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How to Disable ‘Show Recent Applications in Dock’ in macOS Catalina

Dennis SellersTech Tips

posted on Apr. 29, 2020May 1, 2020

Catalina Quick Tip

macOS Mojave added a new feature to the Dock: it now shows your three most recent apps. This section sits between your collections of app icons on the left and the section of the right that shows your open apps.

I find it convenient; however, you may not. If so, you can disable this feature. Go to System Preferences > Dock and uncheck the box at the bottom for Show recent applications in Dock.

These instructions apply, for the most part, to other versions of macOS besides Catalina. However, I’m using Catalina on a 16-inch MacBook Pro for this tutorial.

the authorDennis Sellers

Contributing Author

Dennis has over 40 years of journalism experience and has written hundreds of articles. For the past 20-plus years, he's been an online journalist, covering mainly Apple Inc. He's written for MacCentral, MacWorld, MacMinute, Macsimum News, Apple Daily Report, and is now contributing editor at Apple World Today.

Dennis SellersApril 29, 2020

7 Comments

Ro says:

April 21, 2023 at 12:20 pm

Thanks for tutorial, this is what i needed. MacOS Monterey 12.6 mac pro 14inch 2021
Michael Karman says:

August 2, 2021 at 7:23 pm

That does not work in Big Sur.
Thomas Smith says:

May 9, 2020 at 7:44 am

Found issue, had to do a complete restart. Not just shutdown.

Thank you for the tips.

Very useful.
Thomas Smith says:

May 9, 2020 at 7:40 am

I am using a 13” MB pro 2015 with CATALINA.
I found the check box, unchecked it.
Closed preferences.
Restarted Mac book pro.
list is still there.

What did I not do correctly.

Also is there a way to edit what you see, the feature would be handy if I could customize.

Thanks
Ed Arnold says:

April 29, 2020 at 1:59 pm

Thanks for this tip. So useful.
The Old Coot says:

April 29, 2020 at 9:44 am

I like the old “Recently Used Apps” where it showed more than three which Apple seemed to think was a waste of a feature. I’ve been trying to get it back, not get rid of it.
- joevt says:
  
  April 29, 2020 at 12:32 pm
  
  Recent apps are shown in the Apple menu in Recent Items.
  
  The General preferences panel has an option to increase the number of Recent Items shown for Documents, Apps, and Servers.