Documentation
Everything you need to set up Docklet, configure your widgets, and get the most out of it.
System Requirements
- macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
- Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
- ~10 MB disk space
- Recommended: Internet connection (for some widgets and auto updates)
Installation
Docklet is distributed as a notarized DMG, directly from this website.
Download the DMG
Click Download Free. Your browser will save Docklet.dmg to your Downloads folder.
Open the DMG and drag to Applications
Double-click the DMG to mount it, then drag the Docklet icon into your /Applications folder.
Allow the app on first launch
Because Docklet is distributed outside the App Store, macOS may show a Gatekeeper prompt on the very first launch. This will ask you to allow the app to run on your Mac. To do this go to System Setting > Privacy & Security, then scroll down to the Security section and click the "Allow Docklet" button.
Note: Docklet is notarized by Apple. This means Apple has verified the app contains no malware and comes from a trusted developer before distribution. The Gatekeeper prompt is standard for all direct-download apps.
First Launch
After opening Docklet for the first time, you'll see the widget strip appear. Docklet has no Dock icon and no menu bar icon. It runs quietly in the background like the Dock at the edge of your screen. You'll notice the widget strip is prepopulated with a few of our most popular widgets: Media Player, AI Chat, System Monitor, and Clipboard Manager. You can configure the widget strip using from the Docklet Preferences.
To open Docklet Preferences at any time, click the gear icon at the right or bottom of the strip depending on the strip's orientation. From Preferences you can:
- Choose which widgets to display and in what order
- Configure each widget individually
- Toggle privacy and telemetry options
- Check for updates manually
- Enter or manage your Pro license key
See the Preferences section of these docs to learn more.
Permissions
Docklet requests permissions only when a widget or feature that needs them is first used. No permissions are required to install or run the app.
| Permission | Used by | Why it's needed |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications (Silenced) | Hide during Focus Mode | To allow Docklet to respond to when a Focus Mode is turned on by hiding the widget strip. Without permission to silence notifications, this feature cannot be used. |
| Accessibility | Window Manager Widget | Required by macOS to move and resize windows on your behalf. Docklet uses this only to execute the snap action you trigger. |
Activating Docklet Pro
After purchasing Pro, Lemon Squeezy will email you one or more license keys. To activate:
Open Settings
Right-click the Docklet strip and choose Settings.
Navigate to License
Click the License tab in the Settings window.
Enter your key
Paste your license key and click Activate. Activation is verified locally using cryptographic key signing — no internet connection is required after the initial check.
Widgets
Widgets are focused tools. Each one does one thing well. Some display information at a glance (e.g. World Clock). Others kick off a task with a single interaction (e.g. AI Chat). Some run invisibly in the background (e.g. Window Manager).
Every widget has its own settings. Some widgets and settings are only available to Pro users.
Tip: Long-press any widget to open its settings.
The Widget Strip
Widgets live in a strip that mirrors your Dock. It's roughly 80pt wide or tall depending on orientation. The strip sits at the edge of your screen: horizontal along the bottom, vertical on the left or right. See General Preferences to change its position.
Scrolling
If your widgets exceed the available space, scroll the strip to reach what's off-screen. Scrolling is unavailable when everything fits.
Positioning
The strip floats at the screen edge you choose. For the cleanest setup, pair it with an auto-hidden Dock.
Tip: Enable Dock auto-hide under System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock.
Preferences
To open Preferences, click the gear widget at the end of the strip. On vertical strips (left or right edge) it sits at the bottom; on the horizontal strip it's at the far right.
Docklet Preferences are divided into three tabs:
- Layout — manage which widgets appear in your strip and in what order.
- General — control overall app behavior and positioning.
- Widget Settings — adjust settings for individual widgets.
Layout Tab
The Layout tab is where you build your strip. This tab is divided into two sections: Available Widgets & Active Widgets.
Available Widgets lists the widgets you can activate. If you are on the Free version, you'll see indicators where Pro features or Pro widgets are available (see Activating Pro).
Activate a Widget
Simply drag-and-drop the widget from the Available section into the Active section. Only one instance of a widget can be activated. However, multiple Spacers or Dividers can be added. When a widget is active it will appear with a slightly darker background and show up in the Active Widgets section.
