# How to hide Notes on your Mac

Hide Notes 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-notes-on-mac/

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

## Hide Notes 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 Notes, and click Hide.
3. Check the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight. Notes is gone from all of them.
4. To use Notes again, open Cloak, pass Touch ID, and click Unhide. Hide it again when you are done.

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

## Who this is for

For freelancers and employees who keep client or company material in Notes on a Mac that family or visitors also use.

## What macOS can't do on its own

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

## Why hide Notes at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Notes is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Notes to simply not appear to exist. The Notes app is where most people keep passwords, account numbers, and half-finished personal thoughts they never meant to share.

## Why hiding beats Notes's own settings

A workspace tool might log you out after hours of inactivity, but that does nothing for the laptop you stepped away from for two minutes. A Mac-level lock is instant and applies the moment the app is launched, regardless of any in-app session. Hiding goes one step further than locking: instead of showing a locked door, Notes is not visible at all, which is often the more discreet choice on a shared Mac.

## Frequently asked questions

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

No. Hiding only removes Notes 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 Notes in Finder?

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

## Related app guides

[Hide Slack on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-slack-on-mac/)[Hide Mail on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-mail-on-mac/)[Hide Notion on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-notion-on-mac/)[Hide Obsidian on Mac](https://trycloak.app/blog/guides/hide-obsidian-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/)

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