Fix Your Mac Dock: Missing, Stuck, or in the Wrong Screen?

Ever sit down at your Mac only to realize… the Dock is missing?

Or worse — it’s stuck on the wrong screen, hidden behind windows, or refuses to appear where you need it?

You’re not alone. Here’s what causes these issues — and a fix that makes them never happen again.

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😵 Common Dock Problems in macOS

If you’re seeing any of these symptoms, you’re in the right place:

• 🛑 The Dock is completely missing
• 🔄 It moves to the wrong monitor and won’t stay put
• ⛔ It’s stuck in auto-hide and won’t reappear
• 🚫 It only shows up on one screen in multi-monitor setups

These are real limitations of how macOS manages the Dock. Even in macOS Sonoma, they’re still here.

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🧪 First, Try These Fixes

Before you go deeper, here are some quick fixes you can try:

🔄 1. Restart the Dock

Open Terminal and run:

killall Dock

This restarts the Dock process. It often fixes stuck or disappearing Docks.

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💡 2. Toggle Auto-Hide Settings

Go to:
System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock

Try toggling it off and on again. Sometimes this “refreshes” the Dock’s visibility logic.

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🖥️ 3. Reorder Your Displays

Go to:
System Settings → Displays → Arrange

Make sure your main monitor is correctly positioned. The Dock tends to follow the primary monitor, or whichever screen your cursor touches the bottom of.

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🔁 4. Switch Active Monitor

Move your mouse all the way to the bottom of a different screen.
This will often “pull” the Dock over to that monitor.

Unfortunately, it’s not sticky — the Dock always follows your cursor, and Apple doesn’t offer a way to lock it in place.

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😡 Tired of Fighting the Dock?

If you’re constantly battling the Dock’s limitations, it might be time for a better solution.

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✅ Try extraDock — Multiple Docks, Wherever You Want

extraDock is a lightweight macOS utility that:

• 🖼️ Lets you create floating Docks on any screen
• 📌 Keeps them in place, always visible
• 🧩 Allows you to customize layouts with apps, folders, or files
• 🔧 Doesn’t replace or break the native Dock — just gives you more

It’s a permanent fix for people using multiple monitors, ultrawides, or custom workspaces.

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🛠️ How It Works

1. Install extraDock
2. Open the app
3. Click “Create New Dock”
4. Drag it anywhere — second screen, top right, even vertical
5. Add what you need and pin it forever

No more jumping, disappearing, or stuck docks.
Just a clean, reliable launcher — everywhere you work.

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📌 Tip: You Can Use extraDock With the macOS Dock

extraDock doesn’t disable or replace anything.
You can still use the original Dock — just add more when and where you need them.

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🧠 Real Fixes, Real Productivity

If your Dock is:

• Disappearing or unreliable → add a stable, floating one
• Stuck on the wrong screen → assign extras to the screens that matter
• Always hiding → create always-visible docks for specific apps

➡️ Download extraDock today and fix your Dock frustrations permanently.

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🔗 Related Articles

• macOS Dual Monitor Dock Setup: What Apple Doesn’t Tell You
• Floating Dock on macOS: Myth or Possibility?
• macOS Dock Alternatives Compared: From DragThing to extraDock

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Written by Frank Karro — the developer of extraDock, because Docks should just work.