User guide

How to use Dock Switcher

Everything you need to set up your Docks, switch between them and keep them in sync. Start at the top, or jump to a topic.

1Create a DockBlank, from a template, or from the Dock you have now. 2Fill itApps, folders, files, links and spacers. 3Tune itSize, position, magnification and auto-hide. 4SwitchMenu bar, shortcut, Siri, a URL or an automation.

Installing & first launch #

Dock Switcher is available on the Mac App Store for $4.99. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and runs on Macs with Apple silicon or Intel. After you buy it, open Dock Switcher from your Applications folder or Launchpad.

The welcome screens

The first time you open Dock Switcher, a short welcome explains how it works and helps you make your first Dock. You can start from a template, from the Dock you have now, or from scratch. You can always add more Docks later.

Dock Switcher lives in the menu bar. Look for its small Dock-shaped icon near the clock.

The welcome screens walk you through making your first Docks.

The Automation permission

The first time you switch Docks, macOS shows a message asking whether Dock Switcher may control the Dock. Click OK (or Allow).

This is a standard macOS Automation permission. Dock Switcher changes your Dock the same way System Settings does: it updates the Dock’s own preferences on your Mac, then restarts the Dock so the change takes effect. The permission is what lets Dock Switcher restart the Dock. It doesn’t give Dock Switcher access to anything else.

The one-time macOS permission prompt. Choose Allow (or OK).
Clicked “Don’t Allow” by mistake?

Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation, find Dock Switcher, and turn on Dock.

How your original Dock is backed up

Right before your first switch, Dock Switcher saves a copy of the Dock you had, including its apps, folders and settings. It does this automatically, once. Whenever you want that Dock back, choose Restore Original Dock. See Backup & restore.

Creating a Dock #

Open Dock Switcher’s main window from the menu bar icon and add a new Dock. There are three ways to start:

Blank
An empty Dock you fill yourself. Good when you know exactly what you want.
From a template
Choose App Development, Graphic Design, Video Editing, Writing, Music Production, Communication or Focus. Dock Switcher fills the template with matching apps you already have installed, so you never get an app you can’t open. Edit it freely afterwards.
From your current Dock
Captures the Dock you’re using right now as a new Dock in Dock Switcher, with its items and settings. Handy for keeping the setup you’ve built over time.
The main window. Your Docks are in the sidebar, and New Dock at the bottom starts a blank Dock, a template, a copy of your current Dock, or an import.

Give each Dock a name, a color and a symbol. They appear in the menu bar menu and the switch HUD, so pick ones you’ll recognize at a glance. You can make as many Docks as you like.

Click a Dock’s badge to pick its color and symbol.

Adding & arranging items #

Each Dock you make in Dock Switcher holds everything the macOS Dock does. Select a Dock in the main window to edit its items.

Apps
Add any app on your Mac. Drag apps in from Finder or choose them from a list.
Folders and stacks
Add a folder, then choose how it behaves, just like in the native Dock:
  • Display as: Stack or Folder.
  • View content as: Fan, Grid, List or Automatic.
  • Sort by: Name, Date Added, Date Modified, Date Created or Kind.
Files
Add a document you open often. Clicking it in the Dock opens it in its app.
Web links
Add a URL, like your team’s project board. It opens in your default browser.
Spacers
Add a regular spacer or a small spacer to separate groups of items.
The Items tab, with a folder’s options open. Drag rows to reorder, and use the minus button to remove an item.

Reorder and remove

Drag to reorder items in the list, or drag icons right in the Dock preview above it. Apps appear before the divider in your Dock, and folders, files and links appear after it, as they do in macOS. To remove an item, click the minus button at the end of its row (or right-click it and choose Remove). Removing an item from a Dock never deletes the app or file itself.

Dock settings explained #

Each Dock keeps its own copy of these settings. They match the options in System Settings › Desktop & Dock, and Dock Switcher applies them when you switch.

The Appearance and Behavior tabs. Every Dock keeps its own copy of these settings.
Icon size
How big the icons are. Use larger icons for Docks with a few apps, and smaller ones for Docks with many.
Magnification
When on, icons grow as the pointer moves over them. Turn it off for a calmer Dock.
Maximum magnification size
How large icons grow under the pointer when magnification is on.
Position on screen
Left, bottom or right. A side Dock leaves more vertical space for timelines, code and documents.
Automatically hide and show the Dock
The Dock slides off screen until you move the pointer to its edge.
Auto-hide delay
How long the Dock waits before appearing when you move the pointer to its edge. Use a longer delay if the Dock pops up when you don’t want it.
Animation speed
How quickly the Dock slides in and out when it hides and shows.
Minimize windows using
The animation when you minimize a window: Genie or Scale.
Minimize windows into application icon
When on, minimized windows tuck into their app’s icon instead of appearing on the right side of the Dock.
Show indicators for open applications
Shows a small dot under (or beside) each app that’s running.
Show suggested and recent apps in Dock
Adds a section with recently used apps and apps suggested by macOS.
Animate opening applications
Icons bounce while their app is opening.
Separate open apps
Draws a divider line between this Dock’s apps and any other apps you have open, so you can tell at a glance what belongs to this Dock. Unlike Show suggested and recent apps, it doesn’t add apps you’ve recently closed.
Show only open apps
The Dock shows only apps that are running. Useful for a minimal Dock where you open apps with Spotlight.
Dim icons of hidden apps
Apps you’ve hidden with ⌘H appear translucent, so you can tell them apart.
Open this Dock’s apps when switching
Optional, per Dock. When on, switching to this Dock also opens its apps. It’s off unless you turn it on.

