I don't know if it's possible, but it would be cool to be able to share saved Docks as a file of some kind.
In the last 20+ years I've basically perfected where I want everything and expect everything to be where I like. I try to keep everything in the same order across work and home.
It would need some way to handle different machines having different sets of apps.
Thank you for the feedback
Actually, you are able to do it right now with DockFlow.
In the settings window, you have an Export/Import option, so you can use it to share your dock between different machines.
I am working hard on a public Dock preset sharing platform that allows one-click import directly in the app.
So this process will be easier in the future
Let me know if you managed to use it.
Thanks again
Is there a way to change docks using DockFlow via the command line?
Context: I already have a bash script I run when starting/finishing work which will start/stop any work related apps, switch the default browser, etc.
It would be great if in addition to that I could configure both a work and a personal dock, and update that script to automatically set the right one.
Thank you!
I can see why you hide it.
I thought about it a few times before creating DockFlow.
Also, when building DockFlow, I discovered the folders, links, and spacer options in the dock, so I built a full custom dock per project with the needed folders and links when working on it.
This makes the Dock a lot more useful.
Hey,
DockFlow dosn't replace the macOS Dock so no,
Maybe I will try to build integration with other solutions that are replacing the Dock and allow multiple Docks on different screens.
I built it to be as simple as possible without impacting the mac performances to I keep the native macOS dock.
Thanks for showing interest
Moving the mouse pointer to middle of bottom edge of a screen will permanently move the Dock there. As far as I know, there is no way to disable this behavior. It's terrible.
For simultaneous multi-monitor, you're probably forced into using a full Dock replacement. There are a few options out there, but none have ever stuck with me personally.
Amazing. I've long thought about doing this exact product, so glad you executed - I think it's a great idea. It looks like through shortcuts a user can likely interface with the Apple "focus" modes, which makes for an iOS like experience.
Of course should be baked into the OS itself... so does this need any permissions to work? I don't trust you enough to install it so that would be nice to be clear on.
Hey,
Glad you liked it and share the same thought about this problem
DockFlow doesn't need any special permission to work.
When you install it, you will automatically have the option in the Apple Shortcuts app to integrate with it (like every other app that allows this type of integration, this is not permission-related).
DockFlow works totally offline (except to validate the license key), and no data is sent to my server or a third-party server.
Feel free to ask any questions about it.
I will be glad to answer
That seems super useful, as my dock is overflowing with too many apps, which I all use, just at different times for very different scenarios... like for example when producing and working on videos I use FinalCutPro, Motion and Compressor, but these three take up space when I'm in a totally different context like coding. But I don't want to remove them from the dock when not used; because if I do, I seem to forget that I have them or would need to add them back later. So this solves that perfectly!
Exactly
I had the same problem with coding in different programming languages and with different clients.
Glad you liked it
Let me know if something is missing in the app or if there are any feature requests.
Thanks for the support
The great reward of great work is a high value windfall of unrealistic feature requests from strangers who have never done a damn thing for you, of course!
Feel free to ignore the following...
> NAME OF DOCK, ON DOCK <
Any attractive way to show the dock's name would underline the current context for those of us whose minds wander.
Possible in the dock?
Possible in the menu bar?
Possible to have an optional floating unframed rounded rectangle window with just the name, to the right or left of the dock? Or in a chosen corner of the screen?
It could double as a switch-dock menu button!
I can't be prompted enough to stay on task...
> APP GROUP DIVIDERS <
I would love to be able to add space-dividers between groups of icons on the dock. An elegant subtle indicator would be a little extra space between apps, containing a black concave-sided up-side-down-V "⋏", with its bottom horizontally aligned with the "app open" dots (when the doc is horizontal), and its top a third or half-way up the dock, so that curved V sides mirrored the curved bottom corners of the right and left adjacent apps.
Or just a vertical bar like the one that exists.
> HIDE AND UNHIDE APPS <
Suggestion: "hide apps not in the dock", and "unhide apps when they return to the dock" features. Then app states would not be lost.
But I imagine hiding the open icons on the dock might be difficult. Unless you simply moved open non-dock-pinned apps to the right, as per usual. (With a divider if you managed that!)
