How to Put the Mac Dock on Both Screens

macOS has one native Dock. With two displays, move the pointer to the bottom edge of the screen where you want it, then continue moving down briefly until the Dock appears. For its position, size or hiding behaviour, open System Settings > Desktop & Dock. If you need a persistent app bar on another display, that is not a second native Dock and requires a separate mirror tool.

A two-display Mac can make the Dock feel inconsistent because it moves to the screen you use. The built-in Dock is one system object, not a matching pair of bars. Start by confirming the displays are arranged as extended desktops, then use the native movement behaviour.

Show the native Dock on the screen you are using

Move the pointer to the bottom edge of the display that should show the Dock. Push the pointer slightly beyond that edge and pause; the Dock moves there. If you set the Dock to the left or right side, use that side of the target display instead. This can take a deliberate second movement because macOS avoids moving the Dock every time your pointer crosses between screens.

Set the Dock position and size once

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock. Under Dock, choose its screen edge, size, magnification and whether it hides automatically. These are settings for the single native Dock. Moving it to the left, bottom or right changes its edge when it appears; it does not create another independent Dock for the second monitor.

Check display arrangement before changing Dock settings

Open System Settings > Displays and check that the screens are arranged to match their physical positions. If the Mac is mirroring displays, both screens show the same desktop, which is a display-mode choice rather than a Dock setting. Extended desktop mode provides separate workspaces; window tiling and Stage Manager affect window organisation, not the number of system Docks.

Choose the right solution for the second screen

If the goal is quick access to running apps, use the native Dock where you are working, the application switcher with Command + Tab, or a separate app launcher. If the goal is a bar that stays visible on an external screen, treat it as a secondary mirror rather than a native Dock. That distinction avoids changing unrelated Display settings in search of a macOS feature that is not built in.

Where Tegaro fits

Tegaro Displays includes an optional Dock mirror: a separate panel that mirrors pinned and running-app shortcuts on a chosen connected display. It does not create two native macOS Docks, replace the system Dock or change display mirroring. Its availability depends on a connected display and the module’s settings. For external-monitor use with a closed laptop, see our clamshell guide.