Switching Docks #

You can switch in several ways. They all do the same thing.

  • Menu bar: click the Dock Switcher icon and choose a Dock.
  • Main window: select a Dock and switch to it.
  • Keyboard shortcut: press the shortcut you gave the Dock. See Keyboard shortcuts.
  • Shortcuts app or Siri: run a shortcut that uses the Switch Dock action. See Shortcuts & Siri.
  • URL: open dockswitcher://switch?dock=Design. See URL scheme reference.
  • Automatically: on a schedule or when a display connects. See Automations.
The menu bar menu (click the Dock Switcher icon near the clock), and the HUD that confirms each switch.

What happens when you switch

Dock Switcher writes the new Dock’s items and settings to the Dock’s preferences and restarts the Dock. This takes about a second, and you’ll see the Dock disappear and redraw. That’s expected. Your open apps and windows aren’t affected.

Using more than one display

If you use more than one display, the Dock appears on your main display after a switch, because macOS always places a restarted Dock there. To move it, move the pointer to the bottom edge of another display (or the side, for a left or right Dock), just as you normally would. Your main display is the one with the menu bar; you can change it in System Settings › Displays › Arrange.

Editing the Dock you’re using

If you edit the Dock that’s currently active, Dock Switcher shows an Apply Changes button (or press ⌘S) so you decide when the Dock restarts. You won’t get a flicker for every slider you drag.

Editing your active Dock? Changes wait until you click Apply Changes or press ⌘S.

A small HUD then appears for a moment showing the name, color and symbol of the Dock you switched to.

Keyboard shortcuts #

Each Dock can have its own global keyboard shortcut. Global means it works no matter which app you’re in.

  1. Open Dock Switcher’s main window and select a Dock.
  2. Open the Switching tab, click Record Shortcut, and press the key combination you want. Press Esc to cancel.
  3. Press it any time to switch to that Dock.
In the Switching tab, click the shortcut field and press your keys. The ⓧ button removes a shortcut.
Example shortcutDock
App Development
Graphic Design
Video Editing
Default

Pick combinations other apps don’t use. Combining ⌃ Control and ⌥ Option with a number is usually safe. Dock Switcher needs to be running for shortcuts to work.

Shortcuts & Siri #

Dock Switcher adds an action called Switch Dock to the Shortcuts app.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app and create a new shortcut.
  2. Search for Switch Dock and add the action.
  3. Choose which Dock it should switch to.
  4. Name the shortcut something easy to say, like “Design mode”.

To switch with Siri, just ask. Say “Switch to Design in Dock Switcher”, using the name of any of your Docks. Siri also runs your own shortcuts by name, so “Design mode” works too. You can also add Switch Dock to longer shortcuts, say one that switches your Dock and opens a project folder, or run it from the menu bar, the Dock or a keyboard shortcut set in the Shortcuts app.

Add Switch Dock to any shortcut. Each Dock’s Switching tab also shows its switch link, ready to copy.

URL scheme reference #

Dock Switcher responds to dockswitcher:// URLs, so you can switch Docks from launchers, scripts, notes, automation tools or a link on a web page.

dockswitcher://switch?dock=<Dock name>
dockswitcher://restore
PartMeaning
switchSwitch to a Dock. Use it with the dock parameter.
restoreRestore your original Dock, the one backed up before your first switch. It takes no parameters.
dockThe Dock’s name, as it appears in Dock Switcher. Encode spaces and special characters, so a space becomes %20.

Examples

dockswitcher://switch?dock=Design
dockswitcher://switch?dock=Video%20Editing
dockswitcher://restore

From Terminal or a shell script, use open:

open "dockswitcher://switch?dock=App%20Development"

Automations #

Automations switch Docks for you. Select a Dock in the main window, open its Switching tab and click Add Automation. You can see and toggle all of them in Settings › Automations.

