If you’re not sure where it is, search for the name using Spotlight (the magnifying glass in the top right corner), or the search bar in the top right of any Finder folder.

If your Dock is arranged vertically, programs go above the line, and documents go below it.

A program is open if it has a small dot next to the Dock icon, even if no windows are open. Right-click the icon (or hold Control and click}) and select “Quit” or “Force Quit” to close the program.

If nothing happens to the icon, move it farther from the Dock.

Right-click the icon (or hold down Control and click). Hover over “Options. " Select “Remove from Dock. " If the Options sub-menu says “Keep in Dock” as well, the program is open. Click “Keep in Dock” to uncheck that option, and the program will disappear from the Dock once you close it.

Go to Applications → Utilities and open Activity Monitor. Search the list for a process with the name of the application you are trying to remove from the Dock. Click that name, then click the “X” button at the top of the window to quit that process. Repeat the process for all other processes with a similar name.

Open System Preferences in the Applications folder. Select your account. If the options are greyed out, click the lock in the bottom left corner and enter an administrator username and password. Select the “Other” tab. Uncheck “Prevent the Dock from being modified” or “Allow this user to modify the Dock. "

If you are using 10. 11 El Capitan, your computer should protect your permissions automatically. This option is only available (and only necessary) on 10. 10 Yosemite or earlier. Go to Applications → Utilities and open Disk Utility. Select your hard drive in the left pane. Click the First Aid button near the top of the window. Press Repair Disk Permissions and wait for it to finish. This may take a long time, especially if you have a large or slow hard drive. Your computer may be slow or unresponsive during this time.

Go to Applications → Utilities and open Terminal. Copy-paste this command into the Terminal window: defaults write com. apple. dock contents-immutable -bool false;killall Dock Press ⏎ Return. Wait a few seconds while your Dock relaunches.

Go to Applications → Utilities and open Terminal. Copy-paste this command into Terminal: defaults delete com. apple. dock; killall Dock Press ⏎ Return. Wait for your Dock to relaunch with default icons.