Need a Cleaner Mac Desktop? Here’s How to Hide Your Icons

Some people are very good at managing and keeping their desktop space neat.

Well, I’m one of those people, and I will not change my habit for anyone anytime soon.

However, I do know how you can hide your desktop files on certain occasions because this is what this article is about.

Let us illustrate. If I have to attach a screenshot in any of my articles or give a presentation at work, I would instead show the audience a cleaner desktop, as it is straightforward for them to focus on the right things.

Whether trying to keep your desktop clean or striving, you’ll come across moments when you must quickly hide all that clutter.

Here is how you can quickly hide your desktop icons in macOS for those quick moments.

Note that this method has been tried using the 2017 MacBook Pro running on macOS Mojave and other Macs running on macOS Sierra and High Sierra, so these should also work well for your Mac.

Hide Desktop Icons in macOS Using Terminal

The Terminal is like a collection of treasures. With the right commands, you can do a lot of wonders on your Mac, so it’s no surprise that you can use it to hide desktop icons.

You can launch the Terminal by searching for it using Spotlight and run the following command:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false

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Once you have done that, use the following command in the Terminal to restart Finder:

killall Finder

Remember that the ‘F’ in ‘Finder’ should always be in a block letter; otherwise, the terminal will merely tell you there were no matching processes.

Once that is done, all the icons on your desktop will be hidden. To unhide them later, you can use the following command:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop true

And then restart Finder with the same code as before:

killall Finder

Using Third-Party Apps to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac

While using the Terminal to hide the desktop icons on a Mac is not difficult, if you want to hide or unhide desktop icons on a regular basis, using the Terminal might not be the most efficient method.

In such a situation, you can use a third-party app that lets you hide or unhide icons with just a click. I recommend HiddenMe (free) for this.

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Once you have downloaded the app from the App Store and launched it, click on the menu bar icon for HiddenMe and then click on ‘Hide Desktop Icons.’ That is it—your desktop icons will now be hidden from prying eyes.

However, to unhide the desktop icons whenever you choose, click on the HiddenMe icon in the menu bar and click on ‘Unhide Desktop Icons.’

Also, you can create a keyboard shortcut to enable/disable HiddenMe and ensure your desktop looks clean with just the push of a simple keystroke, no matter which app you are using.

Just be sure not to use a shortcut that is already being used by the system (macOS) or another app; otherwise, the alternative might not work correctly.

You can also create a shortcut by clicking on the HiddenMe icon in the menu bar, going to Preferences, and then using the ‘Shortcut’ option.

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Use Desktop Stacks in macOS Mojave

If the only reason you are hiding your desktop icons is to make your desktop look neat for screenshots and presentations like me, there is a more comfortable and much better option that you can use.

With macOS Mojave, Apple introduced a new ‘Desktop Stacks’ feature to Finder. This feature automatically ensures that your desktop looks clean by combining files of the same type.

To enable Desktop Stacks, you must launch the Finder, click ‘View,’ and then click ‘Use Stacks,’ and it’s done.

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Alternatively, you can use the keyboard command Control + Command + O to enable Desktop Stacks on your Mac.

As mentioned earlier, Desktop Stacks are only available on MacOS Mojave. So, if you’re using an older version of macOS, you must use the Terminal or a third-party app like HiddenMe to make your desktop look clean and neat.

In Conclusion

By using either of the methods mentioned above, you can ensure that no one will be able to catch you by surprise and make you feel less insecure about your digital cleanliness.

Now, you can mess up your desktop to your heart’s desire, and when the moment comes, you can clean it up with a few keystrokes.