Customizing your macOS Dock to display only running apps is simple and can help streamline your workflow. Here’s how to do it:1. Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select “System Preferences.”2. In the System Preferences window, click on “Dock.”3. Check the box next to “Automatically hide and show the Dock” to enable this feature.4. Next, click on the drop-down menu next to “Show” and select “Only Active Applications.”5. Close the System Preferences window and your Dock will now only show running apps.By following these steps, you can customize your macOS Dock to only display running apps, reducing clutter and helping you focus on your active tasks.

The macOS Dock is a feature that displays apps you add to it or that you run on your Mac. It originated in macOS’s early OS precursor NeXTStep and OpenStep, which were developed at NeXT Computer, a company founded by Steve Jobs. When Apple acquired NeXT in 1997, it integrated the NeXT technology into its operating systems.

NeXTStep was the basis for Mac OS X, which later evolved into macOS. The Dock was a unique feature of NeXTStep, allowing users to store apps, files, folders, and other objects for easy access. Over the years, Apple enhanced the Dock with features like hiding or showing it on demand, adjusting its size, and indicating which apps are running.

In recent versions of macOS, you can customize the Dock by adding file system objects like files, folders, and drive volumes to the right side of the Dock. You can also modify Dock features using Terminal commands or by editing the com.apple.dock.plist file in Xcode.

One useful customization option is the ability to display only running apps in the Dock. Apple added a setting called ‘static-only’ to achieve this, which can be configured using Terminal commands or by editing the com.apple.dock.plist file. By setting ‘static-only’ to ‘YES’, the Dock will show only running apps.

Additionally, the com.apple.dock.plist file contains other interesting settings like ‘show-recents’, ‘magnification’, ‘persistent-apps’, and more. You can explore these settings by using the ‘defaults read com.apple.dock’ command in Terminal.

Overall, the Dock has been a staple feature of macOS for many years, and by utilizing customization options, you can enhance your productivity and make the most of this essential tool.

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