Installation#

CoolDock requires macOS Sonoma 14.0 or later.

Install CoolDock#

1. Purchase CoolDock from cooldock.app.
2. Download the CoolDock disk image from the link provided after purchase.
3. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
4. Drag CoolDock into the Applications folder.
5. Open CoolDock from Applications.

If macOS asks you to confirm that the app was downloaded from the internet, choose Open.

Activate your license#

On first launch, CoolDock asks where private data should be stored and then asks for your license key.

The recommended storage option is macOS Keychain. An Encrypted local file is available for Macs whose login keychain cannot be unlocked. You can change this later under Settings → Privacy → Credential Storage.

Under Purchased through, choose Keyper or Polar to match your purchase email, paste the key exactly as it appears there, and choose Activate License. A Keyper key can be active on as many Macs as your purchase includes; a Polar key is active on one Mac at a time. See License.

Finish first-run setup#

The onboarding guide walks through the initial permissions, Launch CoolDock at login, Show live apps (running apps, off by default), an optional Set Up AI Assistant step, and the layout scenarios. Permissions are requested only for the features you choose; you can skip any of them with Continue Anyway and review them later in Settings → Privacy.

To replay onboarding, open Settings → About or the menu bar Help menu and choose Show Onboarding.

Launch at login#

Turn on Launch CoolDock at login during onboarding or under Settings → General. If macOS says approval is waiting, choose Open Login Items and allow CoolDock there.