DockLock Pro – Finally Fix macOS Dock Jumping on Multiple Monitors

[IGHOR]

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a story about my journey to fix one of the most annoying problems I had with macOS: the Dock randomly jumping screens and moving around whenever it felt like it.

As someone who works with multiple monitors, I rely on the Dock staying anchored at the bottom of my main display for a consistent workflow. But every time I switched between apps or moved things around, the Dock would unpredictably jump to a different screen, driving me crazy!

I spent hours searching for a solution, scouring forums, and reading through hundreds of articles where other desperate users were trying to find a way to lock the Dock in place. Many of these posts and articles spanned over the years, with frustrated users pleading for a fix, but Apple never addressed the issue or provided a reliable solution.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and created DockLock Pro – an app that locks the Dock in place and stops it from moving between screens.

The best part? DockLock Pro works without any system modifications, hacks, or private APIs, which means it's 100% compliant with macOS and App Store guidelines. I even managed to get DockLock Lite approved for the Mac App Store!

Key Features:

• Locks the Dock in Place: Stops the Dock from jumping screens and keeps it anchored at the bottom where it belongs.
• Perfect for Multi-Monitor Setups: Ensures the Dock stays on the selected screen in multi-display environments.
• Lightweight and Safe: Runs unobtrusively in the background with minimal impact on performance, and it's App Store-safe.

If you're as tired of Dock frustration as I was, I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think!

I'm excited to finally share a solution that made my Mac experience better, and I hope it helps others too!

https://docklockpro.com

I'm also open to bug reports, suggestions, and recommendations – feel free to share them in the comments below!

 

[rasputin666]

literally happens to me multiple times a day i will def check this out

 

[IGHOR]

If anyone wants to get the app for free, I’m giving away 10 promo codes. Just send an email to support@docklock.pro to claim one! In exchange, I’d appreciate your feedback on the app.

 

[smirking]

Could this possibly help to prevent loss of screen spaces when you switch back and forth between single and multi-display setups? I never use my laptop screen alongside my Apple Studio screen because doing so causes MacOS to get confused about how to allocate my six screen spaces. Each time I plug in, it might decide screen 1 is my external (which I want) or it decides to make my laptop screen 1.

This is so disruptive to the way I work that I never use a second monitor because whatever productivity I can gain with more screen isn't worth the pain of having to redo my setup constantly. I even have multiple 5K externals. One of them is in a box because I don't expect to ever use it.

 

[IGHOR]

@smirking If you manually move the Dock back to your preferred screen, does it feel like the issue is resolved? If yes, DockLock Lite is the solution for you.

You can download DockLock Lite for free and try it in limited free mode, where it locks the Dock on all screens without customization. Keeping the app running is enough to test whether it helps with your issue.

 

[IGHOR]

Since my first post here, DockLock has gained several major additions.

DockLock Lite now supports automatic Dock relocation across displays when the Mac wakes from sleep and when the display configuration changes (disconnects, reconnects, resolution changes, rearrangement). It also now includes manual Dock relocation through the tray menu, so you can intentionally move the Dock to a specific display without relying on cursor edge detection.

DockLock Plus has also expanded significantly. It now includes powerful automation features via a Command Line interface, Apple Shortcuts, and a Raycast extension, making Dock positioning fully scriptable and easy to integrate into advanced workflows.

Also important: DockLock Lite core features are now free to use after the trial ends, thanks to everyone who supported the project by purchasing a license.

Below is the original background for context, plus the full current feature overview for anyone who is still dealing with the Dock jumping problem on multi-display setups:

In 2013, when OS X Mavericks was released, Apple changed how the Dock works with multiple displays. Instead of being fixed to the primary screen, the Dock started following whichever display the cursor touched at the bottom edge. Almost immediately, users began reporting that the Dock would jump between monitors without intent.

One of the earliest public reports dates back to October 2013 on Apple Support Communities, where users described the Dock randomly relocating during normal use and after sleep or Space changes. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5483780

Thirteen years later, the same Dock relocation logic still exists across macOS versions. It is often described by Apple and users as "by design", but for many multi-display users it has functioned as a persistent usability bug rather than a feature.