On a schedule
Choose a Dock, the days of the week, and a time. For example, switch to “Work” at 9:00 on weekdays and to “Personal” at 18:00.
When an external display connects or disconnects
Choose a Dock for when you plug in a display and another for when you unplug it. Great for a laptop that moves between a desk and the couch.
Automations live in each Dock’s Switching tab. A schedule picks the days and the time.
Keep Dock Switcher running

Automations and shortcuts work while Dock Switcher is open in the menu bar. To have it open whenever you log in, turn on Open Dock Switcher at login in Settings › General.

iCloud sync #

How it works

With iCloud sync on, Dock Switcher stores your Docks in your private iCloud database (the iCloud.com.dockswitcher container), using the iCloud account you’re already signed in to. Every Mac signed in to the same account sees the same Docks. There’s no new account to create and nothing to sign up for, and Omevi can’t see your data.

Settings › iCloud shows whether sync is working, and has a Sync Now button.

When a Mac is missing an app

If a Dock includes an app that isn’t installed on one of your Macs, Dock Switcher skips that app on that Mac and sets up the rest of the Dock as usual.

Turning sync off

Open Dock Switcher’s Settings and turn off iCloud sync. Your Docks stay on this Mac. To remove Dock Switcher’s data from iCloud as well, go to System Settings › Apple ID › iCloud › Manage, select Dock Switcher and delete its data.

Import, export & sharing #

You can save any Dock as a .dockswitcher file and share it with teammates or keep it as a backup.

  • Export: click the ⋯ button next to a Dock’s name (or right-click it in the sidebar) and choose Export…. To save every Dock at once, use Settings › Backup › Export All Docks.
  • Import: click New Dock at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Import Docks…, or just double-click a .dockswitcher file or drop it on the window. Each Dock in it is added as a new Dock.
The ⋯ menu next to a Dock’s name, and the file it exports.

Folders and files in a Dock point to locations on the Mac where it was made, so they may not exist on a teammate’s Mac. Apps and web links travel best.

Backup & restore #

Dock Switcher backs up your original Dock automatically, right before your first switch. Nothing to set up.

  • Restore Original Dock puts back the Dock you had before Dock Switcher, with its items and settings. Use it any time, including before you uninstall Dock Switcher.
  • Capture your current Dock saves whatever your Dock looks like now as a new Dock in Dock Switcher. It’s a good idea before you experiment.
Settings › Backup: restore the Dock you had before, export everything, or start over.

Dock Switcher is a menu bar app. Click its icon to see your Docks, switch to one, or open the main window.

Settings › General
Open Dock Switcher at login, show or hide the menu bar icon, hide Dock Switcher’s own icon from the Dock (it then lives only in the menu bar), and turn the switch confirmation on or off.
Settings › iCloud
See your iCloud connection, turn sync on or off, and sync now. See iCloud sync.
Settings › Automations
Every automation in one list, with on/off switches.
Settings › Backup
Restore your original Dock, export all Docks, or reset Dock Switcher.
Appearance
Dock Switcher follows your Mac’s light or dark appearance.
Settings › General.

Troubleshooting #

The Dock moved to a different display

That’s expected. When the Dock restarts after a switch, macOS places it on your main display. Move the pointer to the bottom edge of the display you want, and the Dock follows. To change which display is the main one, drag the menu bar in System Settings › Displays › Arrange.

The Dock didn’t change

Dock Switcher probably doesn’t have permission to control the Dock. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation › Dock Switcher and make sure Dock is turned on. Then switch again.

System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation. Dock must be on under Dock Switcher.

If Dock Switcher isn’t listed there, you can ask macOS to show the permission prompt again. Quit Dock Switcher, run this in Terminal, then open Dock Switcher and switch:

tccutil reset AppleEvents com.dockswitcher

The Dock flickers when I switch

That’s normal. Dock Switcher restarts the Dock to apply a new one, just as System Settings does, so it disappears and redraws for about a second.

A keyboard shortcut or automation doesn’t work

Make sure Dock Switcher is running (its icon is in the menu bar). If a shortcut still does nothing, another app may use the same keys. Try a different combination.

iCloud isn’t syncing

  • Check that you’re signed in to iCloud with the same account on each Mac, in System Settings › Apple ID.
  • Check that iCloud is working on each Mac. Dock Switcher’s Settings › iCloud tab shows the connection status and has a Sync Now button.
  • Make sure iCloud sync is on in Dock Switcher’s Settings on every Mac.
  • Give it a minute. Changes usually arrive quickly but can take longer on a slow connection.

How to restore the original Dock

Choose Restore Original Dock in Dock Switcher. Your Dock goes back to how it was before your first switch.

How to fully reset Dock Switcher

Open Settings › Backup and click Reset Dock Switcher…. It restores your original Dock, removes your Docks from this Mac and starts the welcome screens again. Choose Reset This Mac Only to keep your Docks in iCloud (they sync back), or Reset and Delete iCloud Data to remove them from all your Macs.

Last resort: the macOS default Dock

If you ever want Apple’s factory Dock instead, run defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock in Terminal. This resets the Dock to macOS defaults, not to your original Dock, so try Restore Original Dock first.

Still stuck?

Visit Support or email support@dockswitcher.com. Tell us your Mac model, your macOS version and what you tried, and we’ll help.