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Not sure why, but I can't add my applications folder to the dock in Catalina 10.15.5. I've tried all the normal ways (select folder in finder sidebar and select add to dock, drag folder onto right side of dock, quitting all applications and repeating procedure... nothing works, it just bounces back). Am I missing something?
MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
Boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down and see if you can add the folder there. Reboot normally and test again.
NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.
You can also try moving the com.apple.dock.plist file from your Users/Home/Library/Preferences folder to the Desktop, reboot and see if there's any improvement. If not then put it back, replacing the newer file.
Boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down and see if you can add the folder there. Reboot normally and test again.
NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.
You can also try moving the com.apple.dock.plist file from your Users/Home/Library/Preferences folder to the Desktop, reboot and see if there's any improvement. If not then put it back, replacing the newer file.
It sounds as if you're dragging the folder to the wrong part of the dock. In Catalina, the dock is in three parts, separated by vertical lines.
Folders need to be dragged to the third section for the Dock to open up a gap to place the folder on.
I've just tested this on my Mac.
You would think, right? I've always done as you say, but the dock just doesn't accept the Applications folder (other folders can be added, though). I've tried using "add to dock" option in sidebar , dragging and dropping, shutting off all applications, restarting, it just doesn't work. Should I trash dock preferences (which files?). One curious thing, my dock only has two parts (one divider), not three as mentioned above.
Bill Bogard wrote:
One curious thing, my dock only has two parts (one divider), not three as mentioned above.
Please excuse the stupid question but are you absolutely sure you're running Catalina? I'm sure it's supposed to have a 3-part dock!
As TKS suggested:
The 3rd section of the Dock is not there when the option "Show recent applications in Dock" is not active.
Removing the plist and rebooting did the trick. Thank you OT
Intertesting. As a matter of interest, does this fix also allow your dock to have three sections again?
Yep, Catalina 10.15.5. The post below is right. I didn't have the recent applications box checked in prefs. Thanks for your help!
After trying everything with no luck, the current update 10.15.6 seems to have fixed the problem, at least since this morning.
Can't add applications folder to dock in Catalina?
