Auto-hide the Dock only when a window would cover it.
DockAutoHide is a tiny macOS menu bar utility that watches for windows overlapping the Dock and flips auto-hide on the fly. It's a simple, focused stopgap for people who want the Dock visible most of the time, but out of the way when a window needs the space — until macOS offers this behavior natively.
demo.mov
- You keep the Dock visible for quick app switching, but hate losing content space when windows touch the screen edge.
- You don't want to manually toggle auto-hide all day.
- You want a tiny, menu bar–only helper that quietly handles it for you.
- Smart Switching: automatically toggles Dock auto-hide based on window overlap.
- Manual override: a one-click menu item to force Dock auto-hide on/off.
- Menu bar only: no Dock icon, no window.
- Launch at Login support.
- Local-only behavior with no network access.
This is a simple tool but still in an early, experimental stage. It has not been tested across enough real-world setups, and some interactions may feel rough or inconsistent.
That said, it is fully usable: the developer already runs it daily. The goal is to provide a practical, lightweight alternative until Apple ships an official feature like this.
Feedback is hugely appreciated — especially reports of edge cases.
brew tap nshcr/tap
brew install --cask dockautohide- This is the recommended installation method.
- Homebrew installs the app from the dedicated nshcr/homebrew-tap repository.
- Releases are built by GitHub Actions and published as architecture‑specific DMGs.
- Download the DMG that matches your Mac architecture from GitHub Releases.
- Open the DMG and drag
DockAutoHide.appinto/Applications.
- Open
DockAutoHide.xcodeprojin Xcode. - Select the
DockAutoHidescheme. - Build and run.
- Click the menu bar icon to open the menu.
- Smart Switching toggles automatic behavior on/off.
- Dock Auto-Hide manually toggles the Dock (disabled while Smart Switching is on).
- Status shows the current Dock auto-hide state or authorization status.
- Request System Events Permission appears if automation permission is missing.
- Launch at Login toggles startup behavior.
- Quit exits the app.
- macOS 13.5+ (deployment target set in the Xcode project).
- Apple Silicon or Intel Mac.
DockAutoHide uses two macOS permission areas:
- Automation (System Events): required. The app uses Apple Events to read and toggle Dock auto-hide. Without this permission, DockAutoHide cannot control the Dock.
- Screen Recording: optional, but recommended for best Smart Switching behavior. It helps macOS provide more accurate window metadata for overlap detection.
The app does not proactively request Screen Recording permission. If you want the best Smart Switching accuracy, add DockAutoHide manually in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording.
Without Screen Recording permission, DockAutoHide still works in the vast majority of setups:
- Manual Dock auto-hide control still works normally.
- Smart Switching still uses live screen geometry and Dock preferences, but may lose some live Dock span metadata and fall back to the current display context.
- In more complex setups, especially some multi-display arrangements, Smart Switching can be a little less precise.
In short: enabling Screen Recording gives DockAutoHide its best behavior, but leaving it disabled should still be good enough for most everyday use.
DockAutoHide performs all processing locally. It does not collect analytics or transmit data over the network.
Contributions of any kind are very welcome. If you try DockAutoHide, I would love to hear your feedback, bug reports, and suggestions. Even small notes about what feels off or where it fails are valuable.
MIT