How to Reset Ubuntu Dock to Default Settings

You can reset the Ubuntu Dock to its original factory layout with one command in the Terminal, which is a text-based control panel 🎛️ for your system. The Ubuntu Dock is the main panel on your screen that holds your favorite apps and running programs.

Over time, changed settings and rearranged icons can leave the dock looking or behaving oddly. The reset command clears your custom dock changes and gives you a clean slate on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer versions. You don’t need to restart the 🔄 computer, and you don’t need to install anything.

Reset the Dock Panel in Ubuntu Linux

One command in the Terminal resets the Ubuntu Dock to its original factory settings. It clears custom icon placements, hidden panel options, and stubborn layout glitches. The short version is to open the Terminal app, paste the reset command, and press Enter. The default dock setup comes back right away.

Run the command as your normal user. Don’t put sudo in front of it, because the dock settings belong to your own account and not to the whole system.

The reset takes two steps: open the Terminal, then run the command. Both are covered below.

First, open a Terminal window. You can do it either of these ways:

1. Open the Ubuntu Terminal app. Search for it from the Activities overview if you can’t see it.
2. Or press CTRL + ALT + T on your keyboard to launch it.

A window with a command prompt should now be open, and it is waiting for you to type.

Now run the reset command.

1. Copy the command shown below.
2. Click inside the Terminal window and paste it. Use Ctrl+Shift+V, because plain Ctrl+V does not paste in the Terminal. You can also right-click and choose Paste.
3. Press the Enter or Return key.

dconf reset -f /org/gnome/shell/extensions/dash-to-dock/

The command wipes your custom dock configuration straight away. It usually prints nothing when it succeeds, so a blank line and a fresh prompt are normal. Look at the dock. Its size, position, and behavior should have switched back to the defaults without a restart.

If the dock still looks wrong after a minute, log out and sign back in. That reloads the desktop session and the extension.

The command `dconf reset -f /org/gnome/shell/extensions/dash-to-dock/` resets the configuration for the Dash-to-Dock extension, which is what the Ubuntu Dock is built on. It works through the dconf database, a low-level configuration storage system that GNOME uses to keep settings. The -f option tells dconf to reset everything under that location in one go. Running it clears customized layouts and restores the original dock behavior.

One point to be aware of: GNOME Shell stores the list of pinned apps in its own setting, separate from the dock extension’s options. If your pinned icons don’t change after the reset, that is why. You can still add or remove them by hand. Right-click an app icon and choose the option to add it to or remove it from favorites.

Keep in mind that an app you have removed from your system entirely cannot reappear on the dock during a reset. The reset only changes settings. It does not reinstall anything. If an app is missing, install it again first.

The default preferences are now active again. There is no undo button for this reset. If you liked an earlier setting, such as icon size or dock position, set it again in Settings › Appearance on Ubuntu 22.04 and newer.

Conclusion:

• Resetting the Dock Panel in Ubuntu Linux restores its default settings if it behaves differently or looks wrong after customization.
• You can reset the Dock Panel with a single command in the Terminal application, and no restart is needed.
• If you uninstalled a favorite app, it won't reappear after the reset. Install it again if you want it back.