Working with Applications in the Dock

Introduction: Now, let’s start taking a look at the Dock, specifically how we work with applications in the Dock. Let’s go to my Mac. We know that our Dock is located at the bottom of our display by default. Well, the Dock is divided into separate areas.

Separating Favorite apps from Documents and Folders in the Dock: If we look here, you’re going to see that we have a vertical line here. This vertical line separates our favorite apps from our recent apps, the recent apps that we’ve had open. If we go over to the right again, you’ll see we have another vertical line. Anything on the right side of this line will show me my favorite documents and folders, so I have easy access to documents that I’m working on or folders.

Viewing Favorite Applications: Now what we’re going to do is we’re going to focus on everything to the left of our recent applications. I have a separate video on recent applications because this is new in macOS Mojave, but what we’re going to do is we’re just going to focus on favorite applications. Everything to the left of this vertical line is what we’re going to focus on in this lesson. If we look here on the left, underneath the Finder, you’re going to see we have a black dot, but if we look underneath any of the other icons in my favorites, I do not have any black dots.

Seeing if an App is Open: Well, what does this black dot indicate? It indicates that that application is open. If you recall, the Finder is an application, and it’s always open. We can see that the Finder is open. Let’s take a look at my calendar app. If we look, we do not have a black dot underneath it. That means that it is not open. When I click on it to open it up, we have a black dot. Now that is telling me that that application is open. If I quit, I’m going to use command-Q to quit, a keyboard shortcut, command-Q. We can see that the black dot disappears. That’s how we can easily see which applications are currently open.

Favoriting Apps: Now let’s look at how we favorite an app. To favorite an app or place it in the Dock, we have to drag it into the Dock or onto the Dock. Let’s go and find my Books app. I like to read, so I want to have it in my Dock, so I have easy access to it. I go to applications. Then I find Books. Scroll up until I find Books. Now all I need to do is drag this down into my Dock, and I place it where I want in my Dock. It does have to be on the left side of my recent applications. When I do that, it places it into my Dock, so even if the application is closed, the Books app is closed, I still have easy access to it. I click on it to open it up. To remove an app as a favorite, let’s go and close this window.

Removing Apps from the Dock: To remove an app as a favorite, what I do is, I drag it up, and you’re going to see remove. I can also click and hold on it. Then you’re going to see, under Options, remove from Dock. Let’s go ahead and remove it. Now it is no longer in my Dock.

Other Options: We had a few other options when we click and hold on an app in our Dock. Let’s take a look at them. Let’s say I wanted to open up Mail when I log into my computer, and I always want to have my Mail open. All I have to do is click and hold on it while it’s in the Dock. I go to options, and then you’re going to see open at login. When I select this, it’s going to put a checkmark there. Now, next time I log into my computer, the mail app will open automatically. If you no longer want to have it open automatically, click and hold on it again. We go to options, and then we deselect it. We can also show the app in the Finder. Again, I go to Mail, click and hold, go to options, and then we go to show on Finder. Now it’s showing us the mail app in the Applications folder.

That’s how we favorite apps and work with our favorite apps in the Dock on the Mac.