Why Docky

The Dock is the most-used surface on a Mac, and it has barely changed in years. Docky rebuilds it for focus: it can run alongside, mirror, or fully replace the system Dock, and it moves with your workflow instead of getting in the way.

• Free and open source. No paid tier, no upsell. Licensed under GPLv3.
• Native-feeling. A universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel, notarized by Apple.
• Yours to shape. Pin what you reach for, arrange it how you think, and drop in widgets and actions that match how you work.

Features

Tiles and layout

Add and arrange anything in one strip: apps, widgets, Smart Stacks, folders, spacers, and dividers. Pin what you reach for, drag to reorder, and let the layout follow your workflow.

Window switcher, live

A global, Cmd-Tab-style window switcher with live window previews, plus per-tile hover previews so you can see a window before you raise it.

Built-in Launchpad

A fullscreen, searchable app launcher with full keyboard navigation, its own layout, and an optional global shortcut.

Widgets in the dock

Built-in widgets (Calendar, Reminders, Batteries, System, Weather, Now Playing, and more) live right in the dock. Stack several into a single tile with Smart Stacks and cycle through them in place. Add community .dockywidget bundles through the widget store.

Rich app folders

Group apps into folders with nested navigation, Quick Look, and drag-and-drop. Optionally show running apps inline so a folder doubles as a live workspace.

More

• Custom app icons: override the icon for any pinned, running, or widget-backed app.
• Scripted actions: catalog-backed AppleScript and menu-click automation, plus curated commands.
• Themes and profiles: themeable appearance and switchable configuration profiles.

Download

Get the latest notarized build from getdocky.com, or grab a release from the Releases page.

Homebrew

brew install --cask josejuanqm/tap/docky

Updates are delivered in-app via Sparkle. No tap trust step is needed for a normal install. If you run Homebrew with HOMEBREW_REQUIRE_TAP_TRUST=1, trust the cask first with brew trust --cask josejuanqm/tap/docky.

Docky needs Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions to manage windows and render previews. It prompts for these on first launch.

[!NOTE] Docky uses private SkyLight / CoreGraphics Services and Accessibility SPI (see Docky/Private/) to position windows, capture previews, and drive the system Dock. Because of this, Docky cannot be distributed on the Mac App Store. It is built from source or distributed directly.

Building from source

git clone https://github.com/josejuanqm/docky.git
cd docky
open Docky.xcodeproj

Build and run the Docky scheme. Swift Package dependencies (Sparkle) resolve automatically on first build.

Requirements

• macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
• Xcode 16 or later to build from source

Documentation

• External widget bundles: the .dockywidget bundle contract and how to build community widgets.

Supporting Docky

Docky is free and open source with no paid tier. If it earns a place in your Dock, you can help fund ongoing development:

• GitHub Sponsors: one-time or monthly, with tiers from ☕ Coffee to ❤️ Patron.
• Buy Me a Coffee: a quick one-off thank-you.

Sponsors also get a supporter role in the Docky Discord. Supporters are credited in SUPPORTERS.md; sponsoring teams can have their logo featured there. Every bit helps keep Docky maintained and free.

Dependencies

• Sparkle: software update framework (BSD 3-Clause).

License

GNU General Public License v3.0. Copyright (C) 2026 Jose Quintero.