Microsoft redesigned the taskbar in Windows 11, with the most notable taskbar change being its centralized icons. Those centralized icons make Windows 11’s taskbar more comparable to the macOS Dock.
However, the revamped taskbar still isn’t the same as the centralized Mac Dock, which doesn’t run across the entire desktop. If you want a true Mac-style Dock on Windows, you can add a more genuine Apple Macintosh Dock with the Winstep Nexus or RocketDock software.
Add a Mac-style Dock to Windows 10 and11 With Winstep Nexus
Winstep Nexus is a very cool software package with which you can add a Mac-style Dock to Windows, from XP to 11. That software has both freeware and paid versions. The freeware package retains all the animated mouse and live icon effects from Nexus Ultimate. Here is how you can install the freeware Winstep Nexus:
- First, open the WinStep Nexus webpage.
- Click the blue Download button for WinStep Nexus to save the ZIP archive.
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Select the Nexus ZIP file, and click the Extract all button.
- Click Browse to choose an extraction path for Nexus.
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Select the Show extracted files option.
- Press the Extract button.
- Thereafter, double-click NexusSetup to open the installer.
- Then select the I accept the agreement option and choose an installation directory within the setup wizard to install the software.
After installing, the Winstep Nexus Dock should automatically appear at the top of your desktop as in the screenshot directly below. That’s a good place to keep it, but you can change the position of the Nexus Dock by right-clicking it and selecting Screen position. Select a left, right, top, or bottom option on the menu.
To add software shortcuts to the Nexus Dock, right-click it and select Insert New Dock Item > Item. Select Program on the Item type drop-down menu.
Click Find Item to select a program to include on the Dock. You can also select a Hotkey option there to assign a keyboard shortcut to the program. Click OK to add the software shortcut.
The Winstep Nexus Dock has some really flashy effects that put Windows 11’s taskbar to shame. To change those effects, click the Nexus button on the Dock. Then select the Effects tab shown directly below.
That tab includes options for mouseover, launch, attention, and delete effects. Click an effect there to choose from a wide variety of alternative ones. You can further configure selected effects by clicking the Effect settings button.
Press the OK button on the selection window, and select Apply to change it.
You can configure the icon size and transparency for WinStep Nexus Dock on the Appearance tab. Drag the bar’s slider on that tab to the left or right to reduce or expand the icon size.
Press the Dock Transparency button to bring up a window with transparency bars. Then you can drag those bar’s sliders right to add transparency.
WinStep Nexus Dock also includes a variety of different themes. To select an alternative theme, click the Themes tab. Choose a different theme on that tab, and click Apply to save the new settings.
If you want to include minimized windows on the Winstep Nexus Dock, select the Content tab in the Preferences window. Click the Show running applications in this dock checkbox there, which will also select the Minimize windows to the dock option. Select Apply to confirm the new options.
Add a Mac-style Dock to Windows With RocketDock
RocketDock is an alternative to Winstep Nexus Dock, which is also freely available. It’s quite an old program, but RocketDock is still compatible with the latest Windows desktop platform. This is how you can download and install RocketDock in Windows 11.
- Open the RocketDock page on Softpedia.
- Click the Download Now option there to save the setup wizard.
- Bring up File Explorer’s window, and select the folder you downloaded RocketDock to.
- Double-click RocketDock-v1.3.5 to open its setup wizard.
- Choose a language on the drop-down menu, and click the OK button.
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Press the Next button, and select the I accept the agreement option.
- Select a folder path to install software at.
- Click the Next buttons, and select Install to finish.
- Then open RocketDock if it doesn’t appear on your desktop automatically after installing.
RocketDock is positioned at top of the desktop by default. You can change its position much the same as WinStep Nexus Dock by right-clicking RocketDock and selecting Screen Position. Then choose Top, Left, Bottom, Right on the submenu.
To add software shortcuts to RocketDock, right-click the dock and select Add item and File. Select a program or other file within the Open window. Press the Open button to add the item. You can always remove shortcuts you add by right-clicking them and selecting Delete items.
Like WinStep Nexus, RocketDock has a variety of different theme styles for you to choose from. To select a different one, click the Dock Settings button on RocketDock. Click the Style tab on the left side of the Dock Settings window that opens. There you can choose alternative styles by clicking the Theme drop-down menu.
You can also customize the dock’s icons by selecting the Icons tab. Click the Hover Effect drop-down menu there to choose different zoom effects. Drag the Size bar’s slider left and right to make the icons smaller or bigger. You can also increase or decrease icon transparency by dragging the Opacity bar’s slider.
To include minimized app windows on RocketDock, select the General tab. That tab includes a Minimize windows to the Dock setting. Select that option, and click OK to apply it.
Make Windows More Like Mac With a Sleek New Dock
Winstep Nexus and RocketDock are two of the best freeware software packages for adding Mac-style Docks to Windows. Both include a wide range of configuration settings and lots of nice effects you just don’t get on the Windows taskbar.
They’re great extensions to the taskbar that provide lots more space for software shortcuts. So, check them out if you want to make Windows more like Apple Mac platforms or simply need somewhere to stick more shortcuts.
