Mac Dock applications - How to move (or remove) a Mac application icon

Mac Dock icon FAQs: How do I move a Mac application icon to the Dock so I can access it easier? Also, how do I remove an application icon from the Mac Dock?

When you first buy a Mac, the left side of the Dock (the left side of the highway stripe on the Dock) is pre-loaded with several Mac OS X applications. But once you become good at using your Mac, you'll probably want to remove a lot of these applications from the Dock, and replace them with applications you use all the time. In this short "Mac Dock" tutorial we'll show you how to add and remove Mac applications to and from the Mac Dock.

How to move a Mac application icon to the Dock

To move a Mac application icon to the Dock, just follow these steps:

1. Click the Applications icon on the right side of the Dock,
2. Find the application you want to place on the Dock,
3. Click-and-drag that application icon to the left side of the Dock. As you drag the application icon to the left side of the Dock, you'll see the other application icons slide out of your way as you position the application icon where you want it on the Dock.

Note that you can't place an application icon on the right side of the Dock. The right side of the Dock is reserved for files and folders, and also shows currently open application windows.

Also note that although I've written that you are moving your application to the Mac Dock, what you're really doing is creating a shortcut to the application on the Dock. The original application icon is still in your Applications folder. This is nice to know for when you want to remove an application icon from the Mac Dock ...

Mac dock - How to remove an application from the Mac Dock

To remove an application from the Mac Dock, just click application icon on the left side of the Dock, and then drag it up and off the Dock, as shown in this image:

When you do this, you'll see a "cloud" added to the icon, indicating that the application icon is about to disappear in a puff of smoke.

Again, your original application is still in the Applications folder on the right side of the Dock, so this is safe to do. In fact, I recommend verifying that your application is still in the Applications folder before doing this.

How to move or remove Mac App icons on the Dock

I hope these tips on (a) how to move a Mac app icon to the Mac Dock and (b) how to remove a Mac icon from the Mac Dock have been helpful. As usual, if you have any questions or comments, just leave a note below.