Dock has long been an integral part of macOS. What makes it so impressive is the ability to let you switch apps with utmost ease. Even better, it also shows three of your most recent apps so that you can seamlessly go back and forth while working with multiple apps simultaneously.
But what if I told you that you can show more or fewer recent apps in Mac’s Dock through a smart hack? Well, if your workflow demands you to have instant access to more apps, this hack is for you.
Control How Many Apps Appear in Your Mac’s Dock
Note that in this guide, we will use the Terminal app to force the Mac’s Dock to display the desired number of recent apps. Hence, you will need to play with a Terminal command, which is pretty reliable and works as expected without any glitches. Besides, it’s also fully secure.
- First off, open the Terminal app on your Mac. Just press the Command + Spacebar -> enter Terminal and open it.
- Then, paste the following command in the Terminal window and hit the return/enter key and you are good to go!
defaults write com.apple.dock show-recents -bool true; defaults write com.apple.dock show-recent-count -int 10; killall Dock
It’s important to know the -int argument defines the number of recently opened apps that show in the Dock after the divider. Though we have customized the command to show 10 apps, you can increase or decrease the number of apps in accordance with your needs.
Your Mac’s Dock will start showing the desired number of apps. At any time you want to revert the change, use -int 3.
defaults write com.apple.dock show-recents -bool true; defaults write com.apple.dock show-recent-count -int 3; killall DockHide/Show Recent Apps in Mac’s Dock
Since macOS offers a dedicated setting, you can choose to hide or show apps in Dock depending on your needs.
- Navigate to the System Settings app on your Mac -> scroll down and select Desktop & Dock.
- Then, turn on/off the switch next to Show recent applications in Dock.
Signing Off…
Dock is a productivity-centric feature. Hence, getting the most out of this noted macOS feature can play a vital role in boosting your performance. So, never fail to get the most out of it. That said, what do you have to say about the above-mentioned tip and whether or not it has managed to win you over?