A Personal Problem That Never Went Away
For more than a decade, I personally dealt with this issue while using multiple displays. The Dock jumping between screens was a constant annoyance, especially during normal daily work. Over the years I repeatedly searched for a solution, a system setting, or even a third party tool, and found nothing that actually fixed the problem.

In February 2025, I finally had a clear idea of how this could be solved properly. That moment led to building the first app specifically designed to stop the Dock from relocating unintentionally. This is how DockLock Lite was created, with the single goal of keeping the Dock exactly where you put it.

What DockLock Solves Today
Support has now been added for macOS 10.9, which means the Dock jumping issue can now be fully mitigated on every macOS version where it has existed.

DockLock Lite core functionality is now free after the trial period ends, made possible by users who supported the project by purchasing a license. Recent updates focus on reliability and transparency. The app now detects incompatible display setups or relocation conflicts and explains to the user what is happening and how to resolve it.

DockLock Lite includes both automatic and manual Dock positioning:
- Automatic Dock relocation across displays after wake from sleep and after screen or display configuration changes
- Manual Dock relocation via tray menu (move the Dock intentionally to a selected display)

DockLock is designed to intentionally move the Dock across displays, preserve its position, and reliably restore it after sleep, display reconnection, or screen configuration changes. It also remembers the preferred Dock location for different display combinations, so the Dock returns to the correct screen automatically as setups change.

Internally, DockLock handles custom Dock settings and a wide range of edge cases, including situations where macOS fails to correctly report Dock location or display ownership. It dynamically switches between internal engine modes depending on the current system state and display configuration, so it works across a wide variety of setups while preserving native macOS behavior.

For advanced users, DockLock Plus adds full automation support:
- Command Line control (CLI)
- Apple Shortcuts integration
- Raycast extension for fast Dock actions and workflows

Why This Behavior Matters
The Dock jumping between displays has affected developers, designers, traders, and anyone working with multiple monitors since 2013. It breaks muscle memory, interrupts focus, and turns a core system element into something unpredictable. When the Dock moves while rearranging windows, it often forces macOS to resize or shift those windows, breaking layouts and wasting screen space.

This behavior has been repeatedly reported across Apple forums and Reddit over the years. Most users either learned to tolerate it or assumed nothing could be done. DockLock exists because that assumption turned out to be wrong.

Giving Control Back to the User
The Dock behavior introduced in Mavericks solved one problem but created another, and over the years it remained largely unchanged. What matters now is that users finally have control. DockLock does not try to redefine how macOS works. It simply gives the user an explicit choice instead of relying on accidental cursor placement.

Availability and Requirements
DockLock Lite and DockLock Plus are available on the Mac App Store. More details, documentation, and direct links can also be found at https://docklockpro.com

Current limitations and requirements:
- DockLock works only when the Dock is positioned at the bottom of the screen
- The macOS setting "Displays have separate Spaces" must be enabled
- The target display where the Dock is locked must have at least a few pixels at the bottom edge that are not overlapped by another display

These reflect how macOS itself determines Dock placement and are required for reliable operation. DockLock works within the same constraints enforced by the system.

DockLock Plus extends automation on top of the same system constraints, while DockLock Pro is designed to go beyond them. DockLock Lite and DockLock Plus operate within Mac App Store sandbox constraints, while DockLock Pro is designed to remove those constraints and enable Dock placement options that macOS normally restricts.

To go beyond those limitations, I am working on DockLock Pro, which will be available exclusively through the website and not the Mac App Store. A prototype video demonstration is available here: https://docklockpro.com/prototype/

DockLock Pro is funded entirely by users who purchased DockLock Lite and DockLock Plus licenses. I am an independent solo developer, and my full time work is focused on building apps like this and solving long standing macOS usability problems.

DockLock is privacy friendly by design. It is fully sandboxed, makes no network requests, and does not collect or transmit any user data.

Thanks to everyone who supported DockLock and helped shape it through feedback and real world testing. I plan to keep improving the app for as long as this problem exists and the solution is needed.