5 Easy Ways to Remove iMessage from Dock

IMessage icon on Mac Dock

Are you constantly annoyed by the iMessage icon cluttering up your Mac’s Dock? Fret not, for there’s a simple solution to banish this digital nuisance. Whether you’re a minimalist seeking a cleaner Dock or simply want to declutter your workspace, this guide will empower you with the knowledge to eliminate iMessage from this persistent location.

To embark on this purging quest, hover your cursor over the iMessage icon within the Dock. As the options menu materializes, discerning eyes will notice the presence of an ellipsis (…). This unassuming trio of dots holds the key to our objective. With a swift click, unveil a hidden world of customization where liberation from the iMessage icon awaits.

Within the depths of this customization menu, seek out the aptly named “Remove from Dock” option. Upon clicking this digital beacon of hope, the iMessage icon will vanish into thin air, restoring order and harmony to your Dock. However, should you experience a change of heart or find yourself longing for the days of easy iMessage access, simply navigate to the Applications folder, locate iMessage, and drag it back onto the Dock. The power to declutter and restore is now firmly within your grasp.

Disable Messages Notifications

Messages notifications can be extremely distracting, especially if you receive a high volume of messages throughout the day. If you find that Messages notifications are disrupting your workflow or focus, you can disable them entirely. Here are the steps on how to do it:

Disabling Messages Notifications:

Open the Settings app on your device.
Tap on the Notifications tab.
Scroll down and tap on the Messages app.
Toggle the Allow Notifications switch to off.
If you want to customize the notifications further, you can tap on the Notification Style option and select from the available options such as Banners, Alerts, or None.

Once you have disabled Messages notifications, you will no longer receive any notifications for new messages. This can be helpful if you need to focus on other tasks or if you simply want to reduce the number of distractions on your device. You can always re-enable notifications later if you change your mind.

Remove Messages App from Dock

To remove the Messages app from the Dock, follow these steps:

Hover your mouse over the Messages icon in the Dock.
Click and hold the icon until the Dock begins to jiggle.
Drag the Messages icon off the Dock and drop it into the trash.

Recover Messages App to Dock

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
`Command`+`Shift`+`U`	Opens the Utilities folder
`Command`+`A`	Selects all items in the Utilities folder
`Command`+`C`	Copies all items in the Utilities folder
`Command`+`Shift`+`A`	Selects all items in the Applications folder
`Command`+`V`	Pastes all items from the Utilities folder into the Applications folder

Put Messages App to Dock

1. Launch the Messages app by searching for it in Spotlight or clicking on its icon in the Applications folder.
2. Click on the Messages menu in the menu bar and select “Quit Messages.”
3. Open the Dock by clicking on the Dock icon in the menu bar or pressing Command+Option+D.
4. Drag the Messages icon from the Applications folder to the Dock.

Use Mission Control to Hide Dock

In macOS, Mission Control is a convenient feature that allows you to manage your open windows and desktops. You can also use Mission Control to hide the Dock. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Mission Control

To open Mission Control, use one of the following shortcuts:

Press F3 (or Fn + F3).
Touchpad: swipe down with three fingers.

2. Show Dock

If the Dock is not visible, move your cursor to the left edge of the screen. The Dock will slide out from the left side.

3. Hide Dock

Once Mission Control is open:

Click the “Dock” menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Select “Hide Dock”.
Alternatively, you can press the “Command + Option + D” keyboard shortcut.

The Dock will slide back into the left edge of the screen, hiding it from view until it’s needed again.

Hide Dock Automatically

To hide the Dock automatically, follow these steps:

Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.”
Click on “Dock & Menu Bar.”
Click the “Automatically hide and show the Dock” checkbox.
Now, the Dock will hide itself when not in use and will only appear when you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.

Create a Shortcut to Hide Dock

Creating a shortcut to hide the Dock in macOS offers a quick and easy way to declutter the screen. To achieve this, follow these steps:

Open the Automator app.
Click “Create New Document.”
Select “Application” as the document type.
In the Actions section, search for and drag “Run AppleScript” into the workflow area.
In the AppleScript window, enter the following code:

“`applescript
tell application “Dock”
set visible to false
end tell
“`

Save the application with a name like “Hide Dock” and choose a location for the shortcut.
To use the shortcut, double-click the icon to hide the Dock. To restore it, double-click the icon again.

Set Dock Size to Automatic

By default, the Dock is set to a fixed size. However, you can change this setting so that the Dock automatically adjusts its size based on the number of applications and items in it. This can help to keep the Dock tidy and organized, especially if you have a lot of applications installed.

