macOS Tahoe: Dock icon rendering bugs (pixelation, gray boxes)

Thanks for checking. It may be size/session‑dependent.

On macOS 26.1 (25B78), I can reproduce at small Dock sizes.

Exact settings when it breaks (in my case): tilesize=24, magnification=1, largesize=26 (built‑in display on Default for display; also repro on an external).

I’ve attached two captures taken minutes apart — Bad shows pixelation/aliasing, Good is crisp.

If you try the exact values below and still don’t see it, it may be model‑specific or session‑specific.

defaults write com.apple.dock tilesize -int 24
defaults write com.apple.dock magnification -bool true
defaults write com.apple.dock largesize -int 26
killall Dock

Current reads here:

tilesize=24
magnification=1
largesize=26

Same here on macOS 26.1.

Dock icons look pixelated/aliased at small sizes and sometimes “fix” themselves after a few reboots, then come back.

Setup: built‑in display set to Default for display; also reproducible on an external monitor.

tilesize=24, magnification=1 (On), largesize=26.

Tried: reset Dock prefs (defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock), IconServices/cache clears, toggling Reduce Transparency/Motion. Safe Mode didn’t change it.

Looks like a 26.1 rendering/scale regression at small sizes.

Not seeing any of the mentioned problems.

Try booting into Safe Mode then restart normally. Sometimes that will fix anomalies.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

Fair point about the slider. I only quoted exact values because the glitch seems to live in a narrow size band.

On 26.1 I can repro at the small end. If you nudge the slider to roughly 10-15% from the left (and optionally a tiny magnification), you may see the same aliasing. I’m not saying “people should use 24 px”; it’s just that the bug only shows in that tight range, so exact numbers make it reproducible.

Fair enough. I know Feedback is mostly one‑way, but it builds a paper trail. If anyone else can reproduce at tilesize=24 / magnification=1 / largesize=26 (26.1, 25B78), please hit Me too and post a “Bad vs Good” capture. I’ll update if I hear anything back.

I'll take your word for it. 😎

You can send bug reports from the feedback page.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

You're welcome.

I'm still not seeing the issue.

To be honest it would never occur to me to set the icons in the Dock to a specific size. I just use the size slider in System Settings > Desktop & Dock which works fine for me.

Thanks. Already filed via Feedback Assistant. I’ll update this thread if I hear back.

jediorder11 wrote:

Thanks. Already filed via Feedback Assistant. I’ll update this thread if I hear back.

You're welcome. You won't hear back. You are just reporting a possible issue.