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Reset the macOS Dock to Default Settings

Delete the whole com.apple.dock preferences domain and restart the Dock to undo all tweaks at once.

macOSdockmacosdefaultsMedium risk
Run `defaults delete com.apple.dock && killall Dock` to wipe every Dock customization and restore Apple's defaults.

01Command

Command
$ defaults delete com.apple.dock && killall Dock

02What it does

Every Dock customization — pinned apps, magnification, hot corners, autohide tweaks, widgets — lives in the com.apple.dock preferences domain. `defaults delete com.apple.dock` with no key name erases the entire domain, and killing the Dock makes launchd relaunch it with fresh default preferences. This is much faster than hunting down each defaults write you ever ran. A side effect you must plan for: your pinned apps and Dock layout are also reset.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
!Warning: This also wipes your Dock app layout and any hand-tuned settings; there is no built-in undo, so export first with `defaults export com.apple.dock ~/dock-backup.plist`.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • macOS defaults - read, write and delete macOS user defaults
    SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Documents `defaults delete domain` — 'Removes all defaults for the given domain' — and shows killing processes (e.g. `killall Dock`) to make preference changes take effect.
  • defaults(1) man page
    Xcode Man Pages (keith.github.io) · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Man page for defaults: `delete` removes 'the specified defaults' or, with only a domain given, the whole domain's preferences, and warns that the domain is completely reset.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: System & Settings

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