# How to lock Finder on your Mac

Lock Finder on your Mac behind Touch ID in under a minute. A simple, step-by-step guide to keeping Finder private with Cloak.

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

Lock Finder so it will not open without Touch ID or your password. Four steps, about a minute.

## Lock 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 Locked apps, tick Finder, and click Lock.
3. Quit Finder if it is open.
4. Open Finder again. Cloak now asks for Touch ID before it will launch.

Your Mac password works as a fallback by default. If other people know that password, open Cloak's Settings, turn off "Let my Mac password unlock Cloak", and set a Cloak password instead.

## Who this is for

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

## What Screen Time can't do

Apple has no way to lock a single app on a Mac. The closest thing is Screen Time, which puts a daily time limit on Finder. A limit is not a lock. Finder opens normally until the time runs out, the Screen Time passcode is four digits, and anyone who knows it can click Ignore Limit for the rest of the day. It was built to manage screen time, not privacy. Cloak asks for Touch ID or your password every single time Finder opens.

## Why lock Finder at all

Finder is the front door to every file on your Mac, from tax documents to private downloads sitting one folder away. Because casual access here reaches far past this one app into the files and settings behind it, Finder is exactly the kind of app worth putting behind Touch ID.

## Why a Mac-level lock 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.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does locking Finder with Cloak slow it down?

No. Cloak only steps in at launch to ask for Touch ID. Once Finder is unlocked it runs exactly as it normally would, with no background overhead.

### Will I still get Finder notifications while it is locked?

Notification behaviour is controlled by macOS, not by Cloak. If you want Finder alerts hidden too, pair the lock with hiding the app, or turn off previews for Finder in System Settings under Notifications.

### What happens if Touch ID is not available?

By default Cloak offers your Mac login password as a fallback, so you can still open Finder on a Mac without a Touch ID sensor or if your finger is not recognised. If other people know your Mac password, you can turn that fallback off and use a separate Cloak password instead.

### Can I lock Finder with Screen Time instead?

Screen Time sets a time limit, not a lock. Finder opens normally until the limit is reached, and the limit can be ignored for the day by anyone who knows the four-digit passcode. Cloak asks for Touch ID every time.

## Related app guides

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

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