How to Fix the Disappearing Dock in macOS Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur

The upcoming release of macOS Ventura has generated much anticipation among Mac users. However, some have encountered various issues when attempting to upgrade to the macOS Ventura Beta. One common problem reported is the disappearance of the Dock on their Macs. Users have complained that their Dock keeps vanishing, requiring them to restart their laptops repeatedly throughout the day.

Reasons for the Dock Disappearing on a Mac

The Dock on a Mac might be set to hide by default. When the Dock on your Mac disappears from the screen, it's usually because of one of the following reasons:

System Error: Missing Dock on Mac

The first reason is an error or incompatibility between macOS and a piece of software. For instance, updating to the new macOS Ventura might cause the Dock to disappear unexpectedly due to user discontent with system-wide changes.

Default Dock hidden setting

It's important to understand that the Dock will not appear when in Full Screen mode. You can check if it's set to auto-hide by moving your cursor to the bottom edge of the screen and seeing if it reappears.

Vanished Dock Caused by a Software Bug

Your Mac comes with some default apps installed in the Dock, and you can choose others to appear there as well. Therefore, when the Dock disappears, you might want to consider any selected apps that could be causing problems. These bugs can negatively affect system performance and lead to the Dock vanishing on your Mac.

Six Ways to Fix a Missing Dock on a Mac

The Dock is a convenient way to access your apps, so you might be frustrated if it's missing from your Mac. Here's how to get it back.

Before starting the step-by-step guide, you can watch this video tutorial on how to fix the issue of the Missing Dock on Mac:

• 0:09 - Customizing the Mac Dock
• 0:30 - Dock preferences in System Preferences
• 0:41 - Showing the Dock in the menu bar
• 1:30 - Enabling magnification
• 1:46 - Adjusting the Dock's height

If all else fails, read the instructions with pictures below.

Method 1: Restart Your Mac to Redisplay the Dock

It can be frustrating to have to restart your Mac when macOS is being unresponsive, but it's often the first solution to try. Once your Mac reboots, the Dock should immediately return to normal. If not, keep reading and try some of the other methods below.

Method 2: Fix the Missing Dock by Restarting It

Step 1: Click the desktop until the “Finder” menu appears in the top left corner.

Step 2: Choose File and select New Finder Window.

Step 3: Click the "Utilities" folder.

Step 4. Open a terminal.

Step 5: Type “killall Dock” into the terminal window to quit the Dock and make it restart automatically.

Method 3: Fix a Missing Dock in macOS System Preferences

Follow these steps to set up your Apple menu on Mac:

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your Mac's desktop, and select “System Preferences.”

Next up, we only need the translation in American English for the caption of this image:

Step 2. Click on the Dock and Menu Bar.

Step 3: Turn off “Automatically hide and show the Dock.”

Method 4: Hiding the Dock with Option

If you accidentally press the hotkey combination "Option + Command + D," it will hide your Mac's Dock. Press "Option + Command + D" again to toggle it back and make the Dock reappear at the bottom of the screen.

Method 5: Reset Full Screen Mode to Get Dock Back on Mac

If the Mac Dock still disappears after trying these methods, check if Full Screen mode is enabled. The Dock might be hidden because of the open windows in Full Screen mode.

Move your cursor to the top of the screen to exit Full Screen mode. The “Close” and “Full Screen” buttons, as well as the top navigation bar, will reappear so you can see the Dock.

Method 6: Update to the Latest Version of macOS

Every year, Apple releases an update to macOS, the operating system that runs on your Mac. These annual Apple Mac updates often include improvements, and there can be bugs and issues in older versions of the OS. So, downloading the latest version, such as macOS Ventura, can be a good solution to fix problems like a missing Dock and to smooth out performance on your Mac.

Appendix Tip: How to Recover Deleted Files on a Mac

Aside from the Dock disappearing issue, updates can also affect your Mac in other ways. For instance, you might encounter problems with your Mac not able to start up macOS Ventura. Thus, it's crucial to ensure data safety since a faulty update process can result in lost files and information. Additionally, if you accidentally delete files, you can use a guide to recover Trash on Mac. For Mac data recovery, there's a great assistant: Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

Check out the steps and learn how to use it to recover deleted files on macOS Ventura.

Step 1: Select the disk to scan

On the main interface of the tool, all drives connected to your Mac will be listed. Select the drive from where you want to recover lost/deleted files and click on the “Search Lost Files” button.

Note: Before you proceed with data recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your Mac to prevent further data loss. The software can then recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can overwrite new data.

Select the location and scan for lost Mac data:

Step 2: Select the data/files you lost

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac immediately scans the disk volume you select and displays the scan results in the left pane. If you're looking for a specific file, you can sort the results to locate the file you need.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

Once you find the files you want, preview them and then click “Recover” to start restoring your deleted or lost Mac files.

Final Thoughts

A Dock that keeps disappearing is an issue many Mac users face. If you're experiencing this problem, the methods described on the following page might help you resolve it. We sincerely hope these simple solutions will assist you in getting your Dock to reappear. Additionally, using the handy tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac ensures your device runs smoothly and safeguards your data securely.

Common Issues with the Mac Dock Disappearing

Here are four of them – with answers that may surprise you.

**1. How do I keep the Mac Dock visible all the time?** To ensure the Mac Dock is always displayed on your screen, follow these steps: 1. Open "System Preferences" (you can do this by clicking on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen and selecting "System Preferences"). 2. In the "System Preferences" window, locate and click on the "Dock" icon. 3. In the "Dock" settings window, uncheck the "Automatically hide and show the Dock" option. This will make sure the Dock stays visible at all times. After completing these steps, your Mac Dock will remain visible at the bottom of your screen unless you manually hide it by moving the cursor to the bottom edge of the screen.

Click the Apple icon, select System Preferences, then click Dock or Dock & Menu Bar to keep the Dock visible on your Mac. Choose where you want the Dock displayed on the screen, then uncheck the “Automatically hide and show the Dock” box.

2. Why does the Dock on my Mac keep disappearing?

1. While holding down the Option key, click "Go" in the Finder menu bar. 2. Navigate to the "Library" folder. 3. Select "Preferences" from the list. 4. Locate the "com.apple.dock.plist" file. 5. Move this file to the Trash and then restart your computer.

3. How can I keep the Dock visible in Mac full-screen mode?

If you don't want the Dock to hide in Full Screen, exit Full Screen, because you can't keep it visible while in that mode.

4. Why isn't the Dock on my Mac working correctly?

Your Dock might not work correctly due to several reasons, including damaged files, app compatibility issues, and macOS problems.