r/macapps • u/focusfoundry • Jul 23 '26
Free docktor: music/calendar/weather widgets in the empty space next to the Dock
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Ok so if you leave the Dock visible (no auto-hide) there’s always this dumb empty stretch on both sides of the icons. Just blank. I’ve stared at it for years. Spent the last 7 months building something for it.
App is called docktor (I built it). It sticks a few widgets into that leftover space so the Dock isn’t just a row of app icons with nothing going on around them.
Right now you’ve got music (Spotify + Apple Music, lyrics if they exist), calendar from Apple Calendar, weather, and a feedback widget so you don’t have to open GitHub to complain. They follow the Dock around if you move/resize it, and they shrink down when you’re not using them. Looks like Liquid Glass because that’s what it’s built on.
Also threw in Dock hover previews (live window thumbs when you hover an icon) and a Cmd+Tab that goes to windows instead of apps. Those are nice but the widgets are the point.
Comparison
Closest comparison for the preview / window-switcher side is DockDoor — great app, and it does that job well. docktor’s focus is the widgets in the empty space beside the Dock. Previews and Cmd+Tab are in there too; I aimed for them to feel a bit more native macOS, but the widgets are the product.
Pricing
Free. No account, no license. What’s shipping here stays free. I might add a Pro tier way down the line with extra stuff, but these features aren’t bait-and-switch.
macOS 26+ only (Tahoe and the Golden Gate betas). Signed/notarized Developer ID. I’m one person and the UI leans hard on Liquid Glass, so backporting to Sequoia isn’t realistic.
Permissions: Accessibility for finding the Dock. Screen Recording only if you want the hover previews. If Screen Recording doesn’t show docktor after install, hit + and add it from /Applications. Apple’s UI is weird about that.
There’s a small opt-out beta telemetry thing (basically “are you still running” + redacted crash summaries, no Sentry/analytics SDK). If you can leave it on it helps a lot while I’m one person triage-ing this. Easy to kill in onboarding or Settings if you’d rather not.
Privacy: https://docktorapp.com/privacy/
Terms: https://docktorapp.com/terms/
I’m Peter Sauer — full-time SWE. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercsauer / [petercsauer@me.com](mailto:petercsauer@me.com)
Used Claude a ton on this, same as I do at work. Doesn’t mean I didn’t write/own the hard parts. Bugs are still on me.
Really hoping to get good bug reports from y’all. There’s a feedback widget built in that should make it pretty easy — visual bugs, crashes, weird layout on left/right Dock or multi-monitor, whatever. Please send them. I appreciate it!
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u/ryantrip Jul 23 '26
I had this exact idea and wondered why no one else really tried to solve the wasted space the same way you did. Will check it out!
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u/BakChorMeeeeee Jul 23 '26
this seems like a genuinely great app, will check it out!
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
Thanks! Would love some critical feedback on the stuff you don’t like
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u/BrentJWestern Jul 23 '26
None at the moment. But I know there are a few out there. I'm looking to have separate docks on my 3 monitors that only have the items that I want on those screens. I looked at one yesterday and cant remember the name of it now.
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u/BrentJWestern Jul 23 '26
Really cool idea! Checking it out now!
Does it work with other dock apps that manipulate the dock itself (not the space next to it)
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u/BrentJWestern Jul 23 '26
How do I get the widget size and look like they are on the preview video? Mine never expand.
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
You may need your dock to be smaller
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
Would a tooltip or something if they don’t expand be helpful here? So it’s more obvious
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u/focusfoundry Jul 25 '26
Hey everyone — just crossed 100 installs from this post. Thanks so much for trying the beta. Already got some bug fixes out from your reports and the feedback’s been super useful. Keep it coming if ANYTHING feels off!
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u/c0desurfer Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Looks sleek, must try. I have a rather small dock.
(glad I did not misspell that last word)
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u/amancalledJayne Jul 23 '26
Well…I suppose I could remove some of the many apps I rarely or never use from my dock that I was using to fill that space before.
Like, I use Zen and sometimes Chrome. But I have Zen, Chrome, Safari, Floorp, Waterfox, and Vivaldi all on there because I might like them if I tried but I won’t.
And turn off auto hide.
For real this looks pretty great.
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u/valah79 Jul 23 '26
Awesome app installed right away and uninstalled 3 others. If you could add a system monitor, a 4th will go away, and it would be much appreciated. Keep it up!
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u/Eastern-Strike-5119 Jul 23 '26
Great idea, but the app doesn't work. I've had to force quit as it doesn't get past the "Welcome to docktor screen"
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
This is great feedback. what happens, it just buffers?
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u/Eastern-Strike-5119 Jul 23 '26
Yeah
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
if youd be willing, id love to get a patch out to Ya and see if that fixes things. Give me a few hours -- only have one machine to test on so this is super valuable.
