deskbird Dock is a lightweight desktop app for macOS and Windows that automatically checks you in to your desk and parking bookings and updates your status to In Office as soon as your laptop connects to a recognised office network — no manual action needed.
- What deskbird Dock does
- Before you start
- Install on macOS
- Install on Windows
- How it works day-to-day
- Troubleshooting
- FAQs
1. What deskbird Dock does
Once installed and signed in, deskbird Dock runs silently in the background. When your device connects to a recognised office network, Dock automatically:
- Checks you in to any existing desk and parking bookings for that day.
- Updates your status to
In Officein the Schedule tab.
The app requires manual action only during the initial sign-in. After that it works entirely in the background.
2. Before you start
Before installing deskbird Dock, make sure the following are in place:
- Account: a deskbird account using your company email (SSO via Google or Microsoft).
- Check-in enabled: your admin must have enabled check-in under Admin > Booking settings.
- Presence detection configured: your admin must have linked your office network under Admin > Presence detection. Contact your admin if you are unsure whether this has been set up.
- Supported OS: macOS or Windows.
- Installer file: download the installer for your operating system from the bottom of the deskbird Dock help page.
3. Install on macOS
-
Download and install: download the
.pkgfile, open it, and follow the installation steps. - Grant location permission: when prompted, allow location access. If no popup appears, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and enable deskbird Dock.
- Sign in: the app opens automatically after installation. Sign in using Google or Microsoft SSO via your browser.
- Access the dashboard: click the deskbird Dock icon in the top-right menu bar and select Open Dashboard to see your detected office and connected devices.
💡 If you cannot see the tray icon, free up space in your menu bar via System Settings > Control Center.
4. Install on Windows
-
Download and install: download the
.zipfile, extract it, and run the installer. If a Windows Protected your PC dialog appears, click More Info then Run anyway. - Sign in: the app opens automatically after installation. Sign in using Google or Microsoft SSO via your browser.
- Access the dashboard: click the deskbird Dock icon in the bottom-right system tray (click the ^ arrow if the icon is hidden) and select Open Dashboard.
5. How it works day-to-day
Once set up, deskbird Dock requires no interaction. Here is what happens when you come into the office:
- You open your laptop and connect to the office network.
- Dock detects the network and identifies your office automatically.
- Your existing desk and parking bookings for that day are checked in.
- Your status is updated to
In Officein the Schedule tab.
The Dock dashboard shows your current network status and connected monitors at any time.
💡 Dock only checks you in to existing bookings. You still need to create your bookings in the deskbird web or mobile app.
6. Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Not being checked in automatically | Confirm you are on the office network. Ask your admin to verify that Presence detection is configured for your office. |
| Tray icon missing (macOS) | Free up space in your menu bar via System Settings > Control Center. |
| Tray icon missing (Windows) | Click the ^ icon in the taskbar to reveal hidden icons. |
| Login error | Make sure you are using the exact email address registered with deskbird. |
| Browser tab stuck on "loading" | The login tab may stay on "loading" after a successful sign-in. You can safely close it. |
💡 If Dock is already running and you are experiencing sync issues, sign out and back in, then refresh the web app.
7. FAQs
No. deskbird Dock only detects whether your device is connected to a network that your admin has linked to a specific office. It does not track GPS or physical location.
No. Dock only checks you in to existing desk and parking bookings. You still need to create your bookings in the deskbird web or mobile app beforehand.
As long as each office network has been configured by your admin under Admin > Presence detection, Dock will automatically detect the correct office based on the network you are connected to.
No. Sign-in is currently available via Google or Microsoft SSO only.
On macOS, move the deskbird Dock app from your Applications folder to the Trash. On Windows, uninstall it via Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Reach out to dock@deskbird.com if you run into any issues.