How to fix Mac Dock disappearing or not hiding/showing correctly on macOS

macOS KB-796

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Mac Dock disappearing or not hiding/showing correctly on macOS. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

This guide will help you restore a missing Mac Dock or fix issues where the Dock is not hiding or showing correctly. These steps apply to most recent versions of macOS and can be completed in a few minutes.

Quick Fix Steps

Move your mouse cursor to the edge of the screen where the Dock normally appears.
Press Command + Option + D to toggle the Dock visibility.
Restart your Mac.

Detailed Instructions

Check Dock Visibility Settings

Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select System Settings.
Click Desktop & Dock in the left sidebar.
Under the Dock section, ensure Automatically hide and show the Dock is toggled off if you want the Dock to remain visible at all times.
If you prefer the Dock to hide automatically, ensure this setting is toggled on.

Reset the Dock Using Terminal

Resetting the Dock via Terminal will remove any custom Dock preferences, such as icon size and position. You will need to reconfigure these settings after the reset.

Open Finder.
Navigate to Applications > Utilities.
Double-click Terminal.
Type the following command and press Enter:
You will not see any characters appear while typing your password. This is normal.
defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock
Enter your Mac administrator password when prompted.
The Dock will disappear and reappear with default settings.

Troubleshooting

Dock is not hiding or showing

Verify that Automatically hide and show the Dock is configured correctly in System Settings.
Check if an external display is connected. The Dock may appear on a different screen.
Disconnect any external monitors and test the Dock behaviour on the built-in display.

Dock is missing entirely

Press Command + Option + D to toggle the Dock.
Log out of your user account and log back in.
Restart your Mac.

If you are using a MacBook with a notch, ensure the Dock is not being obscured by the display cutout at the top of the screen.

If the issue continues after following these steps, Open a Ticket with our support team for further assistance.

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

💻 Open a Ticket