May 12,2020 • Filed to: Mac Recovery • Proven solutions
Our computers are like our own digital spaces where we store and process information. Privacy values a great deal in computing, and most of the time, the only way to keep your files safe from others using the same computer is to hide them.
![Hide desktop icon mac os x Hide desktop icon mac os x](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119512431/835405892.jpg)
Hide a File or Folder on a Mac. RELATED: How to Hide Files and Folders on Every Operating System. Hide - UnHide for Mac features a basic window with two buttons. Press the first button and all other active app windows are minimized and the desktop is revealed. Press the second button and the. Let your desktop breathe! Hide your desktop icons with a single click! Upgrade to Pro edition to unlock multi-displays support! As seen: 'HiddenMe Hides all Your Mac Desktop Icons in One Click' - Lifehacker 'a button to hide all the clutter with a single click.' - Business Insider.
Ways to Hide or Remove Icons from Mac Desktop. There are many ways by which you can hide or remove icons from the Mac desktop easily. Hide Icons from Desktop with Finder. The simplest step is to use the Finder to hide desktop icons. You can just use to get rid of the stuff that you don’t want to be displayed on your desktop. Using Terminal Commands. If you are familiar with terminal commands in Mac, and know the right commands, you can perform a ton of wonders.By using Mac terminal commands you can easily, and quickly hide desktop icons. To launch the terminal commands in Mac, follow the steps mentioned below –. Click on the Launchpad icon and type “Terminal” in the search bar.
How to hide files and folders on Mac? We are going to help you with that very question today with answers that you can use to safely hide your files on Mac.
Part 1: Hiding files on Mac – Why Privacy is Important
Files that you have on your Mac might be free to use for everyone or they might be something for your eyes only. And there are many reasons why we would want to keep the files hidden from others.
To keep the file safe: If your Mac is used by other members of the family or office, then there is a chance they might use your file or gain access to them. Hiding files on Mac gives you a peace of mind that your files are not used by anyone else.
Sensitive information: You Mac can contain very sensitive information, either related to your private or professional life. So it is of paramount importance that this information does not fall into the hands of people who may exploit it. Hiding your files or folders on Mac makes it impossible for them to get to them.
To save multiple copies: Hiding the copies of a file is helpful when you want to safeguard it against file loss. Hiding the extra copies will remove it from sight.
Part 2: 4 Proven Ways to Hide Files and Folders on Mac
The process of hiding files and folders on Mac should be done with caution because if it doesn’t work out, then your files will be visible to anyone who ventures to that folder or window. Here are 4 different ways that you can use to Hide files and folders in Mac.
Method 1: Using keyboard shortcuts to Hide Hidden file/folders on mac
The first method that we are going to discuss is about hiding hidden folders with just a simple keyboard combo. If you press CMD + Shift + . on the keyboard, then Mac will hide or unhide the files that are already been hidden. This is an easy method that you can use to easily flip between hidden and visible status for files.
Method 2: Using Terminal to Hide Files on Mac
The terminal can help you hide files on Mac with just a few steps. The process is quite easy and will come in handy if you want to hide file or folders.
Step 1 Open a Terminal window by pressing Command + Space and then typing Terminal. Press enter to open the Terminal.
Step 2 Type in chflags hidden.
Step 3 Now drag and drop the file or folder you want to hide into the window.
Step 4 Note down the path of the folder or file so that you can access it when you need it the next time.
Method 3: Enabling FileVault
FileVault is Apple’s inbuilt file encryption feature. when you turn on FileVault, the files in your Mac will be encrypted with 128-bit AES Encryption. Now the files on your Mac can only be accessed using a password. No one else but you will have access to the files on your Mac. The following steps will help you turn on FileVault on Mac.
Step 1 Navigate to Apple Menu> System Preferences.
Step 2 Out of the options, click on Security and Privacy.
Step 3 In the following Window, Click on the FireVault Tab.
Step 4 Click on Turn On FileVault.
Desktop Icons Mac
Now Mac will provide you with a key that you can use to unlock your hard drive if you forget your password. Make sure you write and store the key somewhere safe. Hp laserjet m1005 mfp scanner driver for macbook air. From now onwards, files on your mac can only be accessed with your password.
Method 4: Hide files on Mac by moving them to another user account
The files of the user account on a Mac will be not visible for a second user account on the same Mac. This essentially means that files on a user account are hidden from the other user account.
You can use this to your advantage by creating a second user account on Mac. Now to hide files from your account, all you need to do is move them to the second user account.
Step 1 Navigate to Apple menu > System Preferences.
Step 2 Out of the options provided, click on Users & Groups.
Step 3 Click on the Lock button that is provided at the lower left corner and click on the + button.
Step 4 Enter the new account details to set up a profile.
Now your Mac will have a second account which you can use to hide files from the main account. If the files are accessible between two accounts, you need to turn off the file sharing option found in Apple Menu> System Preferences>Sharing.
