How to Hide Folders on Mac

Posted By Volodymyr Chubei | 27 Aug 2024

If you share your MacBook with others or simply want to protect personal data from prying eyes, you may need to hide certain folders and files. This is particularly relevant if you often work in public places, lend your laptop to colleagues or friends, or wish to prevent the accidental deletion of important documents.

In this article, we’ll explore how to hide files on Mac computers using various methods. You’ll learn how to make them invisible to other users, hide them from the desktop during screen sharing, and determine the best locations for storing confidential information securely. We’ll explore both built-in macOS features and third-party applications that can help you efficiently accomplish this task.

Why You Might Want to Hide Your Files on Mac

There are several reasons why you might want to hide files and folders on your MacBook:

You share the computer with other users, such as family members or colleagues, and don’t want them to access your photos, videos, financial reports, or work documents. Hiding folders helps protect your privacy and prevents accidental deletion or modification of critical files.
You frequently share your screen during presentations, online meetings, or webinars and want your desktop to appear tidy and professional, without unnecessary icons and folders. Hiding extraneous elements helps focus the audience’s attention on the presentation content and avoids distractions.
You’re concerned about the security of backups, personal documents, or confidential information and don’t want them easily accessible to other users or accidentally deleted. Storing such files in hidden folders provides an additional layer of protection and helps prevent unauthorized access.
You simply prefer a minimalist and organized desktop without extra icons and folders. Hiding rarely used files and folders helps maintain order on the desktop and facilitates finding the necessary documents.

Regardless of your reasons, there are several simple and effective ways to hide files and folders on a Mac. Let’s explore them in more detail.

Also: MacBook Won't Download Files: Causes and Tips for Quick Fix

8 Ways to Hide Files on Mac

There are various proven methods to hide files on Mac. Some are suitable for quickly hiding folders from the desktop, while others offer more robust data protection from other users. Choose the method that best suits your needs and level of computer literacy.

Way 1. Keyboard Shortcut to Hide Files

The quickest and easiest way to hide files and folders on a Mac is to use a keyboard shortcut. This is a built-in macOS feature that allows you to instantly make selected items invisible. What is the shortcut to hide a file on Mac? Let’s take a look at how it works:

Select the files or folders you want to hide by clicking on them once.
Press and hold the Shift + Command keys, then press the period (.) key.
The selected files and folders will become semi-transparent and disappear from the desktop or folder.

To undo the hiding and make the files visible again, simply repeat the same actions: select the location where the hidden items were, and press Shift + Command + period (.). They will reappear in their original positions.

This method is ideal for quickly removing several files or folders from the desktop, for example, before screen sharing or taking a screenshot. However, keep in mind that any user who knows this keyboard shortcut can easily undo the hiding and access your files. Therefore, for more reliable protection of confidential data, it’s better to use other methods.

Way 2. How to Hide Files on Mac Using Terminal

If you need to hide folders and files more securely on your Mac, you can use the Terminal command line. This is a built-in macOS utility that allows you to perform various operations with the file system and computer settings. To hide a folder using Terminal, follow these steps:

Open Terminal. To do this, go to Finder ➙ Applications ➙ Utilities and double-click the Terminal icon.
In the Terminal window, type the command chflags hidden (without quotes) and press the spacebar.
Drag the folder you want to hide from Finder into the Terminal window. Its full path will be automatically added after the command.
Press the Enter key to execute the command. The selected folder will be hidden.

To undo the hiding and make the folder visible again, enter the command chflags nohidden instead of chflags hidden in step 2.

It’s important to remember that when using Terminal, you need to enter commands accurately and carefully to avoid accidental deletion or damage to system files. Besides, always keep the full path to the hidden folder so you can easily find and undo the hiding later on.

Way 3. How to Hide Folders on the Mac’s Desktop

There may be occasions when you need to quickly conceal all icons and folders on your desktop, for instance, before screen sharing during a presentation or meeting. Of course, you could manually drag each item to another folder, but this would consume much time and effort, especially if your desktop contains numerous files.

Fortunately, there’s a quicker and more convenient way — use applications specifically designed for this purpose. They add a button or toggle switch to the macOS menu bar. By clicking on it, you instantly hide all folders and files on your desktop. Let’s explore how to hide folders on the Mac’s desktop with these two popular solutions:

One Switch: This is a collection of useful tools for macOS that help save time and enhance productivity. After installation, the application adds a toggle switch icon to the menu bar. Click on it and select “Hide Desktop Icons” to instantly hide all items on the desktop. To restore them, simply click on this option again.
CleanShot X: This is an advanced tool for capturing screenshots and recording the screen on Mac. In addition to its primary functions, it can automatically hide all icons on the desktop before capturing an image or video. Simply press the hotkeys to start screen recording, and CleanShot X will take care of the rest. This is especially convenient if you frequently share screenshots or create instructional videos.

Both of these applications are excellent choices for those seeking to learn how to hide downloads on a Mac desktop, aiming to maintain order and cleanliness without spending extra time manually moving files and folders.

Way 4. How to Hide Folders in a “Secret Location”

If you have particularly important or confidential files that need to be securely hidden from prying eyes, you can utilize the hidden Library folder built into macOS. It’s intended for storing system files and settings, but you can create your own folder inside it and store anything you need to keep secret.

