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Removing Apple system apps from Dock

  • December 11, 2024
  • 15 replies
  • 91 views
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Hey all,
Im using the JAMF Pro in house dock settings to remove apps though have hit a dead end with three Apple System Apps: Facetime, Apple TV and Apple Store

Im just wondering what is the best method for removing these last 3 from the dock. I have tried getting assistance from the JAMF Helpdesk and  even with their assistance we were unsuccessful in finding the correct path to remove these with the in house option.

If anyone could walk me through another method I would be very grateful.


    15 replies

    sdagley
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    • sdagley
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 11, 2024

    @Paulie555 If you're talking about the Mac Dock creating Dock item for those and having a Policy with a  Dock Items payload set to remove those works for me. Here's the Paths I use for this Dock items:

    file:///Applications/FaceTime.app/

    file:///Applications/TV.app/

    file:///Applications/App Store.app/

    P
    P
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    • Paulie555
    • Author
    • New Contributor
    • December 11, 2024

    @Paulie555 If you're talking about the Mac Dock creating Dock item for those and having a Policy with a  Dock Items payload set to remove those works for me. Here's the Paths I use for this Dock items:

    file:///Applications/FaceTime.app/

    file:///Applications/TV.app/

    file:///Applications/App Store.app/


    @sdagley This isn't working for me (same path as yours) 
    Have tried this on multiple macs

    Shyamsundar
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    • Shyamsundar
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 12, 2024

    This applications are in the System Folder, try with the below path 

    file:///System/Applications/FaceTime.app/

    file:///System/Applications/TV.app/

    file:///System/Applications/App Store.app/

    P
    BookMac
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    • BookMac
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 12, 2024

    may dockutil helps?

    https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil

    https://appleshare.it/posts/use-dockutil-in-a-script/

    https://community.jamf.com/t5/jamf-pro/catalina-dock-removing-default-apple-apps/m-p/217452

    #!/bin/sh #DockUtil dockutilbin=$(/usr/bin/which dockutil) #Get current User currentuser=$(scutil <<< "show State:/Users/ConsoleUser" | awk '/Name :/ && ! /loginwindow/ { print $3 }') echo $currentuser #Write Dock Items in the Dock plist loggedInUserPlist="/Users/$currentuser/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist" #Set Dock Items $dockutilbin --remove all --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist; sleep 2 $dockutilbin --add /System/Applications/Launchpad.app --position 1 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /System/Cryptexes/App/System/Applications/Safari.app --position 3 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Google\\ Chrome.app --position 4 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Outlook.app --position 5 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Word.app --position 6 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Excel.app --position 7 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ PowerPoint.app --position 8 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Teams.app --position 9 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/TeamViewerQS.app --position 10 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Cisco/Cisco\\ Secure\\ Client.app --position 11 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /System/Applications/System\\ Settings.app --position 12 $loggedInUserPlist exit

     

    We are using this script with dockuitl 

    dvasquez
    S
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    karthikeyan_mac
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    • karthikeyan_mac
    • Honored Contributor
    • December 12, 2024

    https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil 

    We use @kcrawford dockutil for managing dock items.

    Thanks

    P
    sdagley
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    • sdagley
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 12, 2024

    @sdagley This isn't working for me (same path as yours) 
    Have tried this on multiple macs


    @Paulie555 Any chance your policy isn't running when a user is logged in? I haven't tested to be sure but I believe the Dock payload is only applied to the logged in user.

    os-tech_r828
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    • os-tech_r828
    • New Contributor
    • December 12, 2024

    We've also used dockutil and it has worked for us. However, ever since upgrading some of our computers to Sonoma a year ago, dockutil hasn't really been working. I haven't spent much time looking into it since it's been a low priority for us, but I am curious as to whether anyone who uses dockutil has noticed any issues on computers running Sonoma or Sequoia

    P
    P
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    • Paulie555
    • Author
    • New Contributor
    • December 13, 2024

    may dockutil helps?