While Windows 11 has been available for a while now in the Insiders Preview, the first stable release has been made available to everyone recently. Now, the operating system, in general, has a lot of bugs to fix as of now but they are not major issues and won’t hinder your day-to-day activities. One thing that had everyone excited about the new Windows 11 is the feature of moving your taskbar icons to the center. The general opinion on this goes both ways, some people really like it while others are not so fond of it. Fortunately, those that do not appreciate the centered icons, they can still go back to the left-aligned icons.
As it turns out, with the center icons, Windows 11 has given itself more of a macOS look. While it is not completely the same, for obvious reasons, it isn’t way far off as well. Due to this, users are now able to change their taskbar to look like the macOS dock. Now, there were ways you could make the Windows 10 taskbar like the macOS dock as well, however, that required more effort than it does now. With the new Windows 11, you will be able to replicate the macOS dock look on your Windows machine in just a few minutes and it looks really good.
In this article, we will be taking you through this process and showing you how to customize your Windows 11 taskbar to look like a macOS dock. As it turns out, there are multiple ways that you can achieve this on Windows 11 as well, however, we would be showing the easiest way to do this. On top of that, it won’t eat away your resources in the background either so you can really enjoy the whole macOS feel without giving away much in the resources department. With that said, let us get started without any further delay.
Download RoundedTB
As it turns out, in order to give your taskbar the macOS dock look, you will first have to download a utility that will make your taskbar rounded. In addition to that, there are plenty more features that you can take advantage of using the RoundedTB utility. For example, it allows you to change the margins of your taskbar as per your liking. On top of that, there is a dynamic mode that restricts your taskbar to only the icons that are added as well as the system tray towards the end. This means that you won’t be seeing the whole taskbar lines like you normally do. Now, enough with that and it is time we show you how to get it, so let us get started.
- There are actually two ways you can get RoundedTB on your computer.
- The first and easiest way would be to get it through the Microsoft Store by clicking here. This also gives you the advantage of auto-updates so the utility will be automatically updated.
RoundedTB on Microsoft Store - Another way you can get the utility is by downloading it from the GitHub repository. To do that, head to this link here. Then, scroll down and click the RoundedTB_R3.zip file to download it.
Downloading RoundedTB from GitHub - Once you have downloaded it, go ahead and extract it to a favorable location. We would recommend creating a folder in your system drive and then extracting it there.
- After that, navigate to the directory where you extracted the utility and double click the RoundedTB.exe file.
Running RoundedTB.exe - On the Windows-protected your PC pop up, click the Yes button. Do not worry, the utility is completely safe to use.
- At first, you will be shown the welcome page of RoundedTB. Click the OK button.
RoundedTB Welcome Page - After that, the RoundedTB application should appear. Here, you can adjust the margin and corner radius per your desire.
- Click on the Advanced button to reveal more options.
RoundedTB - Once you do that, you will be able to even more specifically provide the margins that you would like to use.
RoundedTB Advanced Options - Now, to get rid of the full taskbar, click the Dynamic mode option.
Enabling Dynamic Mode - It may not work properly at first but don’t worry, there’s an easy fix.
- To fix the taskbar in case it bugs out as shown above, right-click on the taskbar and click the Taskbar settings option.
Opening up Taskbar Settings - Scroll down and expand the Taskbar behaviors option.
Taskbar Settings - Now, change the Taskbar alignment from Center to Left. After that, change it back from Left to Center.
Changing Taskbar Alignment - Once you do that, the taskbar should now work properly. In case you wish to see the system tray includes the clock and other information, click on the Show system tray option in RoundedTB.
Enabling System Tray - After that, we have to make sure that the RoundedTB utility runs at startup. To do that, click on the upper arrow on your system tray and right-click on RoundedTB. From the menu that appears, make sure that the Run at startup checkbox is ticked.
Running RoundedTB at Startup - Finally, on RoundedTB, click the Translucent compatibility checkbox. With that done, we are ready to move on.
Enabling Transcluent Compatibility
Download TranslucentTB
As the name suggests, TranslucentTB is basically a utility that makes your taskbar transparent or translucent which gives you more of the macOS feel. In addition to that, the utility only utilized a few MBs of RAM in the background and almost no CPU at all so it isn’t resource hungry as well. To download the utility, follow the instructions down below:
- The easiest way you can download TranslucentTB is through the Microsoft Store. Like the RoundedTB, this gives you auto updates so you don’t have to worry about updating it. Click this link here to get it on Microsoft Store.
TranscluentTB on Microsoft Store - Alternatively, you can also use the GitHub repository to manually download the utility. Click this link here and download the TranslucentTB.appinstaller file.
Downloading TranscluentTB from GitHub - Launch the installer file and on the pop up that appears, click the Install button.
Installing TranslucentTB - Once the install is complete, you will be shown the welcome screen of TranslucentTB. Click the Continue button.
- The moment you do that, the taskbar will become translucent. If you don’t like this, you can easily change it.
- Right-click on the TranslucentTB icon on your taskbar, and go to Display. There, you can choose how your taskbar looks.