Active Widgets shows you which widgets are currently active and their order. Changes to widget activity and order are reflected in realtime.
Ordering Widgets
In the active section, you can drag-and-drop widgets into the order you want.
Remove a Widget
Hover over the widget in the active section to display a red 'x' icon in the upper right corner. Click this icon and it will be removed from the active area.
If you see a grey "closed eye" icon in the upper left corner of a widget, this indicates the widget is active, but hidden. To quickly unhide it, click this icon. Only some widgets can be hidden while active. This is set from the Widget's Settings.
If you'd like to reset the widget strip, click the Restore Defaults button. Once you are finished managing your widgets, click the Done button to dismiss the preferences window.
General Tab
The General tab controls how and where Docklet runs. An explanation of each setting in the tab follows.
Position
Docklet Position — defines screen edge alignment of the widget strip. This locks the widget strip to a specific screen edge. Available options are driven by how your Dock is displayed which is defined in your System Settings.
If your Dock is set to always show, the edge it occupies will be unavailable from the list so that Docklet is not covered up. The default when your Dock is set this way is to show the widget strip on an adjacent screen edge.
If your Dock is set to hide (recommended), you can select an edge or Auto with Dock. Auto with Dock will place the strip on the same edge as your Dock. It will be covered only when your Dock is visible and will enable the most amount of screen real estate. The default when your Dock is set this way is Auto with Dock.
Startup
Launch at Login — Starts Docklet automatically when you log in. This is enabled by default.
Focus
Show Widgets with Fullscreen Apps — Lets you show the widget strip when an app is in fullscreen mode. When turned on the widget strip will float over the active full screen window. This is off by default.
Hide During Focus Modes — Automatically hides the strip whenever a Focus Mode is active. This is turned off by default.
Hide for Specific Apps — Select apps that will automatically hide the strip while in use. Click + Add App… to add an app. Click the red minus next to an app to remove it. There is no limit to the number of apps that can be added to this list.
Updates
Auto Check for Updates — Periodically checks for new versions of Docklet in the background. Enabled by default.
Check for Updates — Manually trigger an update check now.
Analytics
Share Anonymous Usage Data — Help improve Docklet by sending anonymized usage statistics via TelemetryDeck. No personal information is collected. This is an opt-in feature, so it's off by default.
License
License Status — Shows your current license state (Free or Pro). Also allows you to add a license key to upgrade to pro.
Widget Settings Tab
The Widget Settings Tab is used to access and manage widget-specific settings. The window is divided into a widgets list and the selected widget's settings.
View a Widget's Settings
To view a widget's settings, click the widget in the Widgets list on the left side of the window. This will select the widget and display its settings on the right side.
Widget-Specific Settings
The order of widgets in your Widgets list may not match the documentation. The order of your Widgets list follows your widget strip layout.
Media Player Widget
Overview
A simple now-playing widget displaying track info, playback controls, and progress bar for Music.app and Spotify. Other services coming soon.
Layout: Compact now-playing display with title/artist/album, an optional interactive or read-only progress bar, and play/pause/next/previous buttons. The widget activates automatically when any media is playing and goes dormant when nothing is playing.
Settings
Show Widget When Not Playing — Automatically displays the Media Player Widget. Turning this preference off will hide the Media Player Widget if your Mac does not have anything in its Now Playing feed. This is on by default.
Show Progress Bar — Displays the player's progress bar. The progress bar provides a visual of where the media is in its timeline as well as allows you to jump to a specific time. This is on by default.
System Monitor Widget
Overview
Live system metrics displayed in the dock. Shows CPU, memory, storage, GPU, threads, temperature, and fan speed. Some of these metrics (GPU, threads, temperature, and fan speed) require a Pro license.
Layout: Displayed with modular sections separated by hairline dividers. Each metric is its own contained section — CPU and GPU show 16-bar sparkline history charts, memory uses a segmented bar chart (App/Wired/Compressed), and SSD shows a progress fill bar.
Settings
Refresh Interval — Defines the time interval used to query the system for metrics. The default is 1 second.
Metrics
CPU — Shows the utilization of your machine's processing power. This is displayed by default.
Memory — Shows how much random access memory (RAM) is being used. This is displayed by default.
Storage — Shows how much storage (aka disk space) is being used. This is displayed by default.
