How can I restore/replace the 'Dashboard' feature in MacOS Catalina? I want a 'hidden' desktop to the left of my main one with easy to access function

[peanutismint]

One of my fave MacOS features from back in its OS X days was the ability to have a 'dashboard' desktop that lived to the left of my main desktop and held easy to access widgets like a calculator, world clock, weather and sticky notes so that I could access things with a quick two-finger swipe on my mouse/trackpad without having to click anything.

Apple, in their infinite wisdom, decided "nobody" was using that feature and removed it in Catalina. I know there's now 'widgets' to replace those things, I know there's still apps for weather, world clock, sticky notes etc, but none of them are as easy to access as simply swiping to the left to access my dashboard was.

Is there any way to get this back, or any replacement software that will allow me quick access to information like the widgets I mentioned without taking my hand off my mouse?? I highlight that part because that is important to me.

If anyone has any suggestions please let me know 👍

 

[MacCheetah3]

It was a disappointing loss.

Is there any way to get this back, or any replacement software that will allow me quick access to information like the widgets I mentioned without taking my hand off my mouse?? I highlight that part because that is important to me.

I'm not aware of any software that replaces it, but you can make do "without taking my hand off my mouse" using the features that remain.

I have my Hot Corners set to (among other things) open or close Today view/Notifications Center and Launchpad.

Today view, referred to as just Notifications Center, provides some of the previously included widgets, not Stickies though, for example. However, Stickies is an app -- hopefully, not to be confused with Notes -- which is where Launchpad comes in (when properly organized, of course). Again, not nearly as convenient, integrated as Dashboard, but does overall succeed albeit clumsily.

 

[peanutismint]

Thanks for the response; yeah I already use hot corners but as you said can't really find anything more useful to do with them in this situation, HOWEVER I never really paid much attention to what 'Launchpad' was - I was under the impression it's just a display of your entire app library....? Can you actually choose which apps display in Launchpad, making it a sort of 'secondary dock' of frequently used apps?

 

[MacCheetah3]

Can you actually choose which apps display in Launchpad, making it a sort of 'secondary dock' of frequently used apps?

Similar to iOS Home screens, you can organize each 'page': change the order, put as many or few as you want on each using drag and drop.

 

[Fishrrman]

You can't restore the Dashboard to Catalina.
You're going to have to find "other ways".

One of the reasons I've decided to stick with Mojave on my 2018 Mini.
That's "as far as it's gonna go..."

 

[svanstrom]

How about just making the leftmost space filled with all these tiny apps and web windows containing the same stuff?

I recommend Moom as a handy tool to quickly organise windows.

 

[hellopupy]

After dashboard was axed in Catalina, I PAID for functional TODAY widgets that would best match my workflow that relied on dashboard. Then a year later, Big Sur killed functional widgets (which I paid for, and rendered the paid apps useless) from the today panel so I downgraded back to Catalina in hopes they will make today widgets functional again. It doesn't seem like they will do this, nor do the app developers think it will happen in the short term. It sucks, they're removing workflow and efficiency even as people try to adapt.

Pretty disappointing since I'd like to upgrade to m1 but those only run on minimum Big Sur.

 

[MacCheetah3]

@hellopupy Agreed. I understand the value of integrating some successful iOS UI elements across the platform though sometimes it definitely has come without warrant. And, yes, the usefulness of widgets specifically have degraded a lot in macOS.