How to Install Otterdock on macOS: DMG, Homebrew or Mac App Store

Direct edition: download the .dmg from otterdock.savetimefor.fun, drag Otterdock to Applications, open it, and grant Accessibility only if you want the custom popup. Or run brew install --cask savetimefor-fun/otterdock/otterdock. Mac App Store edition: click Get in the App Store (Apple silicon only). Then create a group of 3 to 5 items and add it to the Dock: Sync Now in Direct, or drag the group next to the Trash in the App Store edition.

Otterdock comes in two editions that install differently and behave differently in the Dock. This guide takes you from choosing one to a first group sitting in your Dock, with the file locations, permissions and update mechanics spelled out so there are no surprises later.

Step 0: Pick the edition

Both editions are free for two groups of up to eight items, include widgets, and share the same group concepts. If you have an Intel Mac, Direct is the only option. The deeper comparison is in Direct vs Mac App Store.

Step 1a: Install the Direct edition from the .dmg

1. Download Otterdock.dmg from the download page. The file is signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.
2. Double-click the .dmg. A window opens with the Otterdock icon and an Applications shortcut.
3. Drag Otterdock onto Applications. Wait for the copy to finish, then eject the disk image (click the eject icon next to it in Finder's sidebar).
4. Open Otterdock from Applications or Spotlight. The first launch shows a short onboarding that creates your first group; you can skip it.

macOS may show a dialog saying the app was downloaded from the internet; click Open. Because the app is notarized, you should not see the "cannot be opened" message. If you do, the download was probably interrupted; delete it and download again rather than bypassing Gatekeeper.

Step 1b: Install the Direct edition with Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, one command installs the same signed app from our public tap:

brew install --cask savetimefor-fun/otterdock/otterdock

Homebrew verifies the download against a published checksum and places Otterdock in Applications. Later, brew upgrade --cask otterdock updates it; the cask tracks the same release feed the in-app updater uses, so either path gives you the current version. This is a tap we maintain, not a cask in Homebrew's main repository.

Step 1c: Install the Mac App Store edition

1. Open the App Store and search for "Otterdock", or open the store page.
2. Click Get, then Install. Sign in with your Apple Account if asked.
3. Open Otterdock from Launchpad (or the Apps window on macOS 26) or Spotlight.

The App Store edition runs in Apple's sandbox. It will never ask for Accessibility permission, because nothing it does requires it.

Step 2: Create your first group

Otterdock lives in the menu bar; click its icon to open the main window.

1. Click New Group and name it after a task you repeat, for example "Writing" or "Client Review". Names you will recognize at a glance work better than categories like "Utilities".
2. Add 3 to 5 items to start. Use Applications to pick installed apps, From Dock to pull in apps already pinned, Files or Folders for documents and project directories, or drag a web link from your browser's address bar into the group. Files and folders can also be dragged in from Finder.
3. Drag items to reorder them. The order matters: the first nine items get Command-1 to Command-9 in the Direct popup, and widgets show items in this order.
4. Optionally pick an icon style for the group so it stands out in the Dock.

The free tier allows two groups with up to eight items each. If you hit the limit while setting up, that is the point at which Pro (a one-time purchase) becomes relevant; see Free vs Pro for exactly what changes.

Step 3: Put the group in the Dock

Direct edition: click Sync Now. Otterdock writes the group into the Dock's folder section and the Dock restarts briefly. From now on, when you edit the group, a short countdown appears in the editor and the Dock updates automatically; you never drag anything.

Mac App Store edition: drag the group's card from Otterdock's window to the right side of the Dock divider, next to the Trash; Otterdock shows a "Drag to Dock" hint while you drag. What lands in the Dock is the folder Otterdock generated for the group. The group appears as a native Dock stack. When you later add items to the group, Otterdock refreshes the folder's contents and the stack picks them up; the Dock entry itself stays. The drag step in detail, including what to do when the Dock refuses the drop, is in adding Otterdock groups to the Mac Dock.

Step 4 (Direct only): Decide about Accessibility

The first time you choose Otterdock's custom popup or hover mode, macOS asks you to allow Otterdock under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. This permission is what lets Otterdock notice clicks on its own Dock icons and replace the native stack with its popup.

You can say no. Without the permission, Direct groups open as native stacks, exactly like the App Store edition, and everything else, including global shortcuts, widgets and Dock sync, keeps working. The three interaction styles and what each needs are compared in click mode vs hover mode.

Step 5: Add a widget (optional)

Both editions include a widget for the desktop and Notification Center. Control-click the desktop and choose Edit Widgets, find Otterdock, drag a size onto the desktop, then click Edit Widget to choose the group. Small shows 4 items, medium 8, large 12; each tile opens one item. Setup and troubleshooting are in the desktop widgets guide.

Where things live

• Direct edition: the app is in /Applications; group configuration, generated group folders and skins are in ~/Library/Application Support/Otterdock. Settings are in the standard preferences location.
• Mac App Store edition: the same structure, inside the app's sandbox container under ~/Library/Containers.
• Dock entries: stored by macOS in the Dock's own preferences, like any folder you add to the Dock.
• Network: update checks (Direct), license or purchase verification, and optional usage analytics that you can turn off in Settings. Group contents never leave the Mac.

The full accounting of permissions, files and network use is in privacy, permissions and local data.

Updating and uninstalling

Direct checks for updates on launch and offers them in-app; Homebrew users can run brew upgrade --cask otterdock instead. App Store updates arrive through the App Store like any other app.

To uninstall Direct: quit Otterdock, remove its groups from the Dock (drag them off, or click Remove from Dock in the editor first), move Otterdock.app to the Trash, and delete ~/Library/Application Support/Otterdock if you do not want to keep your groups for a reinstall. With Homebrew, brew uninstall --cask otterdock removes the app. To uninstall the App Store edition, delete it the way you delete any App Store app; macOS removes its container with it.