Part 3: How to Hide Icons from Mac Desktop
We have discussed four different ways in which you can hide files on Mac, but what if you want to hide desktop icons? Such a need arises when you don’t want other users accessing your applications or software. If you want to protect your games or software from being opened by others, then you should definitely try this option.
Step 1 Open Terminal on your Mac.
Step 2 Type in the following command line
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false
killall Finder
Step 3 To unhide Finder, enter in the following command line
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop true
killall Finder
This feature also comes in handy when you want to reduce any distractions while working on your Mac.
Part 4: How to Unhide Files on Mac
We have discussed many methods on hiding files and folders on Mac, now let us focus on unhiding the files on Mac. Making files visible is necessary when you want to use those files. Sometimes, we might forget the files we made hidden, and uncovering them can be tricky if you don’t know how to do it.
The following three methods will help you unhide files on Mac and we have even added a method that could help you recover lost files on Mac.
Method 1: Unhide files on Mac using Keyboard Shortcuts
The keyboard shortcut that we used to hide hidden files in Mac is the same combo that is used to show the hidden files.
So if you want to unhide hidden folders or files, just press down on CMD + Shift + . and you will be able to see all the files in that specific path.
Method 2. Use Mac terminal command to show hidden files
You can also use the terminal command to unhide files. the process involves entering a line of code into the terminal, which makes all the hidden visible. This method is especially helpful if you have numerous hidden files or folders which needs to be made visible quickly.
Step 1 Open Terminal.
Step 2 Enter the following code - defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
Step 3 Press Enter.
Step 4 Relaunch the Finder by right-clicking on the finder icon and pressing Relaunch.
Method 3. Use a Mac Data Recovery Tool
Hide Desktop Mac App
One of the common mistakes done while hiding files on a mac is that the user will forget where they have hidden the files. And if your Mac has a lot of files and folders, then the task of finding these hidden files becomes a near impossible task. They are also deleted when you delete the folder without knowing you have files hidden within it.
This is where we realize the importance of a Data Recovery tool. We always recommend Recoverit (IS) tool for Mac.
Get back files on your Mac with iSkysoft!
Recoverit (IS) for Mac
Some of the impressive features of Recoverit (IS) Tool are:
- Helps to recover deleted, formatted, and hidden files
- Supports a whole range of media files including mp3, wmv, flv, mpeg4, etc
- Advanced scanning tool is capable of extracting even formatted files
- Users can preview the files before recovering them
- Works completely offline without requiring any internet connection.
3,015,629 people have downloaded it
The installation process of Recoverit (IS) Tool is also very simple. You can use the software by yourself without requiring any form of external assistance. We have provided a comprehensive guide that you can follow to recover hidden files from your Mac.
Step 1 Download and install Recoverit (IS) Tool
Download the latest version of iskysoft Data recovery tool from the official website. Do not trust software from unofficial websites or sources.
Step 2 Select a Recovery Mode
Now choose a Recovery mode per your requirement.
Step 3 Select a drive to scan
If you know the specific drive where your files had been stored, choose that drive so that the software can better target the recovery process.
Step 4 Preview and Recover the files
The window will show you that list of recovered files. you can choose to recover them or discard them. Use the preview feature so that you know exactly what you are recovering.
The dr.fone is a very powerful tool that can help you out when you are in tricky situations with your Mac. Make sure that you keep the files on your device.
Conclusion
The files on your Mac is yours to use and hiding them is the best way to keep others from finding it or using it. You can use the various methods that we have discussed here to hide or unhide Mac files and get the most out of your system.
![Hide desktop mac Hide desktop mac](https://www.techlug.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/hide-all-desktop-icons-on-Mac.jpg)
Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
'How can I hide desktop icons on Mac? There are too many shortcuts and icons on my Mac desktop and I wish to get rid of them – but I don't know how to do it!'
This is one of the queries that I have recently read on an online Mac community. Since I also use a Mac, it made me think of ways to change icons on Mac or hide them altogether. I realized that just like Windows, Mac users can also customize their desktop icons or completely get rid of them if they wish to.
In order to help you do the same, we have come up with this complete guide on how to remove icons from the desktop on Mac. Apart from different solutions to hide desktop icons on Mac, we will list some other techniques to manage your desktop as well.
Solution 1. Use the Finder Preferences to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac
If you are a regular Mac user, then you must be aware of the System and Finder Preferences. It involves all kinds of settings and options that can help us customize the way we use our Mac. If you wish to know how to remove icons from the desktop on Mac, then follow these simple steps:
- To start with, just go to the Finder option on your Mac, which is on the top left corner. Click on it to get its context menu and choose the 'Preferences' option.
- This will open the Finder Preferences tab on the screen. From here, you need to go to the 'General' section, if you aren't there already.
