# How to hide Finder on your Mac

Hide Finder on your Mac so it disappears from the Dock, Launchpad, and Spotlight. A quick step-by-step guide using Cloak.

Updated: 2026-09-10. Source: https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-finder-on-mac/

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

## Hide Finder on Mac, step by step

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

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

## Who this is for

For anyone who lets other people use their Mac. Finder reaches files and settings well beyond itself, so hiding it protects more than one app.

## What macOS can't do on its own

macOS cannot hide an app. You can drag Finder 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 Finder into an encrypted image, so it is gone from all of those places until you bring it back.

## Why hide Finder at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Finder is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Finder to simply not appear to exist. Finder is the front door to every file on your Mac, from tax documents to private downloads sitting one folder away.

## Why hiding beats Finder's own settings

System and developer apps almost never ship with their own lock, and the ones that do are easy to bypass. A Mac-level lock from Cloak treats the app like a vault: it will not open without Touch ID, no matter how someone tries to launch it. Hiding goes one step further than locking: instead of showing a locked door, Finder is not visible at all, which is often the more discreet choice on a shared Mac.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does hiding Finder delete it or my data?

No. Hiding only removes Finder 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 Finder in Finder?

No. Cloak moves Finder 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 Finder 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 Finder to quit before hiding it, so you will not lose unsaved work.

## Related app guides

[Hide Terminal on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-terminal-on-mac/)[Hide Hidden Vault on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-hidden-vault-on-mac/)[Hide WhatsApp on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-whatsapp-on-mac/)[Hide Telegram on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-telegram-on-mac/)

## Keep reading

[How to lock apps on your Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/how-to-lock-apps-on-mac/)[How to hide apps on your Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/how-to-hide-apps-on-mac/)

---
Cloak locks, hides and encrypts apps, folders and files on your Mac. One-time purchase, no account. https://trycloak.app/