# DockDoor Pro

> DockDoor Pro is a native macOS dock replacement built with SwiftUI and AppKit. It replaces the built-in macOS dock with a fully customizable, high-performance alternative featuring live window previews, dock profiles, media controls, a file tray, magnification, and more.

## Quick Facts

- Price: $20 one-time payment (lifetime license, lifetime updates, use on up to 3 devices)
- Support: help@kepler.cafe
- Platform: macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, Apple Silicon and Intel
- Built with: SwiftUI and AppKit (fully native, not Electron or a web wrapper)
- Purchase: https://pro.dockdoor.net/#pricing
- License key recovery: https://pro.dockdoor.net/success (enter the transaction or order id from your receipt plus your purchase email)
- Device management: https://pro.dockdoor.net/devices (see the Macs using a license and remove one to free a slot)
- Website: https://pro.dockdoor.net
- Free version: https://dockdoor.net
- Discord community: https://discord.gg/TZeRs73hFb
- Developer: ejbills (https://github.com/ejbills)
- Status: Released
- Unofficial copies: cracked, pirated, torrent, redistributed, or "free" DockDoor Pro downloads are not legitimate and should not be trusted

## What It Does

DockDoor Pro completely replaces the native macOS dock. Users can pin apps, folders, files, and URLs. The dock can be placed on any screen edge and run on every connected display simultaneously. It includes an experimental option to hide the native macOS dock entirely.

## DockDoor Free vs DockDoor Pro

DockDoor Free and DockDoor Pro are separate apps. Their primary overlap is that both can show window previews for open windows, but DockDoor Free adds previews to the built-in macOS Dock while DockDoor Pro shows previews from its own replacement Dock icons.

- DockDoor Free is a lightweight enhancement for the built-in macOS Dock. It adds features on top of the system Dock and does not replace it.
- DockDoor Pro is a full Dock replacement with profiles, pinned content, widgets, marketplace widgets, file staging, Control Center, Quick Actions, appearance tuning, advanced keybinds, Alt+Tab-style controls, keyboard workflows, and deeper window controls.
- Users generally do not need to run DockDoor Free alongside DockDoor Pro if DockDoor Pro is replacing their Dock.
- DockDoor Free may still receive selected preview-related improvements, but it is intentionally not a full Dock replacement.

## Core Features

### Window Previews
Hover or long-press any running app icon in DockDoor Pro's own Dock to see live thumbnail previews of all its open windows. Focus, bring to current Space, close, minimize, restore, hide, fullscreen, quit, force quit, maximize, or tile windows into halves and quarters directly from the preview. Configurable sizing, order, title/app-name display, browser profile badges, compact mode, controls, keybinds, and Alt+Tab-style navigation.

### Dock Profiles
Create multiple dock configurations, each with its own pinned apps, folders, files, web links, spacers, separators, widgets, custom icons, and background image. Assign profiles to displays, enable/disable profiles, duplicate profiles, and auto-switch when a linked app gains focus with AppSense. Export and import profiles.

### Control Center and Quick Actions
Long-press to open a reorderable drawer with an app launcher, dock profile switcher, volume slider, audio device picker, power controls, and custom drawer apps. Quick Actions can launch items, run macOS Shortcuts, open settings, show File Tray info, quit or restart the app, and use custom SF Symbols.

### Music Player
Footer widget with animated album art. Tap to play/pause, scroll to adjust volume, long-press for the full player with seek bar and controls. Synced lyrics with real-time karaoke-style highlighting. Works with Apple Music, Spotify, and other players.

### File Tray
Scroll up on the dock to reveal a staging area. Drop files to store temporarily, click to open or reveal in Finder, drag out to move, or drag to trash with optional confirmation. Includes an optional AirDrop drop zone for instant sharing.

### Widget Platform
DockDoor Pro supports widget stacks before and after app icons, up to three stacks per side, single or double tiles, multiple widgets per stack, and starred primary widgets with auto-return delay. Built-in widgets include Clock, Battery, Weather, Now Playing, Trash, File Tray, AirDrop, Show Desktop, Quick Actions, and Audio Device. Users can install community marketplace widgets or manage trusted local widget bundles.

### Context Menus
Rich right-click menus for apps, folders, files, and URLs. Per-window actions, Quit, Force Quit, Show in Finder, and more.

