However, Circle Dock is an app launcher with a difference. As its title implies, Circle Dock is an app launcher that has a unique circular ring shape. The launcher takes up less horizontal desktop space due to its circular design. This is how you can add Circle Dock to Windows and configure that launcher.
How to Download and Install Circle Dock
You can utilize Circle Dock on 64 and 32-bit Windows platforms from XP to 11. It’s freely available GPL software that’s straightforward to install. However, you’ll need to extract the software from its ZIP archive before installing it. You can add Circle Dock to Windows by downloading, extracting, and installing it as follows:
Open the Circle Dock Softpedia webpage. Press that page’s Download Now button. Click the Softpedia Secure Downloads (US) option for Circle Dock’s ZIP file. Go to the folder that includes Circle Dock’s ZIP. You can bring up the ZIP archive from Chrome, Opera, Firefox, and Edge by pressing Ctrl + J and clicking the SetupCircleDock. zip file to view it in Explorer. Select Extract all to view a tool for ZIP archive extraction. Click that tool’s Show extracted folders box to select that option. Select Extract to open up a decompressed Circular App setup folder. Next, double-click the SetupCircleDockX64. exe setup file for 64-bit Windows.
During setup:
Choose a language option and select OK. Click Next and the I accept the agreement option. Then you can continue clicking Next to install Circular App with default setup settings. Select Install to add Circle Dock to Windows. Make sure the Run Circle Dock. exe option is selected and click Finish.
How to Add Shortcuts to Circle Dock
Now you’ll see an empty ring dock on your desktop. Left-click that dock and hold the mouse button to move the app launcher anywhere on the desktop. It’s best to move it to a space where it won’t overlap any icons.
However, you won’t need any software packages on the desktop when you can launch them from Circle Dock. You can move all your icons onto the app launcher, a big part of cleaning your Windows desktop up once and for all.
To do so, drag shortcuts onto the Circle Dock launcher by holding the left mouse button. Shortcuts added will disappear from the desktop and appear on the launcher.
Software shortcuts are a great way to quickly open your favorite apps. You can add software shortcuts to the Windows context menu, and you can also add them to your new circle menu.
To add new software shortcuts, right-click Circle Dock and select Add. Select the File, folder, or special item option to view the window directly below. Click the File button, choose an EXE file to include on Circle Dock, and select the Open option. Then select Finished to add the software to the app launcher with a default name and icon.
Circle Dock has a nice folder stack feature that displays a stack of subfolders and files for directory shortcuts. You can add one by right-clicking Circle Dock and selecting Add > Folder stack. Choose a folder and click OK. Select OK on the “Create new Folder Stack” window.
Now you’ll see a folder stack icon on Circle Dock. Click the folder to expand its stack, like in the snapshot below. Then you can access all a folder’s files or subfolders from the stack.
How to Customize the Dock’s Appearance
Circle Dock is stuffed with loads of customization settings. The Elements tab in the Circle Dock Configuration Settings window includes most options for customizing the app launcher’s appearance. To get there, right-click Circle Dock and select Dock Settings > Elements.
The Background subtab in Elements includes options for changing the ring’s width (size) and transparency level. Drag the Normal Size bar’s slider right or left to make the ring bigger or smaller. Dragging the Opacity bar’s slider left will add transparency to the dock.
You can also change the ring style from the Background subtab. Press the Background Image option’s file selection button. Choose a background file and click Open to add it.
Circle Dock has a few different Windows logo images you can add to the center of the dock. Select the Centre Button tab and click Image; click the file selection button for the Center Button Image option. Select an alternative center button and click Open.
The Opacity and Size tab for the center button includes options for customizing the size and transparency of that feature. Drag the sliders for the Opacity and Normal size bars to adjust transparency and resize the center button.
You can also customize the labels for shortcuts. To do so, click the Labels tab; then click the font color button on that tab to select a different color for label text. Press the font button just above the color option to customize the text style. The “Font style” window includes font, formatting, and size options for the dock’s shortcut labels.
How to Change the Dock’s Shape
The Dock Shape tab includes options for adjusting the circle’s height and width. To change the dock’s shape, click the Ellipse 1 setting and drag the Height and the Width bars’ sliders. There isn’t any option to restore the circle’s default shape. So, consider noting down the original values before changing the shape.
You can change the radius of the dock’s icon circle to fit it within a resized ellipse. Select the Circle option on the Shape drop-down menu. Then drag the slider for the Minimum Radius bar.
How to Customize Circle Dock’s Visibility Keyboard Shortcut
Circle Dock has a default F1 hotkey that hides and shows the app launcher when pressed. Pressing F1 when the dock isn’t visible will bring up the app launcher where your mouse cursor is (over any open windows). So, the dock reappears wherever you place your mouse cursor on the desktop.
You can customize that hotkey from the Visibility tab on Circle Dock’s settings window. Select the Ctrl, Alt, Shift, or Win checkboxes for the Toggle Visibility Hotkey option to expand the F1 keyboard shortcut. Or select an extra key for the hotkey on the None drop-down menu.
You can configure Circle Dock to appear when you move your cursor to a screen edge. Click the Show Dock subtab to view checkboxes for the Show Dock When I Move My Mouse to option. Then select a left, right, top, and bottom setting to set the dock to appear when you move the cursor to any of those edges.
Add Your Favorite Software to Circle Dock
Circle Dock is a good place to add shortcuts for opening your favorite software packages. It’s a customizable app launcher that doesn’t take up too much desktop space thanks to its circular shape.
The F1 hotkey for showing the dock where you’ve placed the cursor is also a convenient access feature. So, Circle Dock is ideal for users who need to clear up a cluttered Windows desktop or simply want a new place to launch apps from in Windows.
