SuperdockCan the Mac Dock show window previews when I hover, like the Windows taskbar?
Short answer. Not by itself: hovering a Dock icon shows the app's name and nothing else. Two apps add Windows-style thumbnails. DockDoor overlays previews on Apple's Dock, and Superdock replaces the Dock with one that previews windows natively, filtered to the Chrome profile you are hovering.
What a preview should tell you
The point of a hover preview is to pick the right window without clicking through. A good one shows every window of that app as a live thumbnail with its title, lets you click a thumbnail to go straight to it, and offers close and minimize without changing focus. For a browser it should also tell you which profile a window belongs to, because five Chrome thumbnails with the same favicon do not.
Superdock previews
- Hover any tile. After a short pause a plate above the dock lists that app's windows as thumbnails with titles.
- Hover a Chrome profile tile and you see only that profile's windows.
- Click a thumbnail to bring that window forward. On a multi-display setup, each dock previews the windows on its own screen.
Live thumbnails use Screen Recording, which is optional. Without it, previews show window titles and the app icon.
Or add previews to Apple's Dock
If you want to keep Apple's Dock exactly as it is, DockDoor adds hover previews and an Alt-Tab switcher on top of it and is free for the core features. What it cannot do is change the Dock's tiles, so Chrome profiles stay merged.
What it costs
Previews are part of the free dock. Superdock is a different Dock from Apple's and needs the Accessibility permission. Only the separate icon for each Chrome profile is paid, $7.99 once after 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need Screen Recording?
macOS treats a thumbnail of another app's window as a screen capture. The permission is optional and only adds the images.
Do previews work for minimized windows?
Yes. Minimized windows are listed and clicking one restores it.
Can I turn previews off?
Yes, from the menu bar menu (Window Previews) or in Settings.
Download free The dock is free. Chrome profile icons: 14 days free, then $7.99 once. macOS 14 or later.
Sources
- Use the Dock on Mac, Apple Support
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Independent macOS developer and the author of Superdock. I switched to a Mac from Windows, lost the per profile taskbar buttons I relied on, and built the dock I wanted instead. I write these guides from daily use of the apps in them, and I answer the support email myself.