GPU Pro — Shows the utilization of your machine's graphics processing power. Off by default.
Threads Pro — Shows the number of processes being executed on your machine. Off by default.
Temperature Pro — Shows the current temperature of your machine. Off by default.
Fan Speed Pro — Shows the average fan speed across your machine's fans. Off by default.
Metrics can be rearranged using the ordering icon to the left of the metric name. This updates in real-time.
Pro features require an active Pro license.
AI Chat Widget
Overview
A quick-access launcher for AI chat services with inline text input.
Providers: Apple Intelligence using an on-device model (default). Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (ChatGPT/GPT-4), Perplexity, Duck.ai using a web-based approach.
Layout: Clicking opens a popover with an expanding text input field, send button, and provider name header. For all web-based providers this is a one-way flow with no response back. With Apple Intelligence the responses will be displayed below the prompt.
Settings
Provider — Sets the artificial intelligence provider used when submitting prompts. The default is set to Apple Intelligence.
Open In
Browser — Sets the web browser used when submitting the prompt query. This is displayed for every AI provider (e.g. web-based) except Apple Intelligence. When displayed, the default is set to System Default.
How It Works
Provides a description of how your prompts are handled. For web-based AI providers, this is a one-way submission of your prompt pre-filled to the provider's URL. Each web-based provider handles this differently. For Apple Intelligence, the prompt is run with the on-device model and the response is shown in the widget.
Clipboard Manager Widget Pro
Overview
A clipboard history manager with real-time monitoring, hotkey shortcuts, and security features for sensitive data. Click any entry or use hotkeys to copy it back to the clipboard instantly. Expanded clipboard history beyond the last 3 items requires a Pro license.
Layout: A scrollable list of recent clipboard entries. Widget can be hidden with continued use via hotkeys.
Privacy: Sensitive items copied to the clipboard are obfuscated and auto-expire after 2 minutes. Other security-related options can be found in the Settings below.
Settings
Show Widget in Strip — Turns the visibility of the clipboard widget on/off in the strip. This is on by default.
Tip: You can still use the clipboard's keyboard shortcuts when the widget is hidden.
Max Entries Pro — Sets the number of items stored in the clipboard. The default is set to three. Pro unlocks more item storage.
Enable Keyboard Shortcuts — Turns on the ability to activate a stored clipboard item using hotkeys. This is on by default.
Skip Sensitive Items — Allows you to skip storing data marked as sensitive (e.g. passwords) in the clipboard history. This is off by default.
Expire Sensitive Items — Sets the time duration sensitive information is held in the clipboard. This adds an extra level of security, however, it can be turned off by selecting "Never." If this preference is not displayed, then you have Skip Sensitive Items turned on. Expire Sensitive Items is 2 minutes by default.
Note: Sensitive Items are always obfuscated by default and will show up as "*******" in the clipboard.
Treat as Sensitive — Allows you to skip storing data marked as sensitive (e.g. passwords) in the clipboard history. This is off by default.
Shortcuts
How to use hotkeys with the clipboard manager:
Copy items normally with ⌘C. Each copy is added to the clipboard history shown in widget.
Press ⌥⌘1 through ⌥⌘3 to activate an item. ⌥⌘1 is the most recent, ⌥⌘3 is the 3rd. The activated item is placed on your system clipboard.
Press ⌘V to paste. These shortcuts work system-wide. No need to interact with the widget directly.
Pro features require an active Pro license.
World Clock Widget
Overview
A dual-timezone clock showing your local time and a remote destination time with smart layout and day offset indicators.
Layout: Widget displays the local and destination time with an arrow always pointing toward the destination. Widget layout is dependent whether the destination time is ahead or behind of the local. If the destination time is ahead of the local time it will be the top (vertical layout) or left (horizontal layout) time. If the destination time is behind the local time it will be displayed below (vertical layout) or right (horizontal layout). Each time is displayed with a location label below. A +1 or -1 will be displayed with the destination time if it is one day ahead or behind respectively.
Settings
Use 24-Hour Time — Enables clock time to be displayed in a 24-hour format. Otherwise, time is displayed in a 12-hour AM/PM format. This 24-Hour Time is off by default.
Local
Use System Timezone — Uses your Mac's timezone to set the local time. This is on by default.