To set the Dock size to automatic, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences”.
2. Click on the “Dock” icon.
3. Under the “Size” section, select the “Automatic” option.

Once you have set the Dock size to automatic, it will automatically adjust its size based on the number of applications and items in it.

Additional Tips

Adjusting the magnification(optional)

If the Dock icons are too small or too large for your taste, you can adjust the magnification. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences”.
2. Click the “Accessibility” icon and then the “Zoom” tab.
3. Under the “Screen Zoom” section, drag the slider to adjust the magnification.

Hiding the Dock(optional)

If you want to hide the Dock, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Go to “System Preferences” and choose “Dock”.
2. Under the “Position on screen” section, select “Bottom of screen or Left side of screen”.
3. Uncheck “Automatically hide and show the Dock”.

Customizing the Dock(optional)

You can also customize the Dock by adding or removing items. To do this, simply drag and drop applications, folders, and files onto or off the Dock. You can also change the order of items on the Dock by dragging and dropping them.

Dock Item	Description
Applications	Applications that are installed on your computer.
Folders	Folders that contain applications, documents, or other files.
Files	Individual files, such as documents, images, or videos.
Spacer	A small, empty space that can be used to group items on the Dock.

Use a Terminal Command

Follow these steps to remove iMessage from the dock using a Terminal command:

1. Open Terminal

Launch Terminal from the Applications folder or Spotlight Search.

2. Enter the Command

Type or paste the following command into Terminal and press Enter:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-remove '{<?class>}'
killall Dock

3. Replace “Dock”

Replace “” with the bundle ID of iMessage in the command.

4. Locate the Bundle ID

To find the bundle ID, type the following command into Terminal:

mdfind "kMDItemKind == 'Application'" | grep iMessage

5. Restart Dock

Enter the following command to restart the Dock:

killall Dock

6. Check the Dock

iMessage should now be removed from the Dock.

7. Troubleshooting

If iMessage is still present on the Dock, try the following:

Issue	Solution
iMessage still persists after executing the command	Quit all iMessage processes using the command: “pkill iMessage”Then execute the terminal command again.
iMessage is “locked” in the Dock	Right-click on iMessage in the Dock and uncheck “Keep in Dock.”Then, follow the terminal command steps again.
Other unexpected behavior	Restart your Mac and try the terminal command procedure again.

Edit Dock Preferences File

To edit the Dock preferences file, follow these steps:

Open Terminal.
Type “defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array” and press Enter.
Type “killall Dock” and press Enter to restart the Dock.
The Dock preferences file will now be open in TextEdit.

Note: Before making any changes to the Dock preferences file, it is recommended to make a backup copy of the file.

Here is a table of the different values that you can set for the “persistent-others” key:

Value	Description
-array	iMessage will not appear in the Dock.
{ }	iMessage will appear in the Dock.
null	The Dock will be reset to its default settings.

Reset Dock

If the above solutions don’t resolve the issue, you can try resetting the Dock to its default settings. Here’s how:

Open the Finder.
Click on the “Go” menu in the menu bar.
Select “Go to Folder”.
Enter the following path in the search box: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist
Click on “Go”.
Move the “com.apple.dock.plist” file to the Trash.
Logout and log back into your user account.
The Dock will be reset to its default settings.

Additional Details:

The “com.apple.dock.plist” file stores the Dock’s settings, including the position of icons and the presence of the “Recent Applications” section. By moving this file to the Trash, you force the Dock to create a new “com.apple.dock.plist” file with the default settings.

Resetting the Dock will also remove any third-party Dock extensions or widgets you may have installed. If you want to restore these extensions or widgets, you will need to reinstall them after resetting the Dock.

Restart Mac

Restarting your Mac can resolve various issues, including the persistent presence of iMessage in the Dock.

To restart your Mac:

Click on the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Select “Restart”.
Your Mac will shut down and restart.

Once your Mac has restarted, check if iMessage has been removed from the Dock.

Steps	Description
1	Click the Apple menu in the menu bar.
2	Select “System Preferences” from the menu.
3	Click on “Dock & Menu Bar” in System Preferences.
4	Uncheck the box next to “Show recent applications in Dock”.
5	Click on the “Apply” button to save your changes.

These steps will prevent recently used applications, including iMessage, from appearing in the Dock.

How To Get Rid Of Imessage On Dock

If you’re like me, you use iMessage all the time. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, and it’s integrated right into your Mac. However, if you’re not using iMessage, it can be annoying to have the icon sitting in your dock. Here’s how to get rid of it:

Open the Dock.
Right-click on the iMessage icon.
Select “Remove from Dock.”

That’s it! The iMessage icon will now be removed from your dock.