Why does DockAlly need Accessibility access?

To read where your Dock icons are, so a creature can run to the app you just opened, and to put windows back where you saved them. It reads positions. It never types, clicks, or reads your screen.

Will it mess up my Dock?

Your Dock is backed up before the first change, and "Restore Original Dock" puts it back exactly. Each folder keeps its own sort order and view. DockAlly never changes those.

Does the Dock flicker when a profile switches?

macOS restarts the Dock to change it. DockAlly covers that moment: glass tiles wrap each icon, gather into one bar while the Dock reloads behind it, then split over the new icons and fade away.

How much does it slow my Mac down?

With all seven creatures it sits around 15 to 25 per cent of one core while they move, and drops when they sleep or the Dock is covered. The main thread stays free, so nothing else feels slower.

Can I turn the creatures off and keep the Dock profiles?

Yes. Hide them from the paw menu and the profiles, workspaces and focus timer carry on without them.

Does it work on a Mac without a notch, or on an external display?

Yes. DockAlly follows the Dock itself: bottom, left or right, on whichever display it is on. It gets out of the way in full screen.

How to show recent files and apps in your Mac Dock

Short answer

Run defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{"tile-data"={"list-type"=1;}; "tile-type"="recents-tile";}'; killall Dock in Terminal. A Recent Applications stack appears by the Trash. Right click it to switch to Recent Documents, Recent Servers or Favourite Items.

macOS can show a few recent apps in the Dock (System Settings, then Desktop and Dock, then Show suggested and recent apps). But that only covers apps. For recent documents you need a recents stack.

Add a recents stack

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{"tile-data"={"list-type"=1;}; "tile-type"="recents-tile";}'; killall Dock

The stack appears on the right side of the Dock, next to the Trash.

Change what it shows

Right click the stack and pick Recent Applications, Recent Documents, Recent Servers, Favourite Volumes or Favourite Items. You can also choose whether it opens as a fan, a grid or a list.

Remove it

Drag the stack out of the Dock, or right click it and choose Remove from Dock.

The catch

Recent Documents shows everything you opened, across all your work. If you code in the morning and design in the afternoon, both get mixed in one list.

DockAlly keeps a separate stack by the Trash for each Dock profile. In Coding it shows the projects you opened. In Designing it shows a grid of recent images you can drag straight out.

How to show recent files and apps in your Mac Dock

Add a recents stack

Change what it shows

Remove it

The catch

One Mac Dock for every kind of work