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An icon in the Dock can represent an application you chose to keep nearby, an application that is running, or both. Those states look similar until you know what evidence to check.
Four terms that prevent confusion
An application is installed software such as Firefox, Files, or Settings.
An application window is one visible area created by an application. Files can open more than one window, and a browser can open several.
A favorite is an application pinned to the Dock. It stays there after the application closes.
A running application has started and has not fully quit. Ubuntu normally shows a small marker near its Dock icon. The marker’s shape can vary with the theme.
You do not need to memorize the marker. Select the icon: if a window appears, the application was already running.
Launch an application from the Dock
Select the Files icon in the Dock. Ubuntu opens Files or brings its existing window to the front.
Select the icon again while the window is already visible. Depending on how many windows the application owns, Ubuntu may focus the window or show choices.
This is the first useful difference from a desktop shortcut: a Dock icon can both start and switch to an application.
Find an application that is not pinned
Press Super, then start typing the application’s name. Try Calculator or Settings.
Search results appear as you type. Select the result with the pointer, or use arrow keys and press Enter.
If no result appears, check the spelling and select Show Applications to browse the full list. An application also may not be installed; searching does not install it.
Pin an application you use often
Open the application first. Then right-click its Dock icon and choose Add to Favorites.
On a touchpad, a context menu usually opens with a two-finger click or the configured secondary-click gesture. A keyboard user can focus the icon and use the Menu key or Shift + F10 where supported.
Close the application window. Its icon should remain in the Dock because it is now a favorite.
To remove it, open the icon’s context menu and choose Remove from Favorites. This removes only the shortcut from the Dock. It does not uninstall the application or delete its files.
Open more than one window
Some applications offer New Window in the Dock context menu or their own menu. Files also supports Ctrl + N.
Open two Files windows. A marker or preview may now indicate multiple windows. Selecting the Dock icon lets you choose or cycle through them.
The application is still one program. It currently owns two windows.
Closing a window and quitting an application
The close button closes that window. If it was the application’s only window, many applications stop. Others can keep working in the background, and some show a background-app indicator in Quick Settings.
Quit asks the application to end, usually closing all of its windows. Save unfinished work first.
Read the Dock as evidence
Use these questions when an icon is confusing:
- Is the icon still present after the application quits? It is probably a favorite.
- Does it have a running marker? The application has started.
- Does selecting it reveal one window or several? That tells you what is open.
- Does its context menu offer Add to Favorites or Remove from Favorites? That reveals the pinned state.
Position alone is not evidence. Favorites and running applications can appear together, and Dock settings can change their order.
Common mistakes and recovery
Removing a favorite to uninstall an app. It only removes the Dock shortcut. Software installation and removal belong to the later Installing Software path.
Selecting an icon repeatedly because nothing seems to happen. The window may be on another workspace or behind another window. Press Super and inspect the overview.
Assuming every icon is running. A favorite can remain when stopped. Look for the marker and try switching to it.
Force-closing an app that is merely busy. Wait briefly and try its normal close action first. System Monitor and Frozen Applications explains when a forced end is appropriate.
Practice
Knowledge check
Which applications are actually running?
Choose three Dock icons. For each, decide whether it is a favorite, running, or both. State the evidence you used rather than relying on its position.
What to learn next
Applications create windows, and windows can be arranged across more than one workspace. Continue to Ubuntu Windows and Workspaces for Beginners.