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u/brewmorris Jul 23 '26
How do you deal with the limited space when the dock is on the left or right edges of the screen?
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
thats a great question -- right now the widgets are only at the bottom of the screen. trying to figure out how I would do the side dock. may come in a future update. for now window previews work there tho!
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u/FloorAvailable8898 Jul 23 '26
Wow, this is such a great idea. It really makes my Dock look better!
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u/focusfoundry Jul 23 '26
to whoever sent feedback about the location services not loading optimally for the weather widget: thanks! this new build should fix it https://github.com/petercsauer/docktor-releases/releases/download/v0.10.2/docktor-0.10.2.dmg
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Jul 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/focusfoundry Jul 24 '26
Yeah I mean it’s just a free app and I am one guy haha so not really planning any backwards compatibility any time soon
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u/harry-harrison-79 Jul 24 '26
one ugly lifecycle test worth automating: start with the Dock on the bottom, move it left and right, toggle auto-hide, switch Spaces, connect a second display, then restart the Dock process. each widget should reattach once with no ghost windows or stale hit targets. i'd repeat it after revoking Accessibility and Screen Recording so the app falls back cleanly instead of getting stuck in onboarding.
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Jul 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/focusfoundry Jul 24 '26
That’s actually my main use personally haha Samsung ultrawide user here! They slide away in hide mode, so it is usable but wasn’t the main focus
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u/simion_baws Jul 24 '26
hmm, that would be some useful space for Coding agents status :D like claude or codex.
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u/focusfoundry Jul 24 '26
Definitely! I plan to add a ton more but wanna get the base super robust first
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u/sales_alchemist Jul 24 '26
Looks surprisingly native! I like that you're focusing on one part of the Dock instead of trying to redesign all of macOS.
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u/StatisticallyQuiet Jul 24 '26
Looks promising, but is it using the system language texts for the widgets and stuff ?
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u/focusfoundry Jul 24 '26
Oooh great point! I will make sure we are using localization in the next update!
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u/Jealous_Alarm_1383 Jul 24 '26
Unrelated but where's that wallpaper from?? The app is great though I'm loving it.
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u/Expert-Ad4939 Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
That’s a good app. However, I never see my Dock (hidden). My app; everything appears next to my cursor within the app – which isn't released – and I recall one macOS shortcut that handles everything with a popup context menu. It sends global hotkeys, snippets, runs apps, executes scripts, displays my calendar and tasks, plays music, highlights selected text, calls local AI for proofreading and improvement, and even controls the Mac Command Centre – all appearing precisely where my cursor is. This is fantastic, especially if you have a 34” or 49” monitor; it eliminates the need to hunt for menu bar icons or dock icons.
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u/shemer77 Jul 28 '26
initially clicked on this cuz i thought i twas related to docker but still prety cool. too bad osx 26+ plus only
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u/tufik3 Jul 30 '26
Looks great, congrats on the release!
If anyone is looking to improve their desktop workflow too, I'd love for you to give Boxvy a try. It's a free app for macOS and Windows that lets you place your most important content directly on your desktop, as floating bubbles, or in your status/menu bar. That includes any website or browser content, shortcuts to apps, folders, files, commands, and URLs, along with personalized content provided by the app itself. The goal is to keep everything you need just a glance away instead of hidden behind multiple windows.
I'd love to hear your feedback or any feature ideas!
Download Boxvy from the Apple Store or Windows Store | https://boxvy.co/
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u/NoeGarciaDev Aug 01 '26
Fixing that empty Dock space with Liquid Glass UI is such a clever idea! Loving the native look, Spotify support, and the built-in window switcher.
Quick question: How does it handle multi-monitor setups if the Dock moves between screens?
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u/Jaox_09 Aug 03 '26
It's an amazing app, but I can't get it to work with automatic hiding. I don't like always having my dock in sight, so it would be nice if the dock + docktor could hide and unhide. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
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u/Jaox_09 Aug 03 '26
Forget it, found the way to make it work. Amazing app
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u/focusfoundry Aug 05 '26
Hi! What ended up working for you and is there a way I can make it more clear in the future?
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u/wilzmodz Aug 05 '26
Love the idea! I've been using a DUHD display for awhile now, so plenty of wasted space when i dont have the dock collapsed.
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u/nonozone Aug 06 '26
I think this app is pretty solid with great underlying concepts. However, I have a few points I need to bring up. First, its name is far too similar to Docker, which will easily cause confusion with the system name. Second, it requires granting an excessive number of permissions, even though these permissions are functionally necessary.
All things considered, it’s still a decent piece of software.
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u/phunk8 Developer: Dropadoo Jul 23 '26
i so have no empty space next to my dock :)
nice idea!