How to stop app icons bouncing in the Dock on a Mac

An icon bouncing in the Dock means an app is opening or wants you. How to turn off the opening bounce, stop the attention bounce, and when to leave it on.

Guide · Updated 22 October 2026

Why do Dock icons bounce?

  • While an app opens. It bounces until its first window is ready.
  • When an app wants your attention. It bounces, sometimes again and again, until you switch to it. This usually means a dialog is waiting: an unsaved file, a finished download, a question.

How do I stop the bounce when apps open?

Open System Settings, Desktop & Dock, and turn off Animate opening applications. Apps still open the same way, without the bounce.

How do I stop the attention bounce?

First, click the bouncing app: whatever it is asking usually takes a second, and the bounce stops. To turn the attention bounce off for good, run this in Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.dock no-bouncing -bool true && killall Dock

The Dock restarts. To bring the bounce back, run the same line with false.

Is it safe to turn the attention bounce off?

Yes, but you lose the signal. An app asking whether to save, or waiting for a password, will sit there silently. Notifications still appear as usual.

Quiet the red numbers too: remove badges from Dock icons. A broader cut: reduce motion.

Checked on 22 October 2026 on a MacBook Air (M1) running macOS 27.0.1: Animate opening applications was read from Desktop & Dock, and the no-bouncing setting is still present in the Dock.

Questions

Why is an app bouncing in my Dock?

It is opening, or it wants your attention, usually because a dialog is waiting.

How do I stop apps bouncing when they open?

Turn off Animate opening applications in System Settings, Desktop & Dock.

Can I stop all Dock bouncing?

Yes, with defaults write com.apple.dock no-bouncing -bool true, then killall Dock.

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