Support
Setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and answers to common questions.
Getting started
- Install FolderDock from the Mac App Store and launch it once. One folder icon appears in your Dock.
- Click the folder icon to open the panel. The first folder is empty — click Add Items… in the ··· menu, or drag files from Finder directly onto the panel.
- Rename the Dock folder by double-clicking the title in the panel, or via Rename Folder… in the ··· menu.
- Optional: download FolderDock Companion if you want additional folders with their own Dock names.
- Reorder items inside a folder by dragging them around the grid.
- Drop a file from Finder onto an app icon inside a folder to open it with that app.
The App Store app works on its own. The Companion is optional, not standalone, and only creates additional local Dock folders.
Tip: Enable Launch at Login from the ··· menu so your folders are always ready in the Dock.
How it works
The App Store version of FolderDock is fully sandboxed and manages one Dock folder directly. Click its Dock icon and you get the iOS-style panel above the Dock.
The optional FolderDock Companion extends that Store app by creating additional local Dock apps. Those generated apps are what allow extra folders to carry their own visible Dock names.
The Companion is not a standalone product. It requires the Mac App Store version of FolderDock and stays idle until that app is installed.
Your folder definitions and items live in local JSON files on your Mac. No iCloud, no servers — everything stays on your device.
Troubleshooting
- I only see one folder: That is the standard App Store mode. Additional named folders require the optional FolderDock Companion.
- A Companion folder did not appear in the Dock: Open FolderDock Companion and use the Dock action for that folder again. Keep the App Store app installed in Applications.
- Renamed Companion folder still shows the old Dock label: Rename it from FolderDock Companion. The generated Dock app is rebuilt so macOS can pick up the new name.
- Dropping a file onto an app does nothing: Make sure the item is an actual application or folder — plain files don't accept drops. The icon scales up briefly when a drop will work.
- A Companion folder reappears after I removed it: Open FolderDock Companion, remove it there, and make sure no generated copy remains in your user-level Applications folder.
- Reorder gets stuck: Drop the item onto another item in the grid, not on empty space. Empty cells are not reorder targets.
- The panel closes when I click outside: That's by design — the panel hides when it loses focus, just like Spotlight.
- Quit just closes the current folder, not the whole app: Use Quit FolderDock in the panel's ··· menu to shut down FolderDock and its generated folder apps together.
Contact
Need help? Send us an email.
Please include:
- macOS version and Mac model
- App version
- A short description of the issue
- Optional: a screenshot if relevant
We aim to respond within 7 business days.