DockLock Lite: Keep your Mac Dock from jumping between displays

Software
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Hi everyone!

If you use multiple monitors on macOS, you’ve probably run into this: the Dock suddenly jumps to another screen just because your mouse touched the bottom edge of the wrong display. It’s distracting, and worse - it’s been a known problem for over a decade.

There’s even a StackExchange thread from 2016 where users have been asking for a fix for nearly a decade - Apple still hasn’t addressed it. Even in macOS 26, this behavior is unchanged.

That’s why I built DockLock Lite - a native macOS app that keeps your Dock where you want it. It works without any system hacks, respects macOS rules, and solves what Apple still hasn’t.

What DockLock Lite does:

  • Locks the Dock to your chosen screen
  • Prevents Dock jumping on multi-display setups
  • Stops Dock from appearing unexpectedly during screen sharing
  • Automatically relocates the Dock if it’s detected on the wrong screen after wake or display changes
  • macOS keeps Cmd+Tab tied to the Dock’s current location
  • Supports AirPlay, Sidecar, DisplayLink, vertical stacks
  • Safe and privacy-respecting (fully sandboxed, no network access)
  • Available on the Mac App Store with a free trial

Requirements:

  • The Dock must be positioned at the bottom of the screen
  • “Displays have separate Spaces” must be enabled in System Settings

Learn more or download here: https://docklockpro.com

I’m open to any feedback or suggestions. If you’ve run into Dock-related frustrations or have ideas for improvement, feel free to let me know.

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This has been a constant issue for me for years, especially when watching Formula 1 races with many monitors. Will check it out, thanks for sharing.

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OMG! This is one of MacOS’s biggest annoyances. Why Apple hasn’t fixed it is beyond me and now we have a solution, finally!

Edit: I can’t believe this app came out in March 2025 and I wasn’t aware :man_facepalming:
Edit2: removed my rant about pricing. Honestly, if an app makes your life a little easier, it’s worth the cost.

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Thanks for your feedback! The app price started at $5, and I adjusted it according to high demand. I hate subscriptions, but I wish more people would buy that instead of lifetime purchase. So I increased the price to balance it, and now I’m getting similar subscription vs lifetime purchases. That will help me to keep the app up to date for many years.

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If the Dock is locked to the left monitor, what happens to the tray of open apps when you Command Tab? Does that stay in the left (follow Dock) or right monitor?

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macOS keeps Command-Tab (Cmd+Tab) tied to the current location of the Dock, so it remains on the left monitor.
Sorry I couldn’t answer earlier because of this forum limit, looks like I can send 10 messages per 24 hours only.

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Thanks. I’m afraid you would say that. My current setup is a portrait monitor on the left and so I park the Dock vertically on the left. It’s nice and it’s out of the way. The vertical Dock let me open a lot of apps and there’s so much vertical space that the Dock does not need to shrink. But, the downside is that Command Tab tray is now on the portrait monitor and it gets really TINY when there’s a lot of open apps (tight, horizontal space). I wish the Dock could stay to the left and the Cmd Tab tray is on the right monitor.

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Thanks for explaining. I also wish to clarify that the Mac App Store version is working only with Dock at the bottom. I’ll keep reverse engineering it in an attempt to bring control of where Command Tab is displayed in the website version of DockLock Pro.

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