"minimize windows into application icon" isn't working for organizing dock

[SatelliteBeach]

I'm running Sierra 10.12.6 (16G29) on my MacBook Pro and wanted to clean up the clutter of every minimized file and window in my dock by checking the "minimize windows into application icon" box in Dock Preferences but when I check the box, nothing seems to happen. Every email I minimize and every file I minimize still shows up in the dock individually. Drives me nuts.

 

[ferrarr]

After you select, restart your MBP? It may also work if you log out, and back in?

 

[pm-r]

I've never used that option and had forgotten it still exists since Snow Leopard yet I'm a mad "minimizer", maybe I should enable it.

Then I read that not all apps support the feature, go figure…
See: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7690609 as just one example.


BTW: Bob, apparently it's supposed to evoke itself immediately when the option is selected or unselected.





- Patrick
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[Rod]

I have never used this function myself although I can see why many people might. If the objective is to keep your desktop clear of windows you don't want to close immediately there are a couple of other ways of doing this which I find helpful as i am confined to a 13" MBP and real estate gets a bit short sometimes.
If you go to System preferences > Desktop and Screen Saver > Screen Saver, down the bottom of this window you will see Hot Corners. Click this and you will see a window with options for each corner of the screen as pull down menus.
I have put Mission Control in the top right corner of my screen.
Now when my hover my mouse over that corner it shows all open windows on my desktop with titles and allows me to move easily between them. This works really well if you are in the habit of having active windows in full screen mode.
However it also does something else. Initiating Mission Control also allows you to add extra desktops by clicking the plus sign on the right of the strip which appears at the top of the screen. You can drag any of the active windows on desktop 1 to any other desktop you create eg desktop 2, 3, 4 etc. You can even swipe between multiple desktops using the trackpad.
Obviously this method will not suit everybody and it takes a little getting used to but it's the way I work and I could not live without it now. I do minimize windows as well and they will be available on any desktop but they will return you to the desktop on which they were originally opened.

 

[toMACsh]

Well, that box was not checked in my Dock Prefs, so I just checked it. It did change the behavior, but I didn't like it, so I switched back. What I didn't like was the way it restored a window. If it's not the one I want restored, I have to go to the Window Menu and find the right one on the list. It works fine for me to have individual windows sent to the Dock.

So, since yours is not working after a Restart, etc., I'd suggest trying a different User Account, if you have one. I've created a "Troubleshooting" User just for testing out such things as this. If it behaves the way it's supposed to in another account, then that's a clue.