Here’s how to access the Library folder and hide your files there:

In the Finder menu, select “Go” ➙ “Go to Folder,” or press the key combination Shift + Command + G.
In the pop-up window, type ~/Library and press Enter. The Library folder will open.
Inside this folder, create a new folder, for example, “Secret Files,” and place all the files and documents you want to hide there.
Now, these files will be securely hidden from prying eyes. To access them, you’ll need to navigate back to the Library folder using the path mentioned above.

This method provides an additional level of security for your files because most users are unaware of the existence of the Library folder and won’t look for your documents there. Additionally, this folder is hidden by default in macOS, making stumbling upon it practically impossible.

However, remember that if someone gains access to your Mac user account, they can view the contents of the Library folder and find your hidden files. Therefore, for maximum protection of confidential data, it’s best to use this method in combination with others, such as encryption or passwords.

Way 5. How to Hide a File by Adding a Dot Before Its File Name

In macOS, files whose names start with a dot are automatically hidden in Finder and other file managers. Here’s how to make invisible files on Mac:

Select the file or folder you want to hide.
Right-click (or Control-click) and select “Rename”, or press the Enter key.
Add a dot (.) before the current file or folder name and press Enter to confirm.
Done! Now, the file or folder will be hidden and won’t be displayed in Finder.

To undo the hiding, simply remove the dot from the beginning of the file or folder name. This method is simple and convenient, but it has some drawbacks:

Any user who knows about this trick can easily reveal your hidden files by pressing Command + Shift +. (period) key combination in Finder.
When transferring files to another computer (e.g., during backup), they may suddenly become visible if the other computer has hidden files display enabled by default.
Some applications and system services may ignore or delete files whose names start with a dot because they perceive them as temporary or service-related.

Therefore, before using this method to hide important data, ensure that it won’t be accidentally lost or damaged.

Also: MacBook Finder Search Not Working: 9 Tips for a Quick Fix

Way 6. How to Make Invisible Folders Using FileVault

Can you make a folder private on Mac? Absolutely! FileVault is a built-in security feature on macOS that allows you to encrypt your entire disk, including files and folders you want to hide. Here’s how to use FileVault:

Open System Preferences and go to the Security & Privacy section.
Select the FileVault tab and click the “Turn On FileVault” button.
Follow the on-screen instructions to enable disk encryption and create a recovery key.

Once the encryption process is complete, all files and folders on your disk will be invisible to anyone who doesn’t know the password.

Way 7. How to Hide Files from Other Users Using Apple Developer Tools

If you want to completely hide files and folders from other users of your Mac, you can use Apple’s developer tools. They allow you to modify file attributes and make them invisible to everyone except you. Here’s how to do it:

nstall Xcode developer tools on your Mac. To accomplish this, visit the developer.apple.com website, sign in to your developer account (or create a new one), and download Xcode.
After installing Xcode, open Terminal and enter the command setfile -a V (with a space after “V”), then press the spacebar.
Drag the file or folder you want to hide from Finder into the Terminal window. Its full path will be automatically added after the command.
Press the Enter key to execute the command. The selected files and folders will become completely invisible to other users.

To undo the hiding and make the files visible again, use the command setfile -a v (with a space after “v”) instead of setfile -a V in step 2.

This method of hiding files is more reliable than simply adding a dot before the file name because it makes them invisible at the system level. However, it requires the installation of additional software (Xcode) and may be slightly more complex for beginners.

Way 8. How to Hide Files and Folders by Moving Them to Another Account

If you share your Mac with other users and want to hide your files from them securely, you can create a separate user account and store confidential data there. This may be more convenient than using the Terminal or manually changing file attributes. Here’s how to do it:

Open System Preferences and go to the Users & Groups section.
Click on the padlock icon in the bottom-left corner and enter your administrator password to unlock the settings.
Click the “+” button below the list of users and select New Account.
Set the name, account type (it’s better to choose Administrator for full file access), and password for the new user. Click Create User.
Restart your Mac and log in to the new user account.
Move all the files and folders you want to hide to the home folder of the new user.

Now, these files will only be accessible when logged into this user account and will be securely hidden from other users. Of course, you’ll need to switch between accounts each time you need to access the hidden files, but it’s a reasonable trade-off for increased privacy.

Keep in mind that other administrators can still access your files, so this method doesn’t provide absolute protection. However, it’s certainly better than storing confidential data in a shared folder or on the desktop.

Hiding files and folders on a Mac is a useful skill that will help you protect confidential data, free up space on your desktop, and keep your files safe. However, it’s also important to keep your device in excellent condition to avoid losing information at critical moments.

Also: How to use System Settings (Preferences) on a MacBook

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FAQ

1. Can I hide a folder on my Mac?

Yes, on Mac, there are several ways to hide folders from prying eyes. You can use built-in macOS features such as keyboard shortcuts or Terminal, as well as third-party applications for more flexible management of hidden files and folders.

2. How do I restrict access to a folder on a Mac?

To restrict access to a folder on Mac, you can move it to the hidden system folder Library or create a separate user account to store confidential data. Additionally, you can use Apple’s developer tools to make the folder completely invisible to other users.

3. Is there a way to make a folder private?

Yes, you can make a folder private on a Mac by using the built-in FileVault feature to encrypt the entire disk or specific files and folders. You can also set a password for the folder using third-party applications or use macOS features to restrict access to specific folders for other users.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Volodymyr Chubei
Computer Repair Specialist at TechToro.io

Volodymyr was born in Ukraine and has found his passion for electronics from his childhood. At the age of 13, he was capable of soldering some basic elements of a logic board and today he is one of the co-founders of TechToro.io