The Dock Device Setting allows you to configure and standardize the macOS Dock across your managed devices — controlling which apps appear, whether users can modify the Dock, and how it behaves. This is useful for ensuring all users have quick access to the tools they need from the moment they log in.
How to Create the Device Setting
- Navigate to Catalog > Device Settings and click New.
- Select Dock from the settings list.
- Configure your desired settings (see below).
- Click Create Profile when finished, then assign it to the appropriate policy.
Key Settings
The Dock Device Setting includes a wide range of options. The settings below cover the most commonly used ones. For settings not covered here, the Device Setting creation window includes descriptions directly in the UI, and a full breakdown is available in Apple's Developer Documentation.
Static Apps
Static apps are pinned to the Dock and cannot be removed by any user, including administrators. Use this setting for apps that all devices in a fleet should always have accessible — such as a communication tool like Slack or Teams.
Note: If a user moves a Static App to a different position in the Dock, it will reset to its configured position on the next device restart. Users cannot add additional apps to the Dock when Static Apps are configured — this behavior is controlled by Apple.
Persistent Apps
Persistent apps can be removed from the Dock by users, but will reappear on the next device restart. Any apps the user added themselves will be removed at that point.
Note: Enabling Persistent Apps will clear all currently docked apps and replace them with only the configured apps. This behavior is controlled by Apple.
Static/Persistent Others
The "Others" section adds items to the right-hand side of the Dock. Unlike the app settings above, the item does not need to be a .app file — you can add a directory, file, or URL. This is useful for giving users one-click access to a shared folder, support page, or internal resource.
Example Configuration
The example below shows a Dock Device Setting configured for a standard employee setup, with core apps pinned as Static Apps and a URL added to the Others section for easy access to the support portal:
Static Apps:
/System/Applications/Launchpad.app/Applications/Safari.app/System/Applications/Notes.app/System/Applications/Calendar.app/System/Applications/Reminders.app/System/Applications/System Preferences.app/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Applications/Microsoft Word.app/Applications/Slack.app/Applications/zoom.us.app
Others (URL): Label: Addigy — URL: https://support.addigy.com/hc/en-us
Troubleshooting
A question mark is appearing in the Dock
A question mark icon means the app could not be found at the specified path — most commonly because the application is not installed on the device. Verify that the app is deployed to the device and that the file path in the Device Setting matches the actual install location exactly.
How to reset the Dock to its default settings
To remove all MDM-configured Dock settings and restore the default macOS Dock, run the following command:
defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock