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%Start How to Control the 2D or 3D Appearance of the Mac's Dock GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets &gt; Apple <h1> How to Control the 2D or 3D Appearance of the Mac&#39;s Dock</h1> <h2> Terminal and cDock let you choose your favorite look</h2> By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others.
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%Start How to Control the 2D or 3D Appearance of the Mac's Dock GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Apple

How to Control the 2D or 3D Appearance of the Mac's Dock

Terminal and cDock let you choose your favorite look

By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others.
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Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 11, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email <h3> In This Article</h3> Expand Jump to a Section The Evolution of the Dock's Appearance Use Terminal to Apply a 2D Effect to the Dock Use Terminal to Switch Back to a 3D Dock Effect Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect The Mac&#39;s Dock has undergone revisions over time.
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Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 11, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section The Evolution of the Dock's Appearance Use Terminal to Apply a 2D Effect to the Dock Use Terminal to Switch Back to a 3D Dock Effect Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect The Mac's Dock has undergone revisions over time.
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Dylan Patel 6 minutes ago
It started life as a basic 2D Dock that was flat and slightly translucent and then morphed into a 3D...
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Dylan Patel 2 minutes ago
Here's a look at the evolution of the Dock and how to change back and forth between a 2D and 3D ...
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It started life as a basic 2D Dock that was flat and slightly translucent and then morphed into a 3D look with Leopard. With OS X Yosemite, the Dock reverted to a 2D look. If you became fond of the 3D look and want to experience it in OS X Yosemite or later, or if you have an OS with the 3D look and want the 2D appearance, it&#39;s possible to switch between the two Dock looks.
Lily Watson Moderator
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It started life as a basic 2D Dock that was flat and slightly translucent and then morphed into a 3D look with Leopard. With OS X Yosemite, the Dock reverted to a 2D look. If you became fond of the 3D look and want to experience it in OS X Yosemite or later, or if you have an OS with the 3D look and want the 2D appearance, it's possible to switch between the two Dock looks.
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Here&#39;s a look at the evolution of the Dock and how to change back and forth between a 2D and 3D appearance using Terminal or the third-party cDock utility. The information in this article applies OS X Leopard and later OS X and macOS versions as indicated.
Zoe Mueller Member
access_time 16 minutes ago
Here's a look at the evolution of the Dock and how to change back and forth between a 2D and 3D appearance using Terminal or the third-party cDock utility. The information in this article applies OS X Leopard and later OS X and macOS versions as indicated.
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Lily Watson 11 minutes ago
Flickr

The Evolution of the Dock

OS X Cheetah introduced the Dock, creating the Mac des...
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Brandon Kumar 15 minutes ago
With the advent of OS X Leopard, the Dock underwent a dramatic change with a three-dimensional, refl...
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Flickr <h2> The Evolution of the Dock </h2> OS X Cheetah introduced the Dock, creating the Mac desktop&#39;s distinctive look. It was a basic 2D dock with the original Aqua pinstripe interface elements introduced in the first OS X version. The Dock morphed a bit through Puma, Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger, but remained 2D.
Mason Rodriguez Member
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Flickr

The Evolution of the Dock

OS X Cheetah introduced the Dock, creating the Mac desktop's distinctive look. It was a basic 2D dock with the original Aqua pinstripe interface elements introduced in the first OS X version. The Dock morphed a bit through Puma, Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger, but remained 2D.
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Thomas Anderson 10 minutes ago
With the advent of OS X Leopard, the Dock underwent a dramatic change with a three-dimensional, refl...
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James Smith 11 minutes ago
However, with OS X Yosemite came the return of the flat, two-dimensional Dock, which remained throug...
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With the advent of OS X Leopard, the Dock underwent a dramatic change with a three-dimensional, reflective look. The Dock icons looked like they were standing up on a ledge. The 3D look continued through Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
Zoe Mueller Member
access_time 18 minutes ago
With the advent of OS X Leopard, the Dock underwent a dramatic change with a three-dimensional, reflective look. The Dock icons looked like they were standing up on a ledge. The 3D look continued through Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
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However, with OS X Yosemite came the return of the flat, two-dimensional Dock, which remained throug...
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However, with OS X Yosemite came the return of the flat, two-dimensional Dock, which remained through subsequent releases. <h2> Use Terminal to Apply a 2D Effect to the Dock </h2> Use Terminal with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks Docks that are currently sporting a 3D look.
Joseph Kim Member
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However, with OS X Yosemite came the return of the flat, two-dimensional Dock, which remained through subsequent releases.

