You can also adjust grid spacing here – if you make icons very small but spacing remains large, they’ll still look scattered. Reduce “Grid spacing” accordingly. Also, “Text size” can be lowered (down to 10 pt) for a cleaner look.

defaults write com.apple.dock springboard-rows -int 5; defaults write com.apple.dock springboard-columns -int 6; killall Dock Default is rows=5, columns=7. More rows/columns = smaller icons. Reset with defaults delete com.apple.dock springboard-rows; defaults delete com.apple.dock springboard-columns; killall Dock .

Here’s a deep review of , covering all the key methods, their contexts, and potential pitfalls. 1. On the Desktop (Finder’s background) Method: Right-click (or Control-click) an empty area of the Desktop → Show View Options (or press Cmd + J ). Drag the “Icon size” slider to the left (smallest is 16×16 pixels).

These shortcuts work in Finder but not on the Desktop. They also work in Open/Save dialogs if the dialog is set to icon view. 3. In the Dock Method: System Settings (macOS Ventura+) → Desktop & Dock → Size slider (under “Dock”). Drag left to make icons smaller (minimum is tiny, but still readable).

Only affects Desktop icons, not Finder windows.