Jetty guides
Guides for the Mac Dock, Launchpad and app launching, plus a dated comparison of dock apps for Mac.
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- ActiveDock Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs ActiveDock 2ActiveDock 2 replaces the Dock and Launchpad; Jetty adds up to four launch bars next to the Dock. Our pick for launching is Jetty. A dated, honest comparison.
- Best Dock Apps for Mac (2026): 10 Extra Docks and Launch Bars ComparedOur pick for an extra dock on Mac is Jetty: up to four launch bars on your screen edges with tabs. Ten dock apps compared by price model, macOS and job.
- Can You Move the Dock to the Top of the Screen on Mac? (Plus Vertical Docks)The macOS Dock goes on the left, bottom or right edge, not the top. How to move it, and how to get a bar of apps on the top edge or a vertical dock.
- Dock Spaces Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs Dock SpacesDock Spaces swaps saved profiles of the macOS Dock; Jetty adds up to four launch bars with tabs next to it. Our pick for app groups is Jetty. A dated comparison.
- DockFix Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs DockFixDockFix restyles and replaces the macOS Dock; Jetty adds up to four extra launch bars next to it. What each does, what DockFix does that Jetty doesn't, dated.
- DockThings Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs DockThingsLooking for a DockThings alternative? Our pick is Jetty: up to four edge or floating bars with tabs, macOS 14 or later. A dated, side-by-side comparison.
- How to Add Apps (and Websites) to the Dock on MacDrag an app to the left of the Dock's separator, or use Options > Keep in Dock. Add a website with Safari's Add to Dock. Plus folders, and room for more.
- How to Change App Icons on Mac (and Tile Icons in a Second Dock)Change an icon with Get Info and Paste, restore it with Cut, and tint every icon in Appearance settings. For launch tiles with SF Symbols or emoji, our pick is Jetty.
- How to Customize the Mac Dock: Every Setting, Terminal Tweak and Custom Dock AppEvery way to customize the Mac Dock: size, magnification, position, auto-hide, recent apps, spacers via Terminal, and apps that add custom docks. Our pick: Jetty.
- How to Customize Your Mac Desktop: Wallpaper, Icons, Widgets and DocksWallpaper, appearance and icon style, desktop widgets, Stacks, the Dock, and extra docks for your apps. Our pick for the launch side of your desktop is Jetty.
- How to Find and Open Apps on Mac (Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe)Spotlight, the Dock, Finder's Applications folder and the Apps view (Launchpad before Tahoe). Our pick for the apps you open every day is a Jetty bar.
- How to Hide the Dock on Mac (and Still Launch Apps in One Click)Press Option-Command-D or turn on Automatically hide and show the Dock. How hiding works, how to bring the Dock back, and a way to launch apps with it hidden.
- How to Organize Your Mac Desktop and Apps (Step by Step)Tidy the Mac desktop with Stacks, folders and the Show Items setting, then organize apps by job: a short Dock and extra bars with tabs. Our pick: Jetty.
- How to Remove Apps from the Dock on Mac (and Keep Them One Click Away)Drag the icon out of the Dock until Remove appears, or Control-click it and use Options. Every built-in method, plus how to keep apps one click away.
- Launchpad Is Gone in macOS Tahoe: 7 Ways to Open Your Apps, RankedmacOS 26 Tahoe replaced Launchpad with the Apps view in Spotlight. Seven ways to open your apps, ranked, from the built-in Apps view to extra docks.
- Mac Taskbar: How to Get a Windows-Style Taskbar on macOSmacOS has no taskbar; the Dock does part of the job. What's built in, which app is the closest Windows taskbar clone (uBar), and our pick for launch bars (Jetty).
- Must-Have Mac Apps (2026): 11 Utilities Worth InstallingEleven Mac utilities for launching, windows, the menu bar, clipboard, screenshots, sound and more. Price model, macOS and source for each. Our pick first: Jetty.
- Overflow 3 Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs OverflowOverflow 3 is a launcher window of collections; Jetty keeps your tiles on bars at the screen edges. Our pick for always-visible launching is Jetty. A dated comparison.
- uBar Alternative for Mac: Jetty vs uBaruBar is a taskbar of open windows; Jetty is extra launch bars on your screen edges. Our pick for launching is Jetty. A dated, honest comparison.
All articles
- App Launcher for Mac: Menu Bar Launchers vs Screen-Edge BarsMac app launchers come as search boxes, full-screen grids, Dock rows, menu bar apps and screen-edge bars. Here is how they differ and where Jetty fits.
