Is there a means to group apps on MacOS like you can on the iphone? Even if it's with 3rd party software? I want to group things like web browsers in one, vpns in another, MS Office in another.
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Is there a way to create groups in the dock?
- Thread starter FlyingTexan
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You could create folders in the Dock, and put the aliases for apps into them.
Yea but I was hoping to do it with icons so I can always see what's there and have it a little more appealing. Multiple folders side-by-side isn't great.
Here's an idea. Grab an image that you want, either select the image file or go into an image editor (even Preview) and cmd+c on the image file or image data (cmd+a, cmd+c). Go to the inspector for your folder (cmd+opt+I) and look at the top where the blue folder icon is next to your folder name. Click on the blue folder icon (it'll highlight) and hit cmd+v. It'll replace the folder icon with your image. Then drag and drop your new folder onto the dock. Recommended that your image data is 1:1 ratio.
I appreciate the post but was basically just looking for the functionality of iOS and didn't know if there were options. Sounds like there isn't, super odd they'd leave that part out.
Probably just different design philosophies. The Dock is just a shortcut bar and you're probably intended to only drag things onto it as you need them. Anything not pinned to the Finder can still be found through the Finder, or Spotlight (cmd-space), something that iOS lacked for a very long time
Apps probably don't get organized into "dock subfolders" because you can already pin real folders to it, but I could see it becoming a feature eventually since Apple wants to make iOS/MacOS features more cross-platform...
The iOS homescreen itself is more like a launchboard for everything the iPhone does, but it's also limited to a specific grid size that overflows into separate pages. I suppose once the App Store was added and led to a lot of clutter, it made sense to give us the ability to organize stuff into folders.
iOS never had a Finder/Files system in the beginning since Apple wanted to keep the system locked down tight, so the Homescreen being a broad launchboard was the compromise. If it did come with an open file system from the start, I could imagine the Homescreen being very very different than what we ended up with
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On my iPad, I group games in categories. But, when I want one, I tap on the group and the group icons are enlarged and isolated. Then I pick the one I want. It's a two-step process.
On the Mac, if you put aliases in a folder in the Dock, it's still only a two-step process. You click once, and all the icons of the items within the folder appear, and you select the one you want. You can make the folders more aesthetically appealing by doing something similar to what is suggested in Post #4.
One click to reveal all the icons at a larger size that what you could have on the folder in the Dock is a minor inconvenience. I can't imagine that any more than four icons on that Dock folder would give you images that will be big enough for you to distinguish from one another.
What were you hoping for?
On the Mac, if you put aliases in a folder in the Dock, it's still only a two-step process. You click once, and all the icons of the items within the folder appear, and you select the one you want. You can make the folders more aesthetically appealing by doing something similar to what is suggested in Post #4.
One click to reveal all the icons at a larger size that what you could have on the folder in the Dock is a minor inconvenience. I can't imagine that any more than four icons on that Dock folder would give you images that will be big enough for you to distinguish from one another.
What were you hoping for?
I have five folders in Documents, with custom icons, that I put in the Dock:
Audio, Photo, Apps, Utilities, etc.
I populate them by drag'n dropping apps and files to them. Aliases are created for apps. Files are copied. Right-click and select to show as folders to have the folder icon show.
Works well and has been for years. Very easy to custumize and modify.
Audio, Photo, Apps, Utilities, etc.
I populate them by drag'n dropping apps and files to them. Aliases are created for apps. Files are copied. Right-click and select to show as folders to have the folder icon show.
Works well and has been for years. Very easy to custumize and modify.
The equivalent of iOS's Home Screen is macOS's Launch Pad (displayed with F4 key). This shows all apps. The apps can be put together in groups just like those in iOS. The Launch Pad is a relatively new macOS feature which does ape the iOS Home Screen.
In my view, this may be a useful feature for those with their first Mac, but not otherwise - I have never used it!
The Dock is somewhat different and predates iOS by a long way. It is not intended as a way to launch all apps. It has multiple roles:
1) Shows currently running apps, so that it is fast to bring an app's windows to the front.
2) Launch a few frequently used apps (those with 'Keep in Dock' option).
3) Quick access to some key folders - like the Trash.
If you want an iOS equivalent of the Dock (for showing running apps), it is perhaps the scroll from the bottom gesture which shows all running iOS apps.
As well as finding innovative ways of using the Dock (like @Ben J. ), many people use app launching apps which either sit in the menubar and/or are called up with special key sequences.
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