- Here, you can view an option for 'Show these items on the desktop'. Just disable (uncheck) the feature for all the options here like hard disks, external disks, etc.
In the end, just close the tab and go to the desktop to verify. You will see that all the icons on your Mac desktop would be hidden now. You can follow the same approach and enable their options to unhide them. Although the same technique will work on every leading macOS version, the interface might differ from one version to another.
Solution 2. Use Terminal to Hide the Icons on Mac Desktop
Apart from the Finder Preferences, the system also allows us to hide desktop icons on Mac via the Terminal. The Terminal app works similarly to that of Command Prompt in Windows. Users can just enter certain commands to the Terminal and run it to complete a relevant operation. If you know the right commands, you can simply type them correctly and perform almost anything on your Mac. For instance, if you wish to learn how to hide desktop icons on Mac via Terminal, then follow these steps:
- Firstly, you need to access the Terminal app on your Mac. To do this, just go to the Spotlight and look for 'Terminal'. Just make sure that you are logged in as an administrator before running any command.
- Once the Terminal app is opened, just type the following command and press enter: defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool false
- After that, simply type 'killall Finder' and press enter. This will hide all desktop icons on Mac in one go.
This simple step would work seamlessly on every major macOS version. If you wish to show the hidden icons on your desktop again, then follow the same process. Just enter the following command instead and your hidden icons will appear again on Mac's desktop: defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true; killall Finder
By following either of these two methods, you can easily learn how to hide desktop icons on Mac like a pro. While the Terminal command will hide all icons in one go, you can customize things via Finder Preferences. That is, you can handpick and select the icons you wish to show or hide. You can follow your preferred approach to change icons on Mac and customize your desktop. Besides that, there are so many things that you can do on your desktop. Here are some of these bonus tips that will let you manage your desktop like a pro.
Bonus 1. Change the Mac App Icons on the Desktop
By default, Mac displays all the icons on the desktop in a certain way, which would vary among different macOS versions. Though, if you want, you can change any icon on Mac and customize your overall experience. While the process is a bit different than learning how to hide desktop icons on Mac, you can easily get a hold of it. When you change an icon on Mac, it will reflect it everywhere, including the desktop.
- To start with, just go to the Finder and open your Applications to view all the installed apps.
- Simply select the app that you wish to customize and right-click it. From the context menu, click on the 'Get Info' section. You can also just press the Command + I keys as well.
- Make sure that you already have the new icon image that you wish to change. For instance, you can keep it on the desktop on a temporary basis.
- Copy the new image by pressing the Command + C keys and then click on the small icon of the existing image.
- Now, just press the Command + V keys at the same time to paste the image.
- Save your changes after the image is posted and close the screen. You can go to the desktop and view the changed icon on Mac.
While the solution to change icon on Mac would work smoothly, make sure that the image format you are taking is compatible. In most of the cases, JPG or PNG formats work quite smoothly.
Bonus 2. Make the Desktop Icons Smaller on Mac
- To change the size of icons on Mac, firstly go to its desktop and press the Command + J keys at the same time.
- If you want, you can also go to the 'View' menu on the top and click on the 'Show View Options' feature.
- This will open view options for desktop on the screen. Here, you can see a slider for 'icon size'.
- You can simply move the slider towards the left to make the icons smaller (and right to make them larger).
Once you are happy with an icon size, just close the screen. You can also alter the text and grid size from here as well.
Bonus 3. Recover Missing Desktop Files on Mac
This is one of the most important things to note if you do not wish to suffer from an unforeseen loss of data on your Mac. In case if you have accidentally deleted files from Mac's desktop or the files have been corrupted, then take the assistance of Recoverit Data Recovery software. It is a complete data recovery tool for Mac that can extract all kinds of files from your system, lost under numerous conditions.
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- Recover Word documents from all storage devices like Mac.
- Recover 1000+ types and formats of files in different situations.
- Scan and preview the files before you recover them from MacBook hard drive.
If you have deleted a partition on Mac or have lost it due to any other reason, then you should use Recoverit Data Recovery. It can help you restore partition data on Mac by following these easy steps.
Step 1: Select a Source Drive
To start with, just Launch Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac and select a source drive to scan. In this case, it will be the native drive of your Mac.
Step 2: Scan the Location
As the scanning for the lost and deleted content will progress, you can just wait for a while for it to be finished.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
When the recovery process is finished, you can just preview your files on the interface and select the ones you wish to get back. Click on the 'Recover' button in the end and save them to a secure location.
Hide Desktop For Mac Computers
Conclusion
Now when you know how to hide desktop icons on Mac, you can easily customize your desktop as per your requirements. We have also provided a quick solution to change icons on Mac and even alter their size. Apart from that, you can also consider using Recoverit Data Recovery application too. As a remarkable tool, it will make sure that you never suffer from any unforeseen data loss on Mac ever again.
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