After moving from a Fedora/GNOME laptop to a MacBook Air, a developer built boringBar to replace macOS’s Dock with a taskbar that shows only windows in the active Space. The tool lets users scroll to switch Spaces, pin apps, preview windows, and launch programs from a searchable menu in your system daily workflows.

boringBar runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and requires Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions to monitor windows and fetch thumbnail previews. It hides the native Dock while active and supports multiple displays, even when separate Spaces are disabled. Users can toggle desktop views, collapse windows by app, and adjust bar size from small to large for users.

Pricing starts at $7.99 per year for a personal license, with additional devices at $2 each. Business plans begin at $3.49 per user for up to 20 users, dropping to $1.00 for larger teams. All features remain unlocked during a 14‑day free trial before a license purchase is required for continuing use and support for teams.

Developers who miss GNOME 2’s window‑focused workflow or Windows’ taskbar find boringBar a familiar alternative. By displaying only current‑Space windows and offering quick desktop navigation, the app restores focus and reduces clutter on macOS. The tool is now available for download, with a paid license required after the trial period for continued use and access to updates.