macOS defaults

# Dock Icon type

Choose what information should be shown in the app's Dock icon, if any.

  • Tested on macOS:
    • Monterey
  • Parameter type: int
    • 0
    • 2
    • 3
    • 5
    • 6

# Set to 0 (default value)

Just show the App's regular icon.

defaults write com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" -int "0" && killall Activity\ Monitor

# Set to 2

Show Network usage over time, as two mirrored line graphs. The top (blue) chart shows down-stream traffic. The bottom (red) chart shows up-stream traffic.

defaults write com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" -int "2" && killall Activity\ Monitor

# Set to 3

Show Disk usage over time, as two mirrored line graphs. The top (blue) chart shows disk read traffic. The bottom (red) chart shows disk write traffic.

defaults write com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" -int "3" && killall Activity\ Monitor

# Set to 5

Show the current CPU usages, as a verticle meter.

defaults write com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" -int "5" && killall Activity\ Monitor

# Set to 6

Show CPU usage history, graphed over time. If your device has 4 threads or less, it'll show one graph per thread, all stacked vertically. If you have more than 4 threads, then only one bar graph will be shown, for the total CPU usage.

defaults write com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" -int "6" && killall Activity\ Monitor

# Read current value

defaults read com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType"

# Reset to default value

defaults delete com.apple.ActivityMonitor "IconType" && killall Activity\ Monitor

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