Just as much as a stuffed Mac can be a headache, a messy desktop is a nightmare too, and probably the last thing that a user would want to see. And just as much as you would pay heed to clean up some storage on Mac, you should do something to keep your desktop neat and clean. So, the question arises, how can you make your screen look neat and clean.
One of the best ways you can keep your desktop clutter is to hide desktop icons on Mac. Here are some of the quick ways to hide desktop icons on Mac.
How to Show Hidden Files on Mac. Hold down Cmd + Shift +. (dot) a second time to hide the files again. The easiest way to find your hidden /Library/ folder is to do the following. Hide/unhide desktop icons. Download Switch Manager and move it to the Applications folder. Run the app and it will add an icon to the menu. When you click the icon, it will show you a list of the switches that it supports, one of which is ‘Hide Desktop Icons'. Use it to toggle desktop icon visibility.
HideSwitch is an easy way to show and hide system files hidden in OS X. Instead of launching some big clunky piece of software or running a terminal command, just launch this tiny app and click the button to toggle hidden files on and off. Show, hide, or edit a table title in Pages on Mac. When you add a table, its placeholder name (Table 1, for example) is hidden by default.You can show the name.
1. 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 –
1. Click on the Launchpad icon and type 'Terminal' in the search bar.
Or
Click on the Spotlight icon (this can even be opened using Cmd+Space) and launch the Terminal app where you will enter terminal commands.
2. Then enter the following command by copy and paste it in the terminal
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false
3. After this enter the following command to restart finder
killall Finder
4. Once you have typed in this command, you will be able to hide desktop icons on your Mac or Windows computer. You will also be able to hide your hard disk and network icons too.
Not every time, would you want to stare at a blank screen and hide desktop icons on Mac. If you wish to unhide the icons again, type in the following command or simply copy-paste it in the Terminal –
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop Email on mac not working. Desk edge molding.
Once again you will have to type killall Finder to restart finder
Use An Automator App To Run Commands And Hide Desktop Icons
Copying and pasting the commands time, and again to hide desktop icons on Mac might not be feasible option. In that case, you can download an Automator app which will help you run the commands in the background.
The best part is that the app is completely open-source.
2. Hide Desktop Icons On Mac Using The Stacks Functionality
Source: support.apple.com
Show Hide Formatting In Word
Since macOS Mojave, Apple has introduced a fantastic way using which you declutter your Mac desktop. The stacks functionality places the files on the right edge of the screen after it has organised them into file types. Although, you always have the option to stack them based on several criteria such as date modified and date added.
To see stacks into action right-click on the desktop and then, select Group stacks/ Sort stacks > choose your desired option
3. Use A Third-Party App To Hide Desktop Icon In One Click
If you are frequently required to hide desktop icons on Mac, using terminal commands frequently might not be a very feasible option.
That's where you can let an app to hide desktop icons on Mac. Without a speck of doubt, HiddenMe is one of the best apps that will let you unhide or hide desktop icons on Mac with a mere click.
How To Use HiddenMe To Hide Desktop Icons On Mac
After you have downloaded HiddenMe from the App Store, follow the steps mentioned below –
- Select Hide Desktop Icon
- The option will remove files from the screen
- To get the icons back on the screen, click on the Show Desktop Icons
If you wish to remove Hidden icon from the menu bar, just.click right on and select quit
4. Drag Icons To Another Folder
This is probably a method that you know already. To clean up the messed up desktop which is cluttered with icons, all you have to do is drag the icon from your desktop to another folder. Also, if there are any icons that you think can be deleted, just drag them to trash.
What Do You Think?
How frequently do you clean your desktop and have to spend hours sorting the icons? If that's you, we hope that the above ways have helped you hide desktop icons on your Mac system. And, if you have a better way of sorting or hiding and unhiding desktop icons, do share with us in the comments section below. After all, we're all ears to get valuable feedback from you!
6 Responses
WhatsaByte may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
The show hidden files Mac OS X guide!
Did you know how to show hidden files on Mac OS X computer yet? It's not similar to what you do in Windows. There is a bit more complicated and require you to type a few commands in Terminal in Mac OS X to show those hidden files.
My story is that I just switched to Mac OS X a few months ago. At that moment, I was just learning how to use this new operating system, from how to install or uninstall apps, copy and paste files, as well as, take screenshots. One day, I was wondering how to view system files that are hidden like in Windows? With the help of Google and information from a few sources, show or hide hidden files never been easier, especially doing that using short alias commands instead of typing long commands, which aren't easy to remember.
In Mac OS X, by default, all files that starting with a dot ('.') before the file name are always invisible, including .bash_profile, .svn directory, or even .htaccess file. If you want to access these files, you need to make it visible.
