How to Hide Signal on Mac

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

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

Hiding does not delete anything. Signal 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 shares a Mac with a partner, housemates or kids, or leaves a work laptop open on a desk. If someone else can sit at your Mac, they can read your Signal chats.

What macOS can't do on its own

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

Why hide Signal at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Signal is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Signal to simply not appear to exist. Signal is built for private messaging, but its desktop app has no lock of its own, leaving disappearing messages visible until they actually disappear.

Why hiding beats Signal's own settings

Most messaging apps offer at best a screen-lock buried in settings that resets when you reopen the desktop client, and many offer nothing at all on macOS. A Mac-level lock from Cloak sits in front of the app every time it launches and cannot be skipped by simply quitting and reopening it. Hiding goes one step further than locking: instead of showing a locked door, Signal is not visible at all, which is often the more discreet choice on a shared Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Does hiding Signal delete it or my data?

No. Hiding only removes Signal 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 Signal in Finder?

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

How to hide Signal on your Mac