Get to know your desktop, menu bar, and Dock
Three areas define your Mac workspace: the desktop in the center, the menu bar running across the top, and the Dock at the bottom. Together they give you access to everything on your Mac.
The desktop Change your wallpaper, add widgets, and stay tidy with Stacks. | The menu bar Open the Apple menu, access quick controls (like Wi-Fi), and adjust settings with Control Center. | The Dock Access the apps you use the most, and customize the Dock layout and location. |
The desktop
The desktop is your main workspace, the open area between the menu bar and Dock. The background image is called the wallpaper. You can choose a dynamic wallpaper that shifts with the time of day, or use one of your own photos. To change your wallpaper, go to System Settings , then click Wallpaper in the sidebar.
Tip: You can adjust the look of the menu bar, Dock, and built-in apps under Appearance. Go to System Settings, click Appearance in the sidebar, then choose Light Mode, Dark Mode, or Auto.
If your desktop fills up with screenshots, downloads, and other files, you can quickly organize it with Stacks. To turn on Stacks, Control-click the desktop and choose Use Stacks.
Browse a stack Swipe left or right on a stack with two fingers (on a trackpad), or one finger (on a Magic Mouse(, to peek at what’s inside a stack without opening it. | Open or close a stack Click a stack to expand it and see every item inside. Double-click any item to open it. Click the down arrow to collapse the stack again. |
Change how stacks are grouped Control-click the desktop, choose Group Stacks By, then choose Kind, Date, or Finder Tag to reorganize your stacks automatically. | Adjust how stacks look Control-click the desktop and choose Show View Options to change icon size, label position, and the level of detail each stack displays. |
Meanwhile, widgets display timely information from your apps—like Weather, Calendar, and Reminders—on your desktop, so you can stay informed without opening anything.
To add a widget, Control-click the desktop and choose Edit Widgets. Click a widget to place it on your desktop, or drag and drop it to a different location, then click Done. To remove a widget, Control-click the desktop, choose Edit Widgets, then click on the widget, and click Done.
To customize a widget, Control-click any widget, then choose Edit [widget name] to change what it shows. You can also pick a different size from the same menu.
The menu bar
The menu bar runs across the top of your screen. On the left, the Apple menu
On the right side of the menu bar are icons referred to as status menus. Status menus show the status of things like battery percentage and Wi-Fi, and let you easily take actions, for example, turn on Bluetooth or search with Spotlight. To customize what appears in the menu bar, go to the System Settings app , click Menu Bar in the sidebar, then select the checkbox next to the controls you want to appear.
At the far right of the menu bar are Control Center , which provides additional settings and features, and the date and time, which opens Notification Center when you click it. See Use Notification Center.
Note: You may sometimes see dots appear next to Control Center. These indicate that your microphone , camera
, or system audio
is currently in use. Click the dot to see which app is responsible for using this feature.
The Dock
The Dock runs along the bottom of your screen and keeps your favorite apps, folders, and recently used items within reach. To open an app, click its icon. A small dot below an icon means that app is currently open. The thin separator line divides your pinned apps on the left from recently opened apps on the right.
Tip: If an app in the Dock shows a red badge, that means there’s an action to take. For example, you may see a red badge on Mail which shows how many unread email messages you have.
Here are some ways you can use the Dock:
Add an app to the Dock Open an app, right-click its icon in the Dock, click Options, then click Keep in Dock. | Rearrange the Dock Drag an app in the Dock to the left or right, until you have it in the right position. If you have a recently used app in the Dock, you can add it permanently by dragging it to the left of the separator line. |
Remove an app Drag the app out of the Dock until you see Remove, then release. The app itself stays on your Mac—only the shortcut in the Dock is removed. | Change the position of the Dock To move or resize the Dock, go to the System Settings |
Want to learn more?
Control Center Quickly change settings like screen brightness, connect to Wi-Fi, and turn on Do Not Disturb. | Notification Center Get all of your notifications from apps like Messages and Mail, in one place. | Spotlight Search for anything on your Mac with Spotlight. |
Or if you’re ready for something new, check out how you can customize your wallpaper on your desktop to add a personal touch. Then, get familiar with Safari (the built-in browser on your Mac) by searching the web, take a screenshot using a keyboard shortcut, or download a new app to your Mac.