# Mac users, how do I get my header, and dock back? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777 "2015-11-27T23:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/1 "2015-11-27T23:26:12Z")
Hello. Every time I reboot, the header (with the time, app, battery WiFi, etc) and the dock disappears. I have to move the cursor in the area for it to appear. I would like them to be there all the time. I have clicked on everything, and still don’t have them. Thanks bunches for your help. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/2 "2015-11-27T23:37:41Z")
In **System Preferences** click on the **General** icon. There is a check box titled **Automatically hide and show menu bar** ; make sure it is not checked. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/3 "2015-11-27T23:39:44Z")
For the Dock, go to System Preferences. Click Dock. Uncheck ‘Automatically hide and show the dock’. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/4 "2015-11-28T00:12:05Z")
Thank you ticker and johnny. I got them back. Except when Firefox is open. Then they go away. So, I guess the issue is with Firefox. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/5 "2015-11-28T00:17:18Z")
Firefox may be in “full screen” mode. Press shift-command-F. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/6 "2015-11-28T02:29:18Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Firefox may be in “full screen” mode. Press shift-command-F. Or, move your pointer to the Menu Bar, and then press the “double arrow” icon in the title bar of the window (pre- El Capitan), or press the green dot (El Capitan). ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/7 "2015-11-28T03:08:34Z")
Perfecto! I am back to the way I like it. Thank you very much! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/8 "2015-11-28T03:37:34Z")
Weird. Firefox is OK, but I have that problem with Safari. Shift+Command+F does nothing. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/9 "2015-11-28T22:06:01Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Weird. Firefox is OK, but I have that problem with Safari. Shift+Command+F does nothing. Try Control-Command-F. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/10 "2015-11-29T00:32:05Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > Try Control-Command-F. That works, but if I go to another site off the dock and return, there’s just a gray area and no icons. I can get the dock or the search bar but not both. If I get the search bar moving the cursor down doesn’t bring the dock back. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/11 "2015-11-29T04:08:13Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > That works, but if I go to another site off the dock and return, there’s just a gray area and no icons. I can get the dock or the search bar but not both. If I get the search bar moving the cursor down doesn’t bring the dock back. Sounds like you have Safari is it’s own Space. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/12 "2015-11-29T15:44:18Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Sounds like you have Safari is it’s own Space. Does Space with a capital S mean something in Macworld? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/13 "2015-11-29T15:46:44Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Does Space with a capital S mean something in Macworld? [Yup.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaces_(software)) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/14 "2015-11-29T16:29:29Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > [Yup.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaces_(software)) Totally intuitive, just like all Apple products. Why, a six-year-old would know that automatically. But since I’m not a six-year-old, I found that explanation totally non-explanatory. What does Spaces do that is different from just opening up different applications and alt-tabbing? And how would I have something in a Space when I didn’t know that such a thing existed? Does Apple intuitively create things for me? Thanks for your help, but you need to treat me like a idiot. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/15 "2015-11-29T16:50:54Z")
Spaces do multiple things. You can have a set of applications (1 or more) with windows arranged how you want them, and not have to worry about other application’s windows getting in the way. You can have different window arrangements for different uses, and move between them easily. An obvious use for Spaces is with Virtual Machines, where Windows, OS X, and Linux can all take over their own monitors and let you switch between them. Spaces let’s individual applications run full-screen - recently Spaces and normal OS X window handling has merged, so running Apps full-screen is actually putting it into it’s own Space. So, the first thing you need to do is to go to Safari, and find the green button on the title bar of the window and click it, and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/16 "2015-11-29T17:06:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > So, the first thing you need to do is to go to Safari, and find the green button on the title bar of the window and click it, and see what happens. I’m still in Mountain Lion, so I get the double arrow and that doesn’t solve anything. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/17 "2015-11-29T17:18:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’m still in Mountain Lion, so I get the double arrow and that doesn’t solve anything. Screen shots would help. Go into System Preferences -\> Mission Control, and see what it says… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-users-how-do-i-get-my-header-and-dock-back/738777/18 "2015-11-29T22:36:35Z")
Checking Automatically hide and show menu bar makes it always show when I move the cursor. That seems to be the best alternative. This didn’t used to happen so some update must have changed settings.