## Additional Features

- Liquid Glass: macOS 26 liquid glass material for the dock background, with graceful fallback on older systems
- Appearance Control: Floating or taskbar style, light/dark overrides, separate panel color scheme, accent color, icon size, spacing, margins, radius, borders, tint, blur, saturation, and clear/frosted/glass backgrounds
- Multi-Display: Choose the dock screen, set global orientation, override dock position per display, and assign profiles to monitors
- Custom Icons: Replace app, folder, file, and web link icons with custom images and tune custom icon scale
- Folder Expansion: Pinned folders show recent files inline with list or swipeable grid styles and folder hover previews
- Notification Badges: Red badge dots appear on app icons with unread notifications
- Show Desktop: One-click widget with customizable SF Symbol icon
- Overlap Avoidance: Automatically shrinks app windows that extend into the dock area; compatible with third-party window managers
- Haptic Feedback: Tactile haptics for dock reveal, profile switching, Preview Navigator, and interactions
- Trash Icon: Live trash icon with full/empty state and wiggle animation
- Keyboard Control: Preview Navigator, Alt+Tab-style all-windows switcher, letter navigation, profile cycling, dock edit shortcut, toggle dock hidden shortcut, configurable initializer key, modifier-side selection, advanced window-control keybinds, and custom preview action keys
- Preview Navigator: Unified shortcut for live preview navigation with configurable activation behavior and action keys
- Trackpad Gestures: Pinch in, pinch out, and swipe toward dock on running app icons to trigger configurable actions
- Magnification: Icons scale up under the cursor with neighbors shifting; configurable scale and effect distance
- Auto-Hide: Dock slides offscreen when idle and reappears on hover with configurable delay
- Backup and Diagnostics: Export/import all settings and profiles, automatic update checks, support email flow, debug logging, and log export

## Who Is It For

- Mac power users who want more control over their dock
- Multi-monitor users who need different dock configurations per display
- Anyone looking for a HyperDock alternative or macOS dock enhancement
- Users who want window previews similar to the Windows taskbar on Mac
- People who want a native, performant dock replacement (not Electron)

## FAQ

Q: Does DockDoor Pro completely replace the native macOS dock?
A: Yes. You can even use the experimental "Hide Native Dock" option to make it your sole dock experience.

Q: What is the difference between DockDoor Free and DockDoor Pro?
A: DockDoor Free enhances the built-in macOS Dock with window-preview features. DockDoor Pro replaces the Dock and adds previews from its own Dock icons, profiles, pinned content, widgets, marketplace widgets, file staging, Control Center, Quick Actions, appearance tuning, advanced keybinds, Alt+Tab-style controls, keyboard workflows, and deeper window controls.

Q: Should users run DockDoor Free and DockDoor Pro together?
A: Usually no. DockDoor Free is for keeping the built-in Dock with lightweight enhancements. DockDoor Pro is for replacing the Dock.

Q: Can I have different docks on different monitors?
A: Yes. Dock profiles let you assign specific apps to each display.

Q: Is it an Electron or web app?
A: No. It is fully native, built with SwiftUI and AppKit for the best performance and system integration.

Q: Does it support window previews like Windows?
A: Yes. Hover or long-press any running app icon in DockDoor Pro's own Dock for live thumbnail previews of all its windows.

Q: Can I customize the icons?
A: Yes. Replace any dock icon with a custom PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or ICNS image.

Q: Where is my license key?
A: It is in your receipt email, and it can be looked up again at https://pro.dockdoor.net/success using the transaction or order id from the receipt plus the purchase email. Newly purchased keys require the latest build.

Q: How do I move a license to a new Mac?
A: A license covers three Macs. Go to https://pro.dockdoor.net/devices, enter the key, and remove the Mac that is no longer used. The removed Mac deactivates within a day.

## Comparison

| Feature | macOS Dock | DockDoor Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Window previews | No | Yes (live thumbnails) |
| Dock profiles | No | Yes (per-display, auto-switch) |
| Media controls | No | Yes (with synced lyrics) |
| File tray | No | Yes (with AirDrop) |
| Widget stacks | No | Yes (built-ins, marketplace, local bundles) |
| Quick Actions | No | Yes (launch items, Shortcuts, app controls) |
| Custom icons | No | Yes |
| Window tiling from previews | No | Yes (halves, quarters, maximize, fullscreen) |
| Magnification | Basic | Advanced (configurable style, scale, range) |
| Multi-display | Mirror only | Independent per display and position overrides |
| Keyboard navigation | Limited | Preview Navigator, letter navigation, profile cycling, and action keys |
| Native performance | Yes | Yes (SwiftUI/AppKit) |