App Previews¶
App Previews show open windows when you hover over a running app icon in ExtraDock.
Open Settings (⚙) → App Previews.
Note
App Previews are marked as beta in the settings window.
Enabling previews¶
Turn on Enable hover window previews.
App Previews need:
Screen Recording — To show window thumbnails
Accessibility — To focus windows and use preview controls
If either permission is missing, ExtraDock shows a prompt with a button to open the correct macOS settings page.
Window sources¶
Choose which windows can appear in previews:
Preview screens based on space — Only show windows from the current desktop or Space
Include minimized windows — Show windows that are minimized
Include hidden windows — Show windows hidden with Command-H
Filters¶
The Filters tab lets you exclude apps from previews. This is useful for apps that create utility windows you do not want to see in the preview panel.
Display¶
The Display tab controls how preview cards look:
Preview width and Preview height
Show app name
Show window titles
Force compact mode — Use a list-style preview without image thumbnails
Auto-compact threshold — Switch to compact mode when an app has many windows
Advanced display settings include aspect ratio, maximum rows and columns, app name style, title visibility, capture quality, compact title format, and compact item size.
Timing¶
The Timing tab controls when previews appear and disappear:
Window sort order — Most recent first, alphabetical, creation time, or screen position
Hover delay — Delay before showing a preview
Preview distance — Space between the icon and preview panel
Inactivity timeout — Delay before hiding after the mouse leaves
Fade out duration — Hide animation timing
Using previews¶
Hover over a running app icon. If the app has open windows, ExtraDock shows a preview panel. Click a preview to focus that window.
When Accessibility is enabled, preview controls can also minimize, maximize, or close windows.