How to Hide Photos on Mac

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

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

Hiding does not delete anything. Photos 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 Photos 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 Photos 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 Photos into an encrypted image, so it is gone from all of those places until you bring it back.

Why hide Photos at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Photos is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Photos to simply not appear to exist. Your Photos library is the most personal archive on your Mac, full of family pictures, screenshots, and moments meant for your eyes only.

Why hiding beats Photos'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, Photos is not visible at all, which is often the more discreet choice on a shared Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Does hiding Photos delete it or my data?

No. Hiding only removes Photos 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 Photos in Finder?

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

How to hide Photos on your Mac