> DIFFERENT DOCKS ON DIFFERENT SPACES <
Along those lines, different docks on different spaces would be amazing.
> MULTIPLE DOCKS AS A SET <
Choosing a dock, would actually choose a dock set.
> DEFAULT LAUNCH DOCK, ON BOOT UP <
Might be nice?
----
I would happily pay a $5 in-app purchase for "lifetime access" for any useful features you add, each.
If optional features are genuinely useful, having the choice to mindfully complicate my tools, or skip them, makes paying for them separately not only reasonable, but supports you doing this important work for me!! I mean for the world!
Well, I can dream and dream.
Regardless of any of that, it's perfect, great job!
Makes me realise that a dock of shortcuts that would change per app would be nice!
Like if cmd + 1, and up would be linked to a displayed shortcut in a dock and change according to the app. (Maybe it’s what the virtual function bar was on some MacBooks?)
Thank you
Glad you liked it.
Custom app shortcut is out of the project scope.
I want it to stay a simple and Dock-focused solution.
But thanks to the CLI tool baked into the DockFlow app and the Shortcut integration, you can maybe create some automation rules that will trigger even Shortcut changes when the dock preset is changed.
Is there a good way to edit what shows up in the dock, as in put a custom label on an icon? Some apps create multiple dock entries when you create additional windows, and there's no way to tell them apart.
Hey,
I can check it out if I can create custom labels and icons for the apps in the presets,
Can you give me an example of an app with multiple Dock icons?
You can send me at:
appitstudio@gmail.com
Thanks
Hey,
There are no side effects when using DockFlow.
The Dock is the same Apple Dock, so after you switch the preset using DockFlow, there is no effect on other functionalities.
So everything should work the same way.
Thank you for being interested in DockFlow.
No permissions needed, not a Dock replacement, using the native macOS Dock, and wanted to keep it as simple as possible.
No data is sent to my servers or any third-party server.
All works offline except for the license key validation.
Feel free to ask any questions,
I will be glad to answer.
Thank you for showing interest in DockFlow.
Thanks I wasn’t sure if it was possible to manipulate the dock like that without some kind of special permissions like are needed for menu bar customization (accessibility, screen recording, etc). These days I just don't use apps that require those unless they're extremely well known/trusted (and even then...)
This looks like it’s potentially great for my use case. I currently have spacers to separate groups of apps in my dock, but many of those apps I only use in specific situations (things like a bunch of IDEs I don't need when I'm not programming).
I will check out this option. I also created an Apple Shortcuts integration, so if Apple provides a way to integrate desktop changes using the automation app, you can configure it to run a DockFlow preset for each scenario.
The shortcut and CLI integration are really powerful,
I know users who set up automations for focus modes, time of day, etc.
Let me know if you manage to create such an integration, and I will check that out as well.
I haven't coded for macOS for a while... well, for almost ten years :-) But as far as I remember, there's a 'NotificationCenter' which broadcasts system state changes to apps. Maybe it has a 'Desktop changed' event?
Yes, I can understand you.
Before building DockFlow, I found this mostly annoying instead of helpful.
But now, using it, I am able to make it a little productivity tool and a focus-shifting helper.
Also, I found out about the folders, links, and spacers, so for some projects, it is nice to have all the important links and folders right there when I need them instead of searching on Finder.
I also want to build a Raycast integration,
I hope to finish it soon.
This just makes me miss DragThing even more
Note: this can be replaced with a bash script and https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil for free
I don't know if it's possible, but it would be cool to be able to share saved Docks as a file of some kind.
In the last 20+ years I've basically perfected where I want everything and expect everything to be where I like. I try to keep everything in the same order across work and home.
It would need some way to handle different machines having different sets of apps.
Thank you for the feedback Actually, you are able to do it right now with DockFlow. In the settings window, you have an Export/Import option, so you can use it to share your dock between different machines. I am working hard on a public Dock preset sharing platform that allows one-click import directly in the app. So this process will be easier in the future Let me know if you managed to use it. Thanks again
This looks great!
Is there a way to change docks using DockFlow via the command line?