Use Terminal to Apply a 2D Effect to the Dock

Use Terminal with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks Docks that are currently sporting a 3D look.
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Charlotte Lee 3 minutes ago
From the Utilities folder, launch Terminal or type Terminal into spotlight search. Enter the followi...
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Lily Watson 2 minutes ago
Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as shown in a single line of text. defaults write c...
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From the Utilities folder, launch Terminal or type Terminal into spotlight search. Enter the following command line into Terminal.
Nathan Chen Member
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From the Utilities folder, launch Terminal or type Terminal into spotlight search. Enter the following command line into Terminal.
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Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as shown in a single line of text. defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES Press Return. Enter the following text into Terminal.
Christopher Lee Member
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Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as shown in a single line of text. defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES Press Return. Enter the following text into Terminal.
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Thomas Anderson 36 minutes ago
If you type the text rather than copy and paste it, be sure to match the case of the text. killall D...
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If you type the text rather than copy and paste it, be sure to match the case of the text. killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears.
Liam Wilson Member
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If you type the text rather than copy and paste it, be sure to match the case of the text. killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears.
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Liam Wilson 10 minutes ago
Enter the following text into Terminal. exit Press Return....
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Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application....
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Enter the following text into Terminal. exit Press Return.
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Enter the following text into Terminal. exit Press Return.
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Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application....
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Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application.
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Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application.
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Madison Singh 17 minutes ago
Your Dock should now revert to a 2D look.

Use Terminal to Switch Back to a 3D Dock Effect

...
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Mason Rodriguez 23 minutes ago
Enter the following command line into Terminal. Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as ...
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Your Dock should now revert to a 2D look. <h2> Use Terminal to Switch Back to a 3D Dock Effect </h2> Use this Terminal trick with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks Docks that currently sport a 2D look. From the Utilities folder, launch Terminal or type Terminal into Spotlight Search.
Charlotte Lee Member
access_time 26 minutes ago
Your Dock should now revert to a 2D look.

Use Terminal to Switch Back to a 3D Dock Effect

Use this Terminal trick with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks Docks that currently sport a 2D look. From the Utilities folder, launch Terminal or type Terminal into Spotlight Search.
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Nathan Chen 9 minutes ago
Enter the following command line into Terminal. Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as ...
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Enter the following command line into Terminal. Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as shown in a single line of text.
Natalie Lopez Member
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Enter the following command line into Terminal. Copy and paste the command or type it in exactly as shown in a single line of text.
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Joseph Kim 21 minutes ago
defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean NO Press Return. Enter the following text into Termi...
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Sophie Martin 24 minutes ago
killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears. Enter the following ...
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defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean NO Press Return. Enter the following text into Terminal. If you type the text rather than copy and paste it, be sure to match the case of the text.
Mia Anderson Member
access_time 75 minutes ago
defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean NO Press Return. Enter the following text into Terminal. If you type the text rather than copy and paste it, be sure to match the case of the text.
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Joseph Kim 24 minutes ago
killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears. Enter the following ...
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killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears. Enter the following text into Terminal.
Grace Liu Member
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killall Dock Press Return. The Dock disappears for a moment and then reappears. Enter the following text into Terminal.
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Evelyn Zhang 5 minutes ago
exit Press Return. Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application....
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James Smith 6 minutes ago
Your Dock should now revert to a 3D look.

Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect

A ...
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exit Press Return. Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application.
Charlotte Lee Member
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exit Press Return. Terminal ends the current session. Quit the Terminal application.
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Nathan Chen 67 minutes ago
Your Dock should now revert to a 3D look.

Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect

A ...
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Victoria Lopez 13 minutes ago
For OS X El Capitan through macOS Big Sur, installing cDock requires an extra step that involves dis...
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Your Dock should now revert to a 3D look. <h2> Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect </h2> A third-party app called cDock changes the 2D or 3D aspect of your Dock and provides other customizations, including transparency controls, custom indicators, icon shadow, reflections, and more. If you have OS X Yosemite, installing and using cDock is a simple process.
Alexander Wang Member
access_time 54 minutes ago
Your Dock should now revert to a 3D look.

Use cDock to Change the 2D or 3D Dock Aspect

A third-party app called cDock changes the 2D or 3D aspect of your Dock and provides other customizations, including transparency controls, custom indicators, icon shadow, reflections, and more. If you have OS X Yosemite, installing and using cDock is a simple process.
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For OS X El Capitan through macOS Big Sur, installing cDock requires an extra step that involves disabling your SIP (System Integrity Protection). This security measure prevents potentially malicious software from modifying protected resources on your Mac.
Elijah Patel Member
access_time 95 minutes ago
For OS X El Capitan through macOS Big Sur, installing cDock requires an extra step that involves disabling your SIP (System Integrity Protection). This security measure prevents potentially malicious software from modifying protected resources on your Mac.
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Madison Singh 79 minutes ago
While cDock is by no means malicious, the SIP security system prevents cDock's Dock-modification...
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Christopher Lee 10 minutes ago

