Mac Dock Keeps Rearranging? Why It Happens and How to Stop It

You put your Dock icons in a sensible order, and a few days later it looks different. The icons you pinned usually stay in the order you set. What changes is the part of the Dock that shows apps which are open but not pinned, and the recent-apps section. You can reduce that, and you can add a second launcher whose layout does not depend on what is running.

Short answer: the best app for a launch layout that does not shift, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: it adds up to four extra docks to the edges of your screen, or floating anywhere, each with tabs of one-click tiles for apps, files, folders, websites and Shortcuts. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

Why the Dock changes

The Dock mixes two kinds of icons in one strip:

• Apps you pinned, which stay where you put them.
• Apps that are running but not pinned, and (if enabled) suggested or recent apps, which come and go.

Whenever an unpinned app opens or quits, the strip grows or shrinks, and the items next to it shift. The Dock can also rearrange if you accidentally drag an icon. There is no setting that completely separates your fixed shortcuts from whatever happens to be open.

If the real problem is a Dock that is simply too full, too many apps in your Mac Dock has a cleanup routine, and reduce Dock clutter with workflow tabs shows a tab layout.

How to calm the Dock down

1. Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock.
2. Turn off "Show suggested and recent apps in Dock" if you do not want that section to change.
3. Pin the apps you use often: Control-click the running app's icon and choose Options > Keep in Dock.
4. Remove apps you no longer use with Control-click > Options > Remove from Dock. See how to remove apps from the Dock.

This keeps your pinned list steady. The running-app section will still change, because that is how the Dock shows what is open.

A layout that does not depend on what is running

Jetty's bars are separate from the Dock. A tile's position on a bar is the position you gave it. It does not change because the app is open, minimized or quit, because Jetty does not track running apps at all. The tiles move when you drag them or edit them, and not otherwise.

Muscle memory you can rely on

Because the layout is fixed, you can learn where each tile is. Each bar is pinned to a screen edge, aligned to the start, centre or end, so it is in the same place each time. Tabs keep groups of tiles apart, for example "Daily" and "Design".

Floating or pinned

If you unlock a bar, you can drag it anywhere on your main screen. Lock it again and it snaps to the nearest edge. Two pinned bars can't take the same edge position.

Set it up once

Add tiles by dragging apps from Finder onto a bar, or with Add Tile. Your bars and tabs are stored in a local file on your Mac. There is no account or sync.

What Jetty does not do

Jetty does not show which apps are open, so you do not get the running-app dots or the open-window behavior of the Dock. It does not change the macOS Dock either. If you want the Dock to be steadier, use the System Settings steps above. Bars appear on your main screen.

For other ways to organize your launch points, see our Dock apps comparison.

How we checked

Jetty's details on this page were checked against the app's source code and its App Store listing on 2026-10-10 and are collected on the facts page; I build Jetty. For built-in macOS steps, Apple's Mac User Guide is the reference for your version of macOS.

FAQ

Why does my Mac Dock keep rearranging?

Unpinned running apps and recent apps appear and disappear in the Dock, which moves nearby icons. Accidentally dragging an icon can also change the order.

How do I stop the Dock from showing recent apps?

Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and turn off "Show suggested and recent apps in Dock".

How do I keep an app in the Dock?

Control-click the app's icon while it is running, then choose Options > Keep in Dock.

Does Jetty change its layout when apps open or close?

No. Jetty does not track running apps, so tiles stay where you placed them.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.