Context: I already have a bash script I run when starting/finishing work which will start/stop any work related apps, switch the default browser, etc. It would be great if in addition to that I could configure both a work and a personal dock, and update that script to automatically set the right one.
Love it. I don't really use my dock at all, I keep it hidden, but it's such a great concept to separate contexts for different situations
And writing this I realized that macOS does have "spaces", however they don't switch out the dock, so all the open stuff still stays there
Anyway, very cool, congrats on launching
Thank you! I can see why you hide it. I thought about it a few times before creating DockFlow. Also, when building DockFlow, I discovered the folders, links, and spacer options in the dock, so I built a full custom dock per project with the needed folders and links when working on it. This makes the Dock a lot more useful.
Your tool also solves something that is a big frustration with spaces: they can’t be renamed
There are a couple of tools for renaming them but they don’t work very well, at least not on apple silicon macs
So with DockFlow you actually get to name your different contexts, which is really nice
Does this help put the dock on multiple monitors permanently? I hate current macOS with its single dock on 1 monitor that changes randomly.
Hey, DockFlow dosn't replace the macOS Dock so no, Maybe I will try to build integration with other solutions that are replacing the Dock and allow multiple Docks on different screens. I built it to be as simple as possible without impacting the mac performances to I keep the native macOS dock. Thanks for showing interest
> that changes randomly
Moving the mouse pointer to middle of bottom edge of a screen will permanently move the Dock there. As far as I know, there is no way to disable this behavior. It's terrible.
For simultaneous multi-monitor, you're probably forced into using a full Dock replacement. There are a few options out there, but none have ever stuck with me personally.
Amazing. I've long thought about doing this exact product, so glad you executed - I think it's a great idea. It looks like through shortcuts a user can likely interface with the Apple "focus" modes, which makes for an iOS like experience.
Of course should be baked into the OS itself... so does this need any permissions to work? I don't trust you enough to install it so that would be nice to be clear on.
Hey, Glad you liked it and share the same thought about this problem DockFlow doesn't need any special permission to work. When you install it, you will automatically have the option in the Apple Shortcuts app to integrate with it (like every other app that allows this type of integration, this is not permission-related). DockFlow works totally offline (except to validate the license key), and no data is sent to my server or a third-party server. Feel free to ask any questions about it. I will be glad to answer
That seems super useful, as my dock is overflowing with too many apps, which I all use, just at different times for very different scenarios... like for example when producing and working on videos I use FinalCutPro, Motion and Compressor, but these three take up space when I'm in a totally different context like coding. But I don't want to remove them from the dock when not used; because if I do, I seem to forget that I have them or would need to add them back later. So this solves that perfectly!
Exactly I had the same problem with coding in different programming languages and with different clients. Glad you liked it Let me know if something is missing in the app or if there are any feature requests. Thanks for the support
It is always nice when somebody solves some obvious simple problem, ... and my first thought is, "Omg life is going to be so much better!"
Congrats on identifying and resolving such a prevelant bottleneck.
I just installed it, it works great, looks great, and you have my money! :)
The import/export option is really helpful. [0]
Also the close-apps-not-in-the-dock-feature is interesting.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44065229
----
The great reward of great work is a high value windfall of unrealistic feature requests from strangers who have never done a damn thing for you, of course!
Feel free to ignore the following...
> NAME OF DOCK, ON DOCK <
Any attractive way to show the dock's name would underline the current context for those of us whose minds wander.
Possible in the dock? Possible in the menu bar?
Possible to have an optional floating unframed rounded rectangle window with just the name, to the right or left of the dock? Or in a chosen corner of the screen?
It could double as a switch-dock menu button!
I can't be prompted enough to stay on task...
> APP GROUP DIVIDERS <
I would love to be able to add space-dividers between groups of icons on the dock. An elegant subtle indicator would be a little extra space between apps, containing a black concave-sided up-side-down-V "⋏", with its bottom horizontally aligned with the "app open" dots (when the doc is horizontal), and its top a third or half-way up the dock, so that curved V sides mirrored the curved bottom corners of the right and left adjacent apps.
Or just a vertical bar like the one that exists.
