HOW TO Customize your desktop

1 Hide and show the dock

Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock. The option Automatically hide and show the Dock sets whether it’s hidden when not in use. Other settings include its size and magnification, and where it is on the screen.

2 Add or remove an app

To put an application into the dock, where it’s easier to find and open, simply drag its icon onto it. The apps that are already there move to make room. To remove an app, drag it out of the Dock; it disappears.

3 Add a folder

You can also add folders to the Dock by dragging them in and out. Apps that aren’t in the dock but are open are shown in the dock, but disappear when they’re closed. Open files are shown here too, on the right.

4 Control your window

Swipe up with three fingers or press F3 to open Mission Control. This shows thumbnails of all the open windows on your Desktop; click on the one you want and Mission Control closes with that window active and on the top.

5 Create a desktop space

With Mission Control open, drag the pointer to the “+” sign in the top right and click it for a new desktop space. You can drag windows out of their current Desktop to the top of the screen and on to a new space.

6 Go between desktops

Swipe left or right with three fingers to move between desktops, or click on one in Mission Control. Drag and drop the spaces in Mission Control to rearrange them, or click on the X in its top–left corner to close a space.

7 Manage your stage

Stage Manager is great for organizing your desktop. To turn it on and off, go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock and click the switch, or open the Control Center from the top bar and click on the Stage Manager pane.

8 Stack your windows

Open app windows are now shown at the side of the screen. If you have more than one window open for an app, they’re stacked. Click on an app at the side of the screen to open it, and minimize your currently open app.

9 Add another active app

If you want more than one app active on your desktop at once, drag the second app on to the desktop from Stage Manager instead of just clicking it. If you then click another app, the two you have open are minimized together.