Hide any macOS app's Dock icon and run it as a background agent — no Dock icon, no ⌘-Tab (app switcher) entry — even stubborn apps that force themselves back into the Dock. A small, MIT-licensed command-line tool for macOS.
Keywords: hide macOS app from Dock · remove Dock icon · macOS background agent · LSUIElement not working · run Mac app without Dock icon · menu-bar-only app · NSApplicationActivationPolicyAccessory · hide app from ⌘-Tab / app switcher.
The app is open and fully usable — its window is focused — yet it has no icon in the Dock (arrow shows where it would normally appear).
Setting LSUIElement (a.k.a. "Application is agent") or LSBackgroundOnly in an
app's Info.plist is the documented way to hide a macOS app from the Dock. But
it often doesn't work, because many apps override it at runtime by calling
-[NSApplication setActivationPolicy:] — frequently through a dynamically
registered selector, so editing the plist or byte-patching the binary won't
reliably stop them.
This tool fixes that by replacing the method itself: it injects a tiny library
that forces every setActivationPolicy: call to Accessory, so the app
runs windowed but Dock-less no matter how it tries to promote itself.
- ✅ Removes the Dock icon from any macOS app
- ✅ Removes the app from the ⌘-Tab app switcher
- ✅ Windows still open and work normally (Accessory mode, not hidden/prohibited)
- ✅ Works on apps where
LSUIElement/ "Application is agent" is ignored - ✅ Survives app auto-updates (optional watcher)
- ✅ Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), MIT licensed
- macOS 14 / 15 (tested; likely works on 12+; macOS 26 not yet tested)
- Xcode Command Line Tools (
xcode-select --install) forclang - Admin rights (
sudo)
git clone https://github.com/michaelmitchell-bit/dockless.git
cd dockless
# Hide any app from the Dock:
sudo ./install.sh /Applications/SomeApp.app
# Restart the app, then confirm it's now a background agent:
lsappinfo info -app <bundle-id> | grep type= # expect type="UIElement"Undo it:
sudo ./uninstall.sh /Applications/SomeApp.appsrc/dockless.mswizzles-[NSApplication setActivationPolicy:]to always passNSApplicationActivationPolicyAccessory, and sets that policy itself once the app finishes launching (most apps never call it).install.shcompiles it into a universal.dylib, addsLSEnvironment → DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIESto the target app'sInfo.plistso the hook loads on every launch, and ad-hoc re-signs the app.
Apps that auto-update overwrite their Info.plist and revert the change.
Install a watcher (a root LaunchDaemon) that re-applies it automatically:
sudo ./launchagent/setup-autoreapply.sh /Applications/SomeApp.app"LSUIElement isn't hiding my app from the Dock — why?"
The app is almost certainly calling setActivationPolicy: at runtime to override
the plist. This tool intercepts that call. See Why this exists.
"Will the app's windows still open?"
Yes. It uses Accessory policy, which keeps windows working — it only removes
the Dock icon and app-switcher entry. It does not use Prohibited, which would
suppress all UI.
"Does this need to disable SIP?"
No. It ad-hoc re-signs the target app (which disables that app's hardened runtime
so DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES is honored). System Integrity Protection stays on.
Hiding the Dock icon works on any regular AppKit app (native or Electron). What varies is whether the app still works after re-signing:
| App uses | Result |
|---|---|
| Nothing special | ✅ Works |
keychain-access-groups / app groups |
|
| App Sandbox |
install.sh checks for these and asks before changing anything.
Known to lose login: ChatGPT (see #1).
- Re-signing changes the app's code identity, so macOS may ask you to re-grant Privacy permissions (Screen Recording, Accessibility, etc.) once afterward.
- This replaces the app's Developer ID signature with an ad-hoc one. Only apply it to apps you trust, on machines you control.
This only changes an app's activation policy (Dock / ⌘-Tab visibility). It does not touch, hide, or suppress any macOS privacy or security indicators.
MIT — see LICENSE.