How to Hide Terminal on Mac

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

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

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

Why hide Terminal at all

Locking an app stops people opening it, but the icon and notifications still announce that Terminal is on your Mac. Sometimes you want the opposite: for Terminal to simply not appear to exist. Terminal can run powerful commands and exposes your shell history, making it risky to leave open on a shared or work machine.

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

Frequently asked questions

Does hiding Terminal delete it or my data?

No. Hiding only removes Terminal 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 Terminal in Finder?

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

How to hide Terminal on your Mac