How to Hide Books on Mac

Hide Books so it disappears from the Dock, Launchpad, Spotlight and the Applications folder until you bring it back. Four steps, about a minute.

Hide Books on Mac, step by step

Download Cloak from trycloak.app and open it. Set up Touch ID or a password the first time it asks. There is no account.
Click the plus button under Hidden apps, tick Books, and click Hide.
Check the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight. Books is gone from all of them.
To use Books again, open Cloak, pass Touch ID, and click Unhide. Hide it again when you are done.

Hiding does not delete anything. Books and all its data sit inside an encrypted image on your Mac and come back exactly as they were.

Who this is for

For shared family Macs, where your Books library, history and recommendations are personal even if they are not secret.

What macOS can't do on its own

macOS cannot hide an app. You can drag Books off the Dock, but it still shows in Launchpad, in Spotlight and in the Applications folder, and its notifications still show its name. Cloak moves Books into an encrypted image, so it is gone from all of those places until you bring it back.

Why hide Books at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Books is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Books to simply not appear to exist. Apple Books knows exactly what you read and highlight, a personal library that can feel uncomfortably revealing to share.

Why hiding beats Books's own settings

These apps rarely offer any privacy lock of their own, because they are not designed around secrecy. Putting a Mac-level lock in front means your library stays private even though the app itself never had a password. Hiding goes one step further than locking: instead of showing a locked door, Books is not visible at all, which is often the more discreet choice on a shared Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Does hiding Books delete it or my data?

No. Hiding only removes Books from view. The app and all of its data are kept inside an encrypted image on your Mac, and everything returns the moment you unhide it.

Can someone still find Books in Finder?

No. Cloak moves Books into an encrypted image, so it is not in the Applications folder, Launchpad or Spotlight. Without your Touch ID or password the image cannot be opened.

Will hidden Books still receive messages or updates in the background?

No. A hidden app is not running, so it cannot show notifications or update itself until you unhide it. Cloak asks Books to quit before hiding it, so you will not lose unsaved work.

How to hide Books on your Mac