The Dock at the bottom of the screen in macOS is the first place you are likely to go when you want to open apps, pull up documents you had minimised, and access your downloads.
Certain apps will always appear in your Dock by default, others disappear from the Dock when you close them, and if you want an app to stay in the Dock even once it’s closed you can choose to Keep in Dock if you right click on it and select Options.
But since installing Mojave you’ll have noticed a new area in the Dock where apps that aren’t usually found in your Dock appear and then stick around. This is the new recent applications area, and it could be handy if you’ve recently installed and started a using a new app, or if you are using an app on a temporary basis and don’t want to add it to your Dock permanently.
The problem arises if you would prefer that the app didn’t stick around in your Dock. Perhaps you are working on a small screen and you want to keep your Dock uncluttered. Maybe all the apps you normally use are in your Dock already meaning that the ones that are suddenly appearing in the Recent Apps section are just a collection of random trials you had downloaded and discarded.
How can you get rid of the Recent Apps section of the dock and stop seeing those apps at the bottom of your screen?
Luckily it’s an easy fix.
- Right-click or control-click on your Dock – you’ll need to position your curser away from any apps or documents, so you’ll be best to aim for the lines divider. This will open the Dock preferences pane of System Preferences.
- Alternatively open System Preferences (either by clicking on the System Preferences icon that looks like cogs in the Dock, or by clicking on the Apple logo in your Menu, and choosing System Preferences > Dock.
- With the Dock preferences pane open, find Show recent applications in Dock and deselect it.
For more tips about how to use your Dock to work smarter, read: How to fix a disappearing Dock, How to add apps to the Dock and Top Dock tricks.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.