the pointer to the bottom of the display where you want the Dock, and keep pushing down for a moment. The Dock slides over.
If your Dock is on the left or right, push against that edge instead. Without separate Spaces, the Dock stays on the main display, the one with the menu bar. You can change which display is main in System Settings, Displays, Arrange, by dragging the white menu bar strip. More on moving the menu bar.
Hide the Dock or make it smaller
- Hide it: press Option-Command-D, or turn on Automatically hide and show the Dock in Desktop & Dock. It comes back when you point at its edge.
- Make it smaller: drag the Size slider, or drag the divider line up and down.
- Fewer icons: turn off Show suggested and recent apps, and drag icons you never use out of the Dock until you see Remove.
If the Dock has vanished and you can't get it back, see this guide.
When the Dock sits on a damaged part of the screen
A cracked or dead bottom edge is one of the most common kinds of MacBook screen damage, and that's exactly where the Dock lives. Moving it helps:
- If the bottom is damaged, move the Dock to the left or right edge, whichever side still works.
- If a side is damaged, move it to the other side or the bottom.
- Avoid auto-hide. It brings the Dock back exactly where you can't see it.
A side Dock can still be too tall and run its last few icons into a dead band at the bottom. CrackMac's Dock tool works out the working part of the screen and sizes the Dock to fit inside it. It also keeps windows clear of the dead strip and paints it black. More on a black or flickering bottom edge.
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Quick answers
Can I move the Dock to the top of the screen on a Mac?
No. macOS only lets you put the Dock on the left, right or bottom edge. The top edge belongs to the menu bar.
How do I move the Dock to my other monitor?
Turn on Displays have separate Spaces in System Settings, Desktop & Dock. Then move the pointer to the bottom of the other display and keep pushing down. The Dock follows. If the Dock is on the side, push against that side instead.
What is the shortcut to hide the Dock on a Mac?
Option-Command-D turns Dock hiding on and off. With hiding on, the Dock appears when you move the pointer to its edge.
Is the Dock on a damaged part of the screen?
CrackMac keeps windows, the menu bar and the pointer off the dead strip, and its Dock tool sizes the Dock to fit on the working glass so the last icon is never hidden in the damage.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.