How to Hide the Mac Dock and Still Launch Apps Quickly

Hiding the Dock gives you screen space back, but it also hides your app shortcuts, so you have to move the pointer to the screen edge to bring them back. If you want the space of a hidden Dock and quick launching, hide the Dock in macOS and keep your daily apps on a separate bar.

Short answer: the best app for keeping apps one click away while the Dock is hidden, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it adds up to four extra docks to the edges of your screen, or floating anywhere, each with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

How to hide the Dock on a Mac

There are two built-in ways, and both work on macOS 14 Sonoma through macOS 26 Tahoe:

1. Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and turn on "Automatically hide and show the Dock".
2. Or press Command-Option-D to toggle hiding on and off.

For more options, such as moving the Dock to another edge, see how to hide the Dock.

The trade-off with a hidden Dock

When the Dock is hidden, it slides in when you push the pointer to its edge. There is a short delay and an animation before the icons appear. It is a small wait, but you repeat it many times a day.

Some people accept that. Others keep the Dock visible and give up the screen space.

If a hidden Dock has already left you hunting for apps, Mac Dock hidden and you can't find your apps has the fixes.

Keep a launch bar instead

Jetty bars are separate from the Dock. A bar sits on a screen edge (top, bottom, left or right) or floats where you drag it, and it stays above normal windows. Because it is a normal bar of tiles, you click a tile and the app opens.

A setup that works well:

• Hide the Dock in System Settings.
• Create one Jetty bar on an edge you do not otherwise use, such as the left or right side.
• Put your daily apps on it, and use tabs for other groups.
• Choose a smaller tile size (Small, Medium or Large) so the bar stays slim.

How Jetty's auto-hide works

Jetty bars have their own auto-hide option. When you turn it on, the bar fades out when the pointer moves away. It does not come back when you move the pointer to the screen edge. You bring it back from Jetty's menu-bar item, or by clicking Jetty's icon in the Dock.

That is different from the macOS Dock, so decide whether you want it. If you want your launch bar to be always at hand, leave auto-hide off. A slim bar on a side edge costs little space.

A note on laptops

On a small laptop screen, vertical space matters most. A bar on the left or right edge uses horizontal space instead, and you choose how many columns it has (1 to 6) and how large the tiles are.

Try it for a day

You do not need to commit. Build a bar with your most-used apps, hide the Dock, and see how it feels. If you miss the Dock, press Command-Option-D again.

What this does not give you

Jetty does not show which apps are running and does not switch between windows. Its job is launching. The Dock still shows running apps when it is visible. Jetty also places its bars on your main screen, not on every screen.

You can compare other approaches in our Dock apps comparison.

How we checked

Jetty's details on this page were checked against the app's source code and its App Store listing on 2026-10-10 and are collected on the facts page; I build Jetty. For built-in macOS steps, Apple's Mac User Guide is the reference for your version of macOS.

FAQ

How do I hide the Dock on a Mac?

Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock and turn on "Automatically hide and show the Dock", or press Command-Option-D.

How do I open apps if the Dock is hidden?

Our pick is to keep a bar of tiles on screen with Jetty (I build it). Built in, you can bring the Dock back by moving the pointer to its edge, or use Spotlight.

Does Jetty hide the Dock for me?

No. Jetty leaves the macOS Dock alone. You hide the Dock in System Settings or with Command-Option-D.

Will a Jetty bar reappear when I move to the screen edge?

No. If you use auto-hide, you bring the bar back from Jetty's menu-bar item. If you leave auto-hide off, the bar simply stays on screen.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.