Works great except if I have things set to start up at log in the icon appears in the dock. I have to quit the app then restart it.

Anyone know a work around?

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This tip only works with Cocoa Apps. Carbon apps don't have a file called 'Info.plist'.

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Actually, no. If the Carbon app uses a bundle, you can add that key/value pair to its Info.plist and it works fine. If not, you should be able to add the relevant information to its 'plst' resource. I just did it with iTunes (which is a bundle), and it worked fine.

Unfortunately, there's a side effect - no menubar. Good for LaunchBar, which is designed to have its menubar hidden, but not so good for Joe Random Program.

I seem to remember there is another key you can use, something like "ShowInDock", that -just- removes it from the dock, not anything else. Can't find it now though.

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"If not, you should be able to add the relevant information to its 'plst' resource."

uh... like... how do you do this?

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What I did - (to get rid of dock icon for PiDock)

• make a copy of PiDock.
• Open ResEdit (works just fine in Classic)
• Open PiDock in ResEdit
• Open the plst resource
• To the right you see scrunched up xml. Select one of the key/string pairs that's there including the "^" delimiter and paste it in next to itself.
• change the value of the key element to NSUIElement
• change the value of the string element to 1
• save it, close it, launch it.
• Voila. No dock icon.

cool.

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In Jaguar, they have apparently changed the plist item named NSUIElement to LSUIElement. Although NSUIElement still works, you should begin to switch to the new terminology.

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Does this still work in Panther? I've tried setting NSUIElement and LSUIElement to 1 in wClock's Info.plist file, and wClock still shows up in my dock.

Scott

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The NSUIElement works with wClock, but I had to log out and log back into my account before it would hide the dock icon.

The only thing was that I not only lost the menu bar but I lost the ability to call up the calendar as well.

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I am not a guru and i wanted just that outlook express icon doesn't appear on the dock when the application has been opened.
I haven't found any .plist file that refers to outlook express, and opening the .app file with resedit i can't find any "plist resource".
Isn't there a normal way to persecute this simple aim? (I am a windows programmer and with that terrible OS all this things are very simple to do)
thanks (I am really getting crazy for this problem)

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I thought this one was good for iTunes, which really doesn't need a dock icon anymore because of the iTunes docklet. But with this hit you can't access iTunes' menu bar anymore. It there any method to hide the dock icon without toughing the remaining functionality? Thanks for any hint!

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Submitted as a new hint:

According to the Launchbar application's website:

Modifying the "Info.plist" file to remove the LaunchBar icon from the Dock no longer takes effect immediately. Mac OS X 10.3 now seems to cache the corresponding information. In order to invalidate this cache it seems to help to move the application to a different location after the modification (e.g. move it temporarily to the Desktop, then back to the Applications folder).

I verified this and it works... yeah!

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Anyone have an idea how to, instead of removing the icons, placing them in a folder that sits in the dock. That way only taking the space of one icon but the apps are still accessable by the user. Like Dock Extenders drop down menu's exept instead with open apps rather than files/folders/apps... get my drift?

Should be possible :)

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After I entered the code to the Info.plist, the Sherlock icon just jumped in the dock a few times and disappeared. However I couldn't find the app running anywhere? Where have I done wrong? thx

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same problem as capitano. Quicksilver works without a dock icon and WITH a menubar, as does VirtueDestop. That's how i would like my apps that have menubar items to work. is this possible?

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btw, both of those programs have the code within them, though Quicksilver uses [integer] instead of [string]

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This page is #1 if one googles "hide dock icon mac", so I thought I'd give it an update.

In 10.4.10, one adds the following instead to the plist (after <dict>):

<key>LSUIElement</key>
<string>1</string>

Remember to move the program temporarilty to another location and open it, in order to de-cache the plist.

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Anyone got this working on Leopard? Seems all my hidden apps refuse to disappear any longer.

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Good info, ebeans...

I just did this with DragThing v5.6, running under OS X 10.4.11.

It worked perfectly; no more DragThing icon in my dock.

Thanks!

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...But now I'm laughing at myself.

I just noticed after editing the DragThing plist file, as ebeans suggested, that—while I no longer have the DragThing icon in my Dock—I do see its little menulet icon in my Main menu bar.

And I'm laughing even harder because upon further investigation I discovered I could've have done this by going into DragThing's preferences.

HEH! @ Me!

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The DockDodger application automates this.

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This doesn't work for me at all for several reasons I guess...

First of all I'm running on Leopard 10.5.2 which is more than you can say about the guys in the other posts...

My main problem is pretty simple the code that you guys tell me to implement is already there, just as you guys typed it, but the icon is still present in the dock..!?

And the Dock Dodger App is worthless !!!
I've tried using it and so far it has only been able to remove itself from the dock :/

Everything else stays the same, even after a reboot..

So basically what I'm asking for is if anybody has a solution for this? :D
Feel free to PM/Email me if you do :D

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Are you sure the value is set to 1?

I'm running 10.5.2 as well, and I just used this hack for MenuCalendarClock ... works like a charm

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I'm having the same problem on OS X 10.5.3. The fix recommended here is well documented by Apple, and I've found a ton of references to it throughout the web.

I'm moving the file after editing the info.plist but before running it. I'm using the Property List Editor that ships with the Xcode tools, and setting the property (as text) to "1".

I must be missing something. Can anyone recommend any troubleshooting ideas?

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Hi!

Hm, is that supposed to still work in 10.5.7?

I wanted to hide the icon for the Goolge Quick Search Box. So I opened the Info.plist — but, as you can see, the file seems to be binary, or something.

How would you go about hiding the Dock icon for the Google QSB, or for just any program for that matter?

Thanks,
Alexander

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well, I think NSUIElement was an older version of the plist property. it still works (apparently), but it's not documented (see here). in Leopard, the key to use seems to be LSUIElement. as to why the google info.plist file is mis-behaving... you're sure it's not corrupt? try downloading a fresh version. it gives an unknows core foundation error even when I try to open it in TextWrangler (which shouldn't be the case - TextWrangler should just open it passively)

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You don't have to edit the plist with Property List Editor; /usr/bin/defaults can do it too. Example:

defaults write /Applications/Stickies.app/Contents/Info LSUIElement 1

Set it back to 0 to un-hide it.

Sadly the LSUIElement setting affects not only the Dock icon but also the presence of a menu bar... so if you want a menu bar but not a Dock icon this LSUIElement setting won't help.

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You may need the developer tools to get Property List Editor which can open binary plist files.

You can register for free at http://developer.apple.com

BTW, this tip worked for me on 10.5.8.

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