[full-related slug1='how-to-print-screen-mac-os-x' slug2='how-to-force-quit-mac-apps-with-shortcut']Before reading this guide, you may think to make hidden files to viewable is hard. But don't worry! Today, I write this simple guide to show you the easiest way to show hidden files on Mac OS X computer. You only need to type a few long commands in Terminal application once. Next time, you just need to use showFiles and hideFiles commands to show or hide hidden files on Mac.
Use Terminal Commands To Show Hidden Files Mac OS X
To show hidden files on Mac, click on the Finder icon in the bottom Dock and then go to Applications > Utilities and then open Terminal application.
In the next step, type the command below, or just copy & paste it, and then press the Enter key.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
Next, press and hold the 'Option' key, and then right-click on the 'Finder icon' in the bottom dock and select 'Relaunch'.
This action will refresh the Finder and show all hidden files on Mac OS X. If you want to hide these files again, type the following command in Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
If you can remember these commands, it's very easy for you to show or hide hidden files. However, in case you can't remember these commands, you will have to search for it on Google whenever you need to show or hide these files.
Show And Hide Hidden Files On Mac OS X With Terminal Aliases
What's a Terminal alias? It's a shortcut for one or more commands. By creating aliases for the show hidden files or hide hidden files commands, you only need to remember aliases, and then you can show or hide files quicker.
To create aliases, open Terminal and then type:
sudo nano ~/.bash_profile
It will ask you to provide the administrator's password. Just enter your password and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
At the end of the .bash_profile file, just paste these code:
alias showFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
And then:
Show Hide Formatting Marks In Outlook
alias hideFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
In the next step, press Control + O (or Ctrl + O) and then press Enter to save the modification on the file.
Next, press Control + X (or Ctrl + X) to exit the editor to return to the Terminal window.
In the Terminal, type:
source ~/.bash_profile
to make two above aliases available.
In the next time when you want to show hidden files or hide hidden files, just type:
showFiles
I have try UkeySoft, it complete the task of converting and saving Apple Music in common MP3 audio files up to 20X conversion speed. Good!In additional, other audio recording tool also can hele me record streaming music, but this efficiency is very low. Mp3 to ipod converter for mac. However, Apple Music conversion can batch convert more songs you like at one time.
or
hideFiles
One of the best ways you can keep your desktop clutter is to hide desktop icons on Mac. Here are some of the quick ways to hide desktop icons on Mac.
How to Show Hidden Files on Mac. Hold down Cmd + Shift +. (dot) a second time to hide the files again. The easiest way to find your hidden /Library/ folder is to do the following. Hide/unhide desktop icons. Download Switch Manager and move it to the Applications folder. Run the app and it will add an icon to the menu. When you click the icon, it will show you a list of the switches that it supports, one of which is ‘Hide Desktop Icons'. Use it to toggle desktop icon visibility.
HideSwitch is an easy way to show and hide system files hidden in OS X. Instead of launching some big clunky piece of software or running a terminal command, just launch this tiny app and click the button to toggle hidden files on and off. Show, hide, or edit a table title in Pages on Mac. When you add a table, its placeholder name (Table 1, for example) is hidden by default.You can show the name.
1. 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 –
1. Click on the Launchpad icon and type 'Terminal' in the search bar.
Or
Click on the Spotlight icon (this can even be opened using Cmd+Space) and launch the Terminal app where you will enter terminal commands.
2. Then enter the following command by copy and paste it in the terminal
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false
3. After this enter the following command to restart finder
killall Finder
4. Once you have typed in this command, you will be able to hide desktop icons on your Mac or Windows computer. You will also be able to hide your hard disk and network icons too.
Not every time, would you want to stare at a blank screen and hide desktop icons on Mac. If you wish to unhide the icons again, type in the following command or simply copy-paste it in the Terminal –
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop Email on mac not working. Desk edge molding.
Once again you will have to type killall Finder to restart finder
Use An Automator App To Run Commands And Hide Desktop Icons
Copying and pasting the commands time, and again to hide desktop icons on Mac might not be feasible option. In that case, you can download an Automator app which will help you run the commands in the background.
The best part is that the app is completely open-source.
2. Hide Desktop Icons On Mac Using The Stacks Functionality
Source: support.apple.com
Show Hide Formatting In Word
Since macOS Mojave, Apple has introduced a fantastic way using which you declutter your Mac desktop. The stacks functionality places the files on the right edge of the screen after it has organised them into file types. Although, you always have the option to stack them based on several criteria such as date modified and date added.