> HIDE AND UNHIDE APPS <
Suggestion: "hide apps not in the dock", and "unhide apps when they return to the dock" features. Then app states would not be lost.
But I imagine hiding the open icons on the dock might be difficult. Unless you simply moved open non-dock-pinned apps to the right, as per usual. (With a divider if you managed that!)
> DIFFERENT DOCKS ON DIFFERENT SPACES <
Along those lines, different docks on different spaces would be amazing.
> MULTIPLE DOCKS AS A SET <
Choosing a dock, would actually choose a dock set.
> DEFAULT LAUNCH DOCK, ON BOOT UP <
Might be nice?
----
I would happily pay a $5 in-app purchase for "lifetime access" for any useful features you add, each.
If optional features are genuinely useful, having the choice to mindfully complicate my tools, or skip them, makes paying for them separately not only reasonable, but supports you doing this important work for me!! I mean for the world!
Well, I can dream and dream.
Regardless of any of that, it's perfect, great job!
Very cool project! Thanks for sharing!
Makes me realise that a dock of shortcuts that would change per app would be nice!
Like if cmd + 1, and up would be linked to a displayed shortcut in a dock and change according to the app. (Maybe it’s what the virtual function bar was on some MacBooks?)
Thank you Glad you liked it. Custom app shortcut is out of the project scope. I want it to stay a simple and Dock-focused solution. But thanks to the CLI tool baked into the DockFlow app and the Shortcut integration, you can maybe create some automation rules that will trigger even Shortcut changes when the dock preset is changed.
It wouldn't be Dock-based, but if you don't mind palette menus this could be easily done with Keyboard Maestro.
Is there a good way to edit what shows up in the dock, as in put a custom label on an icon? Some apps create multiple dock entries when you create additional windows, and there's no way to tell them apart.
Hey, I can check it out if I can create custom labels and icons for the apps in the presets, Can you give me an example of an app with multiple Dock icons? You can send me at: appitstudio@gmail.com Thanks
Does this affect CMD-TAB functionality? That's the only thing I really use the dock for.
Hey, There are no side effects when using DockFlow. The Dock is the same Apple Dock, so after you switch the preset using DockFlow, there is no effect on other functionalities. So everything should work the same way. Thank you for being interested in DockFlow.
What, if any, permissions does this require?
No permissions needed, not a Dock replacement, using the native macOS Dock, and wanted to keep it as simple as possible. No data is sent to my servers or any third-party server. All works offline except for the license key validation. Feel free to ask any questions, I will be glad to answer. Thank you for showing interest in DockFlow.
Thanks I wasn’t sure if it was possible to manipulate the dock like that without some kind of special permissions like are needed for menu bar customization (accessibility, screen recording, etc). These days I just don't use apps that require those unless they're extremely well known/trusted (and even then...)
This looks like it’s potentially great for my use case. I currently have spacers to separate groups of apps in my dock, but many of those apps I only use in specific situations (things like a bunch of IDEs I don't need when I'm not programming).
I'm going to give this a shot. Thanks.
Nice! It would be cool if every desktop in Mission Control had its own dock.
Thanks!
I will check out this option. I also created an Apple Shortcuts integration, so if Apple provides a way to integrate desktop changes using the automation app, you can configure it to run a DockFlow preset for each scenario.
The shortcut and CLI integration are really powerful, I know users who set up automations for focus modes, time of day, etc.
Let me know if you manage to create such an integration, and I will check that out as well.
Thank you!
I haven't coded for macOS for a while... well, for almost ten years :-) But as far as I remember, there's a 'NotificationCenter' which broadcasts system state changes to apps. Maybe it has a 'Desktop changed' event?
Weird. I literally never use the Dock. Maybe I should. I just RayCast my way into apps.
Yes, I can understand you. Before building DockFlow, I found this mostly annoying instead of helpful. But now, using it, I am able to make it a little productivity tool and a focus-shifting helper. Also, I found out about the folders, links, and spacers, so for some projects, it is nice to have all the important links and folders right there when I need them instead of searching on Finder. I also want to build a Raycast integration, I hope to finish it soon.