How to Change Dock Position in Ubuntu Linux

The Ubuntu Dock is the bar of app icons that sits on the left edge of the screen by default. You can move it to the bottom or the right edge. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer include this option in the Settings app, so you don’t need any extra software.

Moving the Dock can free up screen space. A bottom Dock, for example, leaves the full height of the screen for your windows and web pages. The change takes a few clicks and you can undo it at any time.

How to align the Dock to the left, right, or Bottom in Ubuntu Linux

The setting lives in Settings › Appearance, in the Dock section. From there you can place the Dock on the left, right or bottom of the screen. The steps below start from the desktop and walk through each click.

Ubuntu keeps most of its configuration in the Settings app. It covers system options, user management, updates and the look of the desktop. You can open it in two ways. The first is the Activities overview.

1. Press the Super key (the Win on most keyboards), or click Activities at the top-left of the screen. The Activities overview opens.
2. Start typing Settings. The Settings ⚙️ icon appears in the results.
3. Click the Settings icon, or press Enter when it is highlighted. The Settings ⚙️ app opens.

The second way is the System menu, which is useful if you already have windows open and don’t want to leave them.

1. Click the System menu in the top-right corner of the top bar. This is the area with the network, volume and power icons. A panel drops down.
2. Click Settings, as highlighted below. The Settings ⚙️ app opens.

Now go to the Dock options.

1. In the Settings app, click Appearance in the sidebar. The appearance options open on the right, and you will see a Dock section on this page.
2. Under Dock, find Position on screen.
3. Choose Left, Bottom or Right, as highlighted below. The Dock moves to that edge straight away.

That's all. Close the Settings app. The change applies immediately, so you don't need to log out or restart.

To undo it, return to Settings › Appearance, and pick Left again, which is the default position.

This happens in Ubuntu flavours that use a different desktop, such as Kubuntu, or if the Dock extension has been turned off. In that case there is nothing for this setting to move.

These are handy when you place the Dock at the bottom and want to save even more space.

• In Ubuntu Linux, the default position for the Dock is left-aligned, but users can easily change it to the Bottom or right through the system settings.
• The Appearance tile in the System Settings allows users to select the Dock position on the screen and customize the desktop environment to their preference.
• Changing the Dock position to the Bottom, left, or right can improve the user experience for those accustomed to having the app launcher in a different location on the screen.