If the only reason you want to hide desktop icons is to make your desktop look neat and clean for screenshots and presentations (like me), there’s an easier and better option that you can use. You can create a shortcut by clicking on the HiddenMe icon in the menu bar, going to ‘ Preferences,’ and using the ‘ Shortcut‘ option.īonus: Use Desktop Stacks in macOS Mojave Just make sure not to use a shortcut that’s already being used by macOS, or another app or the shortcut might not work properly. You can also create a keyboard shortcut to enable/disable HiddenMe and make sure your desktop looks clean with just the push of a simple keystroke no matter which app you’re in. To unhide desktop icons later, you can simply click on the HiddenMe icon in the menu bar, and click on ‘Unhide Desktop Icons.’ Once you’ve downloaded the app from the App Store, and launched it, all you have to do is click on the menu bar icon for HiddenMe, and then click on ‘ Hide Desktop Icons.’ That’s it, your desktop icons will now be hidden. I’m recommending HiddenMe ( free) for this.
In such a case, you can use a third party app that will let you hide desktop icons or unhide them with just a click. While using the Terminal to hide desktop icons on a Mac isn’t a difficult task, if you need to hide/unhide desktop icons in macOS on a very regular basis, using the Terminal might not be the most efficient method for you. To unhide the icons later, you can simply use the following command: defaults write CreateDesktop trueĪnd then restart Finder with the following command: killall Finder Use Third-party Apps to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac Once you do this, all the icons on your Desktop will be hidden. Keep in mind that the ‘F’ in ‘Finder’ should be capital, otherwise the terminal will simply tell you that it found no matching processes. Once you’ve done that, use the following command in the Terminal to restart Finder: killall Finder You can do wonders on your Mac with the right commands, so it’s no surprise that you can use the Terminal to hide desktop icons on a Mac. You can just launch the Terminal by searching for it in Spotlight and run the following command: defaults write CreateDesktop false The Terminal is like a trove of treasure. Hide Desktop Icons in macOS Using Terminal
Note: I have tried the following methods on my 2017 MacBook Pro running on macOS Mojave, and other Macs running on macOS Sierra, and macOS High Sierra, so these should work on your Mac as well.
For those quick moments, here’s how to hide desktop icons in macOS quickly: Whether you are struggling to keep your desktop clean or you thrive in the chaos like me, you will encounter moments when you have to hide all that clutter quickly. For example, if I have to attach screenshots in any of my articles, or when I have to give a presentation at work, I would rather show people a cleaner desktop, as it is easier for them to focus on the right things. However, I do need to hide my desktop files on certain occasions. I love my chaos, and I am not going to change my habits in the foreseeable future. Well, I am not one of them and my Mac’s desktop is cluttered with folders and files. Some people are good at managing their desktop space and keeping it really neat and tidy.