Static Dock and Displays have separate spaces

Question

Level 1

6 points

Static Dock and Displays have separate spaces

Why can't Apple sort this issue out .... Surely they make it easy to name our monitors and then add apps / docks/ etc as we want them.

So here is my issue .... I have three monitors that I use. 1 is literally for presentations which is a 55inch LG TV.

So I have to have Displays have different spaces if I want to add a presentation to the TV Monitor as I can't have full screen and use the other montitors.

My main monitor is my LG HDR 4K and I also have another LG Ultrawide monitor for when I am working on different apps when making my presentations.

The TV monitor is only switched on when showing the presentations to clients. BUT even though it is OFF some times the dock switches to that screen or to my Ultrawide monitor.

Because my Mac numbers the displays but doesn't associate it too which monitor its a guessing game as the numbers change for no apparent reason. If I set one program to only open up on Display 2 it might open on the TV if that is on but the Ultrawide is off .....

I love my Mac but this is such an annoying feature.

And then my doc shifts for no apparent reason from screen to screen and it is a nightmare to get it back on the main monitor again ....

PLEASE APPLE SORT THIS OUT

System Mac Studio M2 Max 96gb 1 TB

Running Sequoia 15.5

Mac Studio, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jul 29, 2025 3:31 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 29, 2025 6:27 AM in response to gooner1868

The only way to make the Dock stay on a selected screen is with the DockLock Lite or DockLock Plus app from the Mac App Store.

That way, you can keep "Displays have separate Spaces" enabled and enjoy all multi-monitor macOS features with no frustration.

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Answer 2

WheelieNick

Level 8

45,783 points

Jul 29, 2025 4:00 AM in response to gooner1868

You might want to give this to apple as feedback so that they can look into it

Please do so using this form

Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 3

den.thed

Level 10

89,530 points

Jul 29, 2025 7:46 PM in response to gooner1868

I personally turn off the Stage Manager, Tiling and Mission Control features when using multiple displays.

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Answer 4

Jul 29, 2025 6:19 PM in response to gooner1868

Spaces is a feature of Mission Control. Each space is intended to be a self-contained place to have multiple applications and windows left open. Each Space is supposed to have a Menubar. I don't know about a Dock, as Misson Control is a Dock replacement. The starting concept of a Space is that it can be quickly swapped in as the current Space on ONE display.

Work in multiple spaces on Mac - Apple Support

https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-manage-multiple-spaces-on-macos

This concept is then generalized to multiple displays by enabling "Displays have separate spaces".

I am really not sure that Spaces is the concept you need for this use. If it is the right concept, it does not sound like you are using it as it was intended.

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Answer 5

Jul 29, 2025 11:36 PM in response to den.thed

That way you lose many features, for example, you can't watch YouTube full screen on one display while working on another one. We need "Displays have separate Spaces" enabled and the Dock not jumping, just like the author of the question said.

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Answer 6

den.thed

Level 10

89,530 points

Jul 30, 2025 6:29 AM in response to JulyIGHOR

There is no easy solution.. I was just sharing my personal preference. You have to start somewhere and find the features that you want or do not want. Then sadly once you get real comfortable, Apple makes some changes and you start over.

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Answer 7

Jul 29, 2025 11:38 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

You missed the most important part of his question: "Static Dock". The Dock jumping screens is most frustrating macOS thing, and we need to control that.

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