How to Use cDock

Here's how to change your Dock's appearance using cDock: Downloa...
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While cDock is by no means malicious, the SIP security system prevents cDock&#39;s Dock-modification methods. Disabling the SIP system isn&#39;t recommended just to perform cosmetic Dock changes. If you choose to go ahead with the process, cDock includes instructions for how to disable SIP.
Thomas Anderson Member
access_time 100 minutes ago
While cDock is by no means malicious, the SIP security system prevents cDock's Dock-modification methods. Disabling the SIP system isn't recommended just to perform cosmetic Dock changes. If you choose to go ahead with the process, cDock includes instructions for how to disable SIP.
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Isaac Schmidt 87 minutes ago

How to Use cDock

Here's how to change your Dock's appearance using cDock: Downloa...
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<h3> How to Use cDock </h3> Here&#39;s how to change your Dock&#39;s appearance using cDock: Download cDock. The most recent version is cDock 4, which is compatible with Macs running macOS Mojave (10.14) or higher.
Noah Davis Member
access_time 21 minutes ago

How to Use cDock

Here's how to change your Dock's appearance using cDock: Download cDock. The most recent version is cDock 4, which is compatible with Macs running macOS Mojave (10.14) or higher.
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Liam Wilson 19 minutes ago
Earlier versions are available at the cDock website for older operating systems. Open the downloaded...
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Isaac Schmidt 8 minutes ago
Allow cDock to move itself to the Applications folder. If you're using a version later than Yosemite...
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Earlier versions are available at the cDock website for older operating systems. Open the downloaded Zip file. Open cDock.
Dylan Patel Member
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Earlier versions are available at the cDock website for older operating systems. Open the downloaded Zip file. Open cDock.
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Ella Rodriguez 78 minutes ago
Allow cDock to move itself to the Applications folder. If you're using a version later than Yosemite...
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Sophia Chen 56 minutes ago
Apple doesn't recommend disabling System Integrity Protection. Do so at your own risk. cDock ins...
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Allow cDock to move itself to the Applications folder. If you're using a version later than Yosemite, disable System Integrity Protection.
Sebastian Silva Member
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Allow cDock to move itself to the Applications folder. If you're using a version later than Yosemite, disable System Integrity Protection.
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Apple doesn&#39;t recommend disabling System Integrity Protection. Do so at your own risk. cDock installs its system components.
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Apple doesn't recommend disabling System Integrity Protection. Do so at your own risk. cDock installs its system components.
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Hannah Kim 22 minutes ago
Re-enable System Integrity Protection. To do this, start your Mac using the Recovery partition....
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Liam Wilson 3 minutes ago
Launch Terminal and enter this command: csrutil enable Press Return, quit Terminal, and restart your...
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Re-enable System Integrity Protection. To do this, start your Mac using the Recovery partition.
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Re-enable System Integrity Protection. To do this, start your Mac using the Recovery partition.
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Zoe Mueller 14 minutes ago
Launch Terminal and enter this command: csrutil enable Press Return, quit Terminal, and restart your...
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The cDock app is not currently compatible with M1 Macs. Was this page helpful?...
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Launch Terminal and enter this command: csrutil enable Press Return, quit Terminal, and restart your Mac. Use the cDock menus to change the Dock&#39;s appearance, including switching to a 3D Dock.
Evelyn Zhang Member
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Launch Terminal and enter this command: csrutil enable Press Return, quit Terminal, and restart your Mac. Use the cDock menus to change the Dock's appearance, including switching to a 3D Dock.
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The cDock app is not currently compatible with M1 Macs. Was this page helpful?...
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The cDock app is not currently compatible with M1 Macs. Was this page helpful?
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The cDock app is not currently compatible with M1 Macs. Was this page helpful?
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Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Make a Bootable Flash Installer of OS X or macOS How to Modify the Mac Finder Sidebar How to Delete a File in Terminal on Your Mac How to Flush DNS Cache on a Mac Can I Upgrade or Downgrade to Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6)? How to Use Spotlight, the Finder Search Window How to Update Your MacBook Pro Set up a Gmail Account Using the Mac's Mail Application How to Update Your MacBook Air Laptop Adding Custom Dock Spacers to Your Mac is Easy How to Turn a 2D Drawing Into 3D Art in Paint 3D Make a Bootable USB Installer for OS X El Capitan How to Run Widgets on Your Mac Desktop How to Show or Hide Hidden Files and Folders on Mac Terminal Tips and Tricks to Speed up Your Mac Personalize the Mac's Desktop Wallpaper With Your Own Pictures Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
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