# How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac (For Screen Sharing or Recording) A cluttered desktop can quickly become a problem when you need to share your screen or record a video on your Mac. During a Zoom meeting, a Google Meet call, or a screen recording, all the files and folders on your desktop become visible to others. This can look unprofessional or even reveal private information. Because of this, many Mac users look for a way to **hide desktop icons** **temporarily** when they are screen sharing, recording tutorials, or preparing for presentations. In this guide, you'll learn several ways to **hide desktop icons on** **Mac**, including a built-in Terminal method and a faster one-click solution. ## Why You Might Want to Hide Desktop Icons Hiding desktop icons is a simple trick that can make your screen look much cleaner and more professional. ### During Screen Sharing If you're sharing your screen in tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, your entire desktop may become visible. Hiding desktop icons helps you avoid exposing personal files or unrelated folders during meetings. ### While Recording Tutorials or Videos When recording tutorials, product demos, or YouTube videos, a clean desktop looks much more professional. Removing icons helps viewers focus on the content you're presenting instead of the clutter behind it. ### For Presentations or Screenshots If you're preparing slides, screenshots, or demonstrations, hiding desktop icons removes visual distractions and keeps your screen tidy. ## Method 1: Hide Desktop Icons Using Terminal macOS allows you to hide desktop icons using a simple Terminal command. This method works by changing a Finder setting that controls whether desktop icons are displayed. After running the command, Finder restarts and the icons on your desktop disappear. To **hide desktop icons**, open Terminal and run: ```bash defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false killall Finder ``` Once Finder restarts, the icons on your desktop will no longer be visible. Your files are still there---they're just hidden from view. If you want to **show desktop icons again**, run the following command: ```bash defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop true killall Finder ``` Finder will restart again, and all desktop icons will appear as before. ### Limitations of This Method While the Terminal method works well, it has a few drawbacks: - You need to open Terminal every time you want to toggle the setting - It requires remembering commands - It isn't very convenient if you frequently switch between hidden and visible icons For occasional use it works fine, but if you regularly hide desktop icons during meetings or recordings, a quicker solution can be helpful. ## Method 2: Hide Desktop Icons Instantly with 1Setter If you want a faster and simpler solution, you can hide desktop icons using **[1Setter](/content/site-root.html)**. 1Setter adds a collection of macOS utilities directly to the menu bar, including the ability to **hide or show desktop icons instantly**. Instead of opening Terminal and typing commands, you can simply: 1. Click the 1Setter icon in the menu bar 2. Toggle the **Hide Desktop Icons** option 3. Instantly clean up your desktop This is especially useful when you are about to: - start a Zoom、Teams or Google Meet screen share - record a tutorial or YouTube video - take clean screenshots for documentation When you're finished, you can restore your desktop icons just as quickly. ## Method 3: Other Apps That Can Hide Desktop Icons Besides Terminal commands and menu bar utilities like 1Setter, there are also several Mac apps that can hide or show desktop icons. Some of these tools focus specifically on desktop cleanup, while others are broader system utilities. ### HiddenMe HiddenMe is a lightweight app designed specifically for hiding and showing desktop icons. It runs in the macOS menu bar and allows you to toggle desktop icons with a single click. The main advantage of HiddenMe is its simplicity—it focuses on one task: quickly hiding or restoring desktop icons. However, because it only provides this single feature, it may not be ideal if you want additional system utilities in the same tool. ### One Switch One Switch is another popular menu bar utility that provides several quick toggles for macOS settings. In addition to hiding desktop icons, it can also control features such as: - Dark Mode - Keep Mac Awake - AirPods connection - Screen saver If you're deciding between different menu bar utilities, you may want to compare their features to see which one fits your workflow best. You can read a more detailed comparison here: 👉 **[One Switch Alternative: 1Setter](/content/posts/one-switch-alternative/index.html)** ## When This Feature Is Especially Useful ### Screen Sharing in Meetings Before sharing your screen in Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, hiding desktop icons prevents viewers from seeing unrelated files and keeps the shared screen tidy. ### Recording Tutorials or Product Demos When recording software tutorials or walkthrough videos, a clean desktop helps keep the focus on the application you're demonstrating. ### Taking Clean Screenshots If you're capturing screenshots for guides or documentation, hiding desktop icons removes visual distractions and makes the image look more polished. ## FAQ ### Can you hide desktop icons on Mac without deleting files? Yes. Hiding desktop icons only changes whether the icons are visible on the desktop. Your files remain exactly where they are and are not deleted. ### Is there a built-in macOS setting to hide desktop icons? macOS doesn't provide a simple toggle in System Settings for hiding desktop icons. The built-in way to do it is through a Finder command executed in Terminal. ### How do you show desktop icons again? You can restore desktop icons by reversing the same method used to hide them. For example, if you used the Terminal method, running the opposite command will make the icons visible again. ### Does this work on recent macOS versions? Yes. The Finder command used to hide and show desktop icons works on most modern versions of macOS. ## Conclusion Hiding desktop icons on Mac is a useful trick when you're screen sharing, recording tutorials, or preparing presentations. A clean desktop helps you avoid distractions and keeps your screen looking professional. macOS allows you to hide icons using a Terminal command, but if you frequently need to toggle desktop icons, using a simple menu bar utility can make the process much faster. Whether you're preparing for a meeting, recording a video, or taking screenshots, being able to quickly hide desktop icons can make your workflow much smoother.