TranscluentTB Menu - Also, make sure that the Open at boot option is ticked.
- In addition to that, it allows you to change how the taskbar looks when the Start Menu is opened, when a window is maximized and more. Go through the settings to adjust it per your liking.
- Once you have done all of that, you are officially done. You have now made your taskbar look like the macOS dock.
Kamil Anwar
Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode.
Seelen UI Utility внедряет плавающую панель задач в операционную систему Windows 11.
Microsoft активно продвигает свой план завершения поддержки Windows 10 менее чем через год. Пользователи, продолжающие использовать эту ОС, несмотря на настойчивые попытки компании перевести их на Windows 11, включая навязчивую полноэкранную рекламу, воспринимают это с недоверием. Организация по защите общественных интересов направила петицию к технологическому гиганту с просьбой пересмотреть своё решение и продлить поддержку системы, сославшись на «значительный рост устаревших компьютеров», который мог бы негативно сказаться на её экологических целях.
Microsoft, похоже, учла данный запрос и предложила как коммерческим, так и частным пользователям возможность продлить поддержку Windows 10 на три года после 14 октября 2025 года. Тем не менее, покупка нового компьютера с Windows 11 или переход на эту ОС кажется более разумным решением. Жесткие системные требования Microsoft для Windows 11 и некоторые недоработки в дизайне операционной системы являются, пожалуй, главными факторами, из-за которых пользователи откладывают обновление своих систем.
Согласно слухам, в Windows 12 будет внедрена плавающая панель задач, аналогичная той, что в Windows 11
В 2022 году Microsoft представила концепцию дизайна пользовательского интерфейса, и вот как она была реализована.
Как выяснилось, существует способ решить проблемы с элементами дизайна. Новый мод под названием Seelen UI utility предоставляет пользователям Windows 11 возможность настраивать и изменять отдельные элементы пользовательского интерфейса ОС в соответствии с их вкусами, включая «плавающую панель задач, которая была замечена в утечках Windows 12».
Утилита предлагает «полностью настраиваемую среду рабочего стола» для Windows 11 и Windows 10. Она включает в себя плавающую панель задач, расположенную в нижней части экрана, которая напоминает концепт-дизайна операционной системы Microsoft «Windows 12», ставший известным благодаря утечкам. Эта панель задач аналогична плавающей Dock в macOS и может быть перемещена и отрегулирована по вертикали на экране.
Согласно разработчику, Seelen предлагает «простой и эффективный способ настройки рабочего пространства и управления им». Кроме того, в приложении имеется менеджер Tiling Windows, который автоматически организует окна, облегчая процесс многозадачности.
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Key Takeaways
- To make your Windows 11 taskbar look like a macOS dock, you can use a tool called TaskbarXI, which you can download from its Github page.
- After downloading TaskbarXI, run the file on your computer, and it will turn your Windows taskbar into a dock similar to the one on a Mac.
- If you want to switch back to the regular taskbar, simply go to the System Tray, click the TaskbarXI icon, and confirm to exit the application.
Many people prefer going for a Mac-like layout on their Windows PC because it feels way more minimalistic. However, you can get a wallpaper like mac and put it on your desktop, but you may miss out on having a doc like macOS. If you want to turn your Windows 11 taskbar into a macOS-like dock, then you can do that easily. This article will guide you with the complete process to turn your Windows 11 taskbar into a macOS like Dock.
You can easily convert your Windows 11 taskbar into a dock-like macOS with the help of the TaskbarXI tool. We will be discussing the app later, but let’s see how you can convert your taskbar to macOS like dock first. To do so, follow the steps given below-
- Firstly, head to the Github page from where you can download the tool.
- Here, scroll down to the Assets section which you will find at the end of the page. Here, click on the TaskbarXI.exe option to download the tool on your PC.
- After you have downloaded the application, run it on your PC by double-clicking on the file.
- After the Windows 11 taskbar is converted to a dock like that of Mac, the icon will be added to the System Tray.
In case, you want to revert to the Windows 11 taskbar instead of using the macOS dock, then click on the System Tray, and then click on the TaskbarXI icon. You will be asked ‘Do you want to exit the application’. Click on Yes, and the dock will be converted back to the taskbar.
Features Of Taskbar XI
There are not many features of the Taskbar XI app, it just helps convert the Windows 11 taskbar to dock like a Mac. It helps turn Windows 11 taskbar into a Mac dock. It also turns the clock as per the vibe of the dock. Moreover, it also has support for multiple monitors when converting into the dock and has support for different DPI scaling. Do note that this app is currently in the testing phase only. More improvements will be done with future versions.
This is how you can convert Windows 11 taskbar into a Mac-like dock. Following the above steps, you will be able to convert the taskbar of your Windows 11 PC to a dock similar to Mac.
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Anurag Jainhttps://itechhacks.com
Anurag is a Senior content analyst with 4 years of experience in the industry. Based in India, He is extremely skilled at Windows related to How to Troubleshooting matters. His favorite topics are Windows 11, Android, and How To’s.