- App Organizer for Mac: Options ComparedWays to organize apps on a Mac: Applications folder, Launchpad folders, Dock, search launchers and bar apps. Jetty is our pick, with disclosure.
- Developer App Launcher for Mac: Terminal, Xcode, VS Code on One BarPut your editor, terminal, browser and project folders on one bar on a Mac so starting a coding session is a few clicks in one place.
- How to Hide the Mac Dock and Still Launch Apps QuicklyHide the Dock with Command-Option-D, then keep your apps one click away on a bar at the edge of your screen.
- How to Launch Apps Faster on Mac Without SpotlightSpotlight needs typing every time. Put the apps you open daily on a bar at the edge of your screen and open them with one click instead.
- How to Open Recent Files on Mac, and Pin the Ones You Use Every DayUse Apple menu > Recent Items, Finder Recents and File > Open Recent for recent files, then pin the files and folders you open daily as tiles in Jetty.
- How to Organize Mac Apps by Project or WorkflowmacOS treats your apps as one list. Group them by project with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, folders, files and websites.
- How to Switch Between App Groups on MacmacOS has no app groups. Use Spaces and Stage Manager for windows, and tabs of one-click tiles to launch the set of apps each task needs.
- Launch App Groups on Mac: Keep Each Set One Click AwayJetty does not open a whole group of apps at once. Each tile opens one item. Here is how to group apps so each is one click away, and how Shortcuts can open several.
- Mac Desktop With Apps and Icons All Over? Clean It Up With a Launch BarClear desktop clutter by moving app and folder aliases onto a bar of tiles, then hide desktop icons in System Settings if you want.
- Mac Dock Alternatives for App Launching: Options ComparedIf the macOS Dock does not fit how you work, here are the main alternatives for launching apps, listed neutrally, with Jetty first as our pick.
- Mac Dock Hidden and You Can't Find Your Apps? Here's the FixIf Dock auto-hide makes launching apps slow, turn it off or keep a visible bar of your own apps. Here are both options and when each makes sense.
- Mac Dock Keeps Rearranging? Why It Happens and How to Stop ItThe Dock shifts when apps open and close. Pinned icons stay in order, but running and recent apps change it. Here is how to calm it down.
- Mac Dock Magnification Annoying? Turn It Off or Use a Fixed-Size BarHow to turn off Dock magnification on a Mac, and how to keep icons readable at a fixed size using a bar of your own app tiles.
- Mac Dock Too Small or Too Big? A Better ApproachResize the Dock in System Settings, then move the overflow to bars with a size you pick, so no single row has to show everything.
- Mac Dock vs Menu Bar Launcher vs Screen-Edge Bars: How They CompareA neutral comparison of the macOS Dock, menu-bar launchers and Jetty's screen-edge bars, so you can pick the way of launching apps that suits you.
- Mac Launchpad Too Slow? Faster Ways to Open Apps (and What Changed in macOS 26)Launchpad was replaced by the Apps view in macOS 26 Tahoe. Here is how each works, and a way to keep a short list of your own apps on screen.
- Mac Productivity Tools for App Launching: A Short GuideA short, neutral guide to Mac tools for launching apps, from Spotlight and the Dock to keyboard launchers and Jetty's bars, with one line on each.
- Mac Stage Manager Not Enough? Add a Launch Bar for Your AppsStage Manager tidies windows that are already open. It does not launch apps. Pair it with a bar of tiles for the apps you open every day.
- Open Folders and Files in One Click on Mac (Without Digging Through Finder)Pin the folders and files you open every day to one-click tiles on a bar at your screen edge, so you skip the Finder navigation.
- Organize Your Creative Workflow on Mac with Tabs of App TilesGroup the apps, folders and reference files for each phase of a creative project into tabs on a screen-edge bar, so each phase is one click away.
- Quick-Launch Your Design Apps on Mac: Figma, Sketch, PhotoshopKeep your design toolkit one click away on a Mac with a dedicated bar of app, folder and website tiles, instead of hunting through a crowded Dock.
- Raycast and Alfred vs a Simple Click-to-Launch App for MacRaycast and Alfred are keyboard launchers. Jetty is a click-to-launch bar with no search. Here is when each approach fits better.
- Reduce Mac Dock Clutter with Workflow-Based TabsRemoving apps from the Dock works if they stay reachable. Group them by workflow in tabs of one-click tiles on bars at your screen edge.
- Too Many Apps in Your Mac Dock? How to Clean It UpToo many icons in your Mac Dock? Remove the ones you rarely use and move them to grouped, tabbed launch bars so nothing is lost.