To see stacks into action right-click on the desktop and then, select Group stacks/ Sort stacks > choose your desired option
3. Use A Third-Party App To Hide Desktop Icon In One Click
If you are frequently required to hide desktop icons on Mac, using terminal commands frequently might not be a very feasible option.
That's where you can let an app to hide desktop icons on Mac. Without a speck of doubt, HiddenMe is one of the best apps that will let you unhide or hide desktop icons on Mac with a mere click.
How To Use HiddenMe To Hide Desktop Icons On Mac
After you have downloaded HiddenMe from the App Store, follow the steps mentioned below –
- Select Hide Desktop Icon
- The option will remove files from the screen
- To get the icons back on the screen, click on the Show Desktop Icons
If you wish to remove Hidden icon from the menu bar, just.click right on and select quit
4. Drag Icons To Another Folder
This is probably a method that you know already. To clean up the messed up desktop which is cluttered with icons, all you have to do is drag the icon from your desktop to another folder. Also, if there are any icons that you think can be deleted, just drag them to trash.
What Do You Think?
How frequently do you clean your desktop and have to spend hours sorting the icons? If that's you, we hope that the above ways have helped you hide desktop icons on your Mac system. And, if you have a better way of sorting or hiding and unhiding desktop icons, do share with us in the comments section below. After all, we're all ears to get valuable feedback from you!
6 Responses
WhatsaByte may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
The show hidden files Mac OS X guide!
Did you know how to show hidden files on Mac OS X computer yet? It's not similar to what you do in Windows. There is a bit more complicated and require you to type a few commands in Terminal in Mac OS X to show those hidden files.
My story is that I just switched to Mac OS X a few months ago. At that moment, I was just learning how to use this new operating system, from how to install or uninstall apps, copy and paste files, as well as, take screenshots. One day, I was wondering how to view system files that are hidden like in Windows? With the help of Google and information from a few sources, show or hide hidden files never been easier, especially doing that using short alias commands instead of typing long commands, which aren't easy to remember.
In Mac OS X, by default, all files that starting with a dot ('.') before the file name are always invisible, including .bash_profile, .svn directory, or even .htaccess file. If you want to access these files, you need to make it visible.
[full-related slug1='how-to-print-screen-mac-os-x' slug2='how-to-force-quit-mac-apps-with-shortcut']Before reading this guide, you may think to make hidden files to viewable is hard. But don't worry! Today, I write this simple guide to show you the easiest way to show hidden files on Mac OS X computer. You only need to type a few long commands in Terminal application once. Next time, you just need to use showFiles and hideFiles commands to show or hide hidden files on Mac.
Use Terminal Commands To Show Hidden Files Mac OS X
To show hidden files on Mac, click on the Finder icon in the bottom Dock and then go to Applications > Utilities and then open Terminal application.
In the next step, type the command below, or just copy & paste it, and then press the Enter key.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
Next, press and hold the 'Option' key, and then right-click on the 'Finder icon' in the bottom dock and select 'Relaunch'.
This action will refresh the Finder and show all hidden files on Mac OS X. If you want to hide these files again, type the following command in Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
If you can remember these commands, it's very easy for you to show or hide hidden files. However, in case you can't remember these commands, you will have to search for it on Google whenever you need to show or hide these files.
Show And Hide Hidden Files On Mac OS X With Terminal Aliases
What's a Terminal alias? It's a shortcut for one or more commands. By creating aliases for the show hidden files or hide hidden files commands, you only need to remember aliases, and then you can show or hide files quicker.
To create aliases, open Terminal and then type:
sudo nano ~/.bash_profile
It will ask you to provide the administrator's password. Just enter your password and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
At the end of the .bash_profile file, just paste these code:
alias showFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
And then:
Show Hide Formatting Marks In Outlook
alias hideFiles='defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app'
In the next step, press Control + O (or Ctrl + O) and then press Enter to save the modification on the file.
Next, press Control + X (or Ctrl + X) to exit the editor to return to the Terminal window.
In the Terminal, type:
source ~/.bash_profile
to make two above aliases available.
In the next time when you want to show hidden files or hide hidden files, just type:
showFiles
I have try UkeySoft, it complete the task of converting and saving Apple Music in common MP3 audio files up to 20X conversion speed. Good!In additional, other audio recording tool also can hele me record streaming music, but this efficiency is very low. Mp3 to ipod converter for mac. However, Apple Music conversion can batch convert more songs you like at one time.
or
hideFiles
in Terminal, respectively.
showFiles and hideFiles to Show or Hide Hidden Files Mac OS X
With these aliases, it will help you to speed up the show or hide hidden files process. You can also create aliases for long commands in Terminal to do any tasks quicker.
Show Hide Mac App
If you have any questions about this show hidden files Mac guide, feel free to ask me by leaving your comment below.