Local Timezone — When Use System Timezone is turned off, this allows you to search and select a local time by city. The default is set to New York (UTC-4).
Destination
Destination Timezone — This sets the destination timezone by city. The default is set to Tokyo (UTC+9).
Shortcuts Widget
Overview
Create one-click buttons for launching websites or groups of sites. There is no limit to the number of shortcuts you can create. Creating shortcut groups allow multiple websites to be launched with a single click. Shortcut groups require a Pro license.
Layout: A 2-row grid of website bookmarks with cached favicons or group folders for quickly launch websites.
Settings
Browser — Sets the web browser used to display webpages when launched from the widget. The default is set to your machine's default browser.
Shortcuts
URL Input Field — Allows you to enter/edit the desired URLs to launch from the widget. The default URL is set to the Docklet Docs page.
+ Add Shortcut — Lets you add additional URLs to the widget.
Groups
+ Add Group Pro — Lets you create and name a group that will launch multiple URLs with a single click. When a group is created its automatically added the Shortcuts section. This is disabled by default.
URL Input Field — Allows you to enter/edit the desired URLs to the group. The default is an empty URL.
Shortcuts and Groups can be rearranged using the ordering icon to the left of the metric name. This updates in real-time.
Pro features require an active Pro license.
Window Manager Widget Pro
Overview
A window tiling engine with hotkeys for snapping windows to halves, thirds, quarters, and more. Window management is set to respect the widget strip by default.
Requires: Accessibility permission to arrange windows. An Accessibility Alert is displayed upon adding the widget. To enable these permissions:
System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > Docklet.
Layout: Clickable widget displays the list of window tiling options and hotkeys (see Shortcuts below for full list). Widget can be hidden with continued use via hotkeys.
Settings
Show Widget in Strip — Turns the visibility of the window manager widget on/off in the strip. This is on by default.
Respect Docklet Strip When Tiling — Keeps windows from encroaching on the strip area when moving them around with the widget or hotkeys. This is on by default.
Shortcuts
| Edges | Quarters/Thirds | Other | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Edge | ⌥⌘← | Top Left | ⌃⌘← | Maximize | ⌥⌘F |
| Right Edge | ⌥⌘→ | Top Right | ⌃⌘→ | Center | ⌥⌘C |
| Top Edge | ⌥⌘↑ | Bottom Left | ⌃⌥⌘← | Undo Move | ⌥⌘Z |
| Bottom Edge | ⌥⌘↓ | Bottom Right | ⌃⌥⌘→ | Clean Up | ⌃⌥⌘C |
Updates
Docklet uses Sparkle for automatic updates. By default, Docklet checks for updates at launch and periodically in the background. When an update is available, a quiet notification appears.
All update packages are cryptographically signed with EdDSA. Docklet verifies the signature before installing. To check for updates manually, right-click the strip and choose Check for Updates.
You can configure automatic update behaviour (check only vs. auto-install) in Preferences > General
Privacy & Telemetry
Docklet includes optional, anonymised crash reporting via TelemetryDeck. This is off by default and must be explicitly enabled. When enabled:
- Only crash events and app version are reported
- No personally identifiable information is ever included
- TelemetryDeck is EU-based and GDPR-compliant
- No behaviour, usage patterns, or widget data is sent
To toggle telemetry, go to Settings → Privacy → Share anonymous crash data.
See the full Privacy Policy for a complete breakdown.
Crash Reporting
Docklet uses Apple's MetricKit for crash diagnostics and performance metrics. These are stored locally on your machine. Docklet support may ask you to send these logs in response to support request. In this instance, Docklet will provide further guidance.
Uninstalling Docklet
To fully remove Docklet:
- Right-click the strip and choose Quit Docklet.
- Open Finder → Applications and move
Docklet.appto the Trash. - To remove preferences and widget data, delete
~/Library/Application Support/Dockletand~/Library/Preferences/com.madebycomputers.docklet.plist.
Your Pro license key is stored in Keychain. To remove it, open Keychain Access, search for "Docklet", and delete the entry.
Support
If you run into a problem not covered here, email help@madebycomputers.com. Include your macOS version and a description of the issue. We try to respond within 1–2 business days.
For bug reports, attaching a Console log (filter by "Docklet") helps us diagnose issues faster.