On this page: How it works · Connect accounts · Keyboard shortcuts · Pop-ups and quiet hours · Todos · Dock styles · Troubleshooting · Contact
How it works
TopDock is a small Windows app that adds a slim bar to the top of your screen. The bar reserves its own strip of space, like the taskbar does at the bottom, so maximised windows stop just below it.
Each account you connect becomes a tile on the bar: Gmail, Outlook, X, Reddit, LinkedIn and Todos. A tile shows a small badge with the number of new items. Click a tile and a panel drops down where you can read, reply, archive or turn a message into a todo. Click outside the panel or press Esc to close it.
TopDock talks straight to each platform's official API. There's no TopDock server and no TopDock account; your sign-ins are stored in Windows Credential Manager on your PC. See the privacy policy for the details.
Connect your accounts
- Click the gear at the right end of the bar to open Settings.
- Choose the account type and press Connect.
- Sign in on the platform's own page (Google, Microsoft, X, Reddit or LinkedIn) and approve access. TopDock never sees your password.
- Give the tile a name and a colour if you like, and drag it to where you want it on the bar.
You can add as many Gmail and Outlook inboxes as you need, show them as separate tiles or merge them into one combined tile. More on that on the unified inbox page.
LinkedIn is for writing posts only; LinkedIn doesn't let apps read messages or notifications, so its tile has no badge. LinkedIn sign-ins last 60 days, after which the tile asks you to reconnect.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Alt+D | Hide or show the bar from anywhere (change it in Settings) |
| ↑ ↓ | Move through messages in an open panel |
| Enter | Open the selected message |
| R | Reply |
| N | Write something new (an email, a post, or a todo in the Todos panel) |
| E | Archive |
| M | Mark read or unread |
| T | Make the message a todo (or open its todo) |
| O | Open the message in your browser |
| Ctrl+Enter | Send |
| Esc | Step back one level, or close the panel |
| Alt+← → | Move the focused tile left or right on the bar |
Pop-ups, quiet hours and pausing
- Pop-ups are off by default. Turn them on per tile in Settings.
- Quiet hours hide badges and pop-ups on a schedule. Overnight spans like 22:00 to 07:00 work. Warnings about sign-ins stay visible.
- Quiet now, and pausing all checks, are one click away in the tray icon menu.
The tray icon lives in the taskbar's notification area. Windows may tuck it behind the ^ arrow; drag it out to keep it visible.
Todos
Add the Todos tile for a short list with projects, colours and deadlines. Press T on any email, X mention or Reddit reply to turn it into a todo that links back to the message. The Todos tile's badge shows what's due today. Read more on turning emails into todos.
Dock styles and appearance
- Choose Full width, Compact pill or Floating, and see each one live before you keep it.
- Drag the bar's edge to change its width, and the panel's corner to resize it. TopDock remembers both.
- Pick light, dark, or follow the Windows theme.
- Right-click the bar to move it to another screen.
- Pin a single conversation as its own tile with the pin button on any message.
Updates
TopDock checks for updates when it starts and every few hours. Updates download in the background (you can turn that off) and Settings shows "Restart to update" when one is ready. TopDock never restarts on its own.