To make Dock icons smaller on a MacBook Air, open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and drag the Size slider under Dock to the left. For a quick change, Apple says to move the pointer over the separator line in the Dock until you see a double arrow, then drag down.
These steps come from Apple’s Mac User Guide pages Use the Dock on Mac and Change Desktop & Dock settings, and Donemax. They work on any Mac with System Settings, not just a MacBook Air.
How to Make Dock Icons Smaller
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
- Under Dock, drag the Size slider left to make the icons smaller, or right to make them bigger.
Result: The Dock shrinks as you drag. The Size slider is at the very top of the Dock settings.
The Quick Way: Drag the Separator
Apple says you can resize the Dock without opening System Settings. Move the pointer over the separator line in the Dock until a double arrow appears, then drag down to make it smaller or up to make it bigger. This works whether the Dock is at the bottom, left, or right of the screen. Apple also says you can Control-click the separator for more options.
Turn On Magnification
If small icons are hard to see, Apple says Magnification enlarges them when you move the pointer over them. Turn it on in Desktop & Dock and drag its slider to choose how big they get. Try pairing a small Dock with magnification so you can still tell which app you’re about to click.
Other Ways to Save Space
Apple lists these options in the same Dock settings:
- Position on screen: put the Dock on the left, bottom, or right edge.
- Automatically hide and show the Dock: the Dock hides until you move the pointer to that edge.
- Show suggested and recent apps in Dock: turn this off to keep apps you haven’t added from appearing.
- Minimize windows into application icon: keeps minimized windows from taking up extra space in the Dock.
For an exact size, a Terminal command sets the Dock’s tile size in pixels. That’s optional and not needed for most people, since the slider covers the same range.
How to Remove an App From the Mac Dock
- Drag the app icon out of the Dock.
- Let go when you see Remove.
Result: Apple says only the alias is removed. The app stays on your Mac. To put it back, open the app, Control-click its icon in the Dock, and choose Options > Keep in Dock.
Other Dock Tips
- Add an app: Apple says to drag it to the left side of the line that separates recently used apps.
- Add a file or folder: drag it to the right side of the other separator line.
- Rearrange: drag icons to new spots.
- Force quit a stuck app: Control-click its icon and choose Force Quit. Apple warns you may lose unsaved changes.
- Use the keyboard: Apple says Fn-Control-F3 moves to the Dock, the arrow keys move between icons, and Return opens one.
If you’re adjusting other parts of the Mac interface, you can also keep scroll bars visible on a Mac from System Settings > Appearance. That setting is separate from Dock icon size. Another quick way to personalize the laptop is to rename your MacBook Air in System Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing an app from the Dock delete it?
No. Apple says only the alias is removed from the Dock, and the app stays on your Mac. To uninstall the app itself and reclaim its storage, see how to delete junk files and free up space on a MacBook Air.
Why do apps I didn’t add show up in my Dock?
Apple says the Dock can show up to three recently used apps that aren’t already in it. Turn off Show suggested and recent apps in Dock in Desktop & Dock to hide them.
More Mac Guides
- How to right-click on a MacBook Air
- How to show the volume button in the Mac menu bar
- How to change your contact card (My Card) on a Mac
If you’d like to see your desktop on a larger screen, here’s how to connect a 2012 MacBook Air to an HDTV. To keep the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop as well, see how to show your hard drive on the Mac desktop.
Using an external disc drive? See how to eject a disc from a SuperDrive on a MacBook Air.
Looking for a Mac cleanup app? See how to get CleanMyMac from the Mac App Store. CleanMyMac is also sold through Setapp, which we explain in our review of how Setapp Membership and standalone apps work.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.