    https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil

    https://appleshare.it/posts/use-dockutil-in-a-script/

    https://community.jamf.com/t5/jamf-pro/catalina-dock-removing-default-apple-apps/m-p/217452

    #!/bin/sh #DockUtil dockutilbin=$(/usr/bin/which dockutil) #Get current User currentuser=$(scutil <<< "show State:/Users/ConsoleUser" | awk '/Name :/ && ! /loginwindow/ { print $3 }') echo $currentuser #Write Dock Items in the Dock plist loggedInUserPlist="/Users/$currentuser/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist" #Set Dock Items $dockutilbin --remove all --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist; sleep 2 $dockutilbin --add /System/Applications/Launchpad.app --position 1 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /System/Cryptexes/App/System/Applications/Safari.app --position 3 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Google\\ Chrome.app --position 4 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Outlook.app --position 5 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Word.app --position 6 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Excel.app --position 7 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ PowerPoint.app --position 8 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Microsoft\\ Teams.app --position 9 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/TeamViewerQS.app --position 10 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /Applications/Cisco/Cisco\\ Secure\\ Client.app --position 11 --no-restart $loggedInUserPlist $dockutilbin --add /System/Applications/System\\ Settings.app --position 12 $loggedInUserPlist exit

     

    We are using this script with dockuitl 


    @BookMac does Dockutil work on newer machines/ latest OS?
    Obviously don't want to end up with outdated systems

    BookMac
    P
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    • Paulie555
    • Author
    • New Contributor
    • December 13, 2024

    This applications are in the System Folder, try with the below path 

    file:///System/Applications/FaceTime.app/

    file:///System/Applications/TV.app/

    file:///System/Applications/App Store.app/


    @Shyamsundar  have tried this path with no success either 

    P
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    • Paulie555
    • Author
    • New Contributor
    • December 13, 2024

    @Paulie555 Any chance your policy isn't running when a user is logged in? I haven't tested to be sure but I believe the Dock payload is only applied to the logged in user.


    @sdagley User is logged in when the policy runs so not sure why my results vary from others

    BookMac
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    • BookMac
    • Jamf Heroes
    • December 13, 2024

    @BookMac does Dockutil work on newer machines/ latest OS?
    Obviously don't want to end up with outdated systems


    yes. works on sequoia with M4

    dvasquez
    P
    P
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    • Paulie555
    • Author
    • New Contributor
    • December 17, 2024

    Hey all,
    Managed to work out the issue with the in house Dock policy
    Path names were correct, however the display names for each app were not exact

    Thanks all for the help and advice

    sdagley
    BookMac
    os-tech_r828
    os-tech_r828
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    • os-tech_r828
    • New Contributor
    • February 12, 2025

    We've also used dockutil and it has worked for us. However, ever since upgrading some of our computers to Sonoma a year ago, dockutil hasn't really been working. I haven't spent much time looking into it since it's been a low priority for us, but I am curious as to whether anyone who uses dockutil has noticed any issues on computers running Sonoma or Sequoia


    I know the original poster already resolved their issue, but I just wanted to mention that dockutil seems to be working just fine now on computers running Sequoia (and I haven't made any changes or did a testing since the last time I made my post here). As long as it works, I'm not complaining!

    BookMac
    aunderwood
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    • aunderwood
    • New Contributor
    • April 3, 2025

    Looks like the names of the dock items are case-sensitive and have to be exactly right:
    FaceTime -  file:///System/Applications/FaceTime.app/ 

     

    dvasquez
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    • dvasquez
    • Valued Contributor
    • April 24, 2025

    @Paulie555 If you're talking about the Mac Dock creating Dock item for those and having a Policy with a  Dock Items payload set to remove those works for me. Here's the Paths I use for this Dock items:

    file:///Applications/FaceTime.app/

    file:///Applications/TV.app/

    file:///Applications/App Store.app/


    file:///Applications/App%20Store.app/

    file:///System/Applications/App%20Store.app/

    Might help.

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