If uBar is not quite your style, ActiveDock is a good alternative. It even adds window previews when you hover over open apps, just like in Windows. You can keep things simple and add functionality to Apple’s default Dock, or replace it entirely with a Windows-style taskbar, complete with bars showing your currently open windows. It brings a new level of customization to the Dock.

If you feel the same way, give uBar a go. While MacOS merges your app icons and open windows into a single Dock button, Windows differentiates them, making app management a little bit easier. In the clash between the Mac dock and Windows 10’s taskbar, I’ve always preferred the latter. If you miss the Windows Start menu, this is the app for you.

They are all categorized by type, and you can add tags and colors to help sort your items. It can list your installed apps just like the Windows equivalent, as well as files, folders, and even URLs. This Mac app adds a drop-down list to the Mac’s menu bar. If you are using MacOS but prefer the Windows Start menu, try the aptly named Start on your Mac. Apple’s operating system uses a variety of methods to launch apps, from Launchpad’s grid of app icons to Spotlight search. The Start menu is one of the best-loved and most distinctive features of Windows, so it would be natural to miss its presence if you have just switched to Mac. Either way, they all help make your Mac look and feel more like Windows. Some of the solutions we have rounded up in this article mimic Windows 10’s behavior closely, while others add Windows functionality while retaining the Mac’s Apple flavor.

Bonus tip: Sort folders on top in Finder.

Apple mac layout for windows