I was prepping for a quarterly review call last month, screen-sharing my desktop to walk through some architectural diagrams. As I dragged the presentation window into view, I caught a glimpse of my desktop: a jumble of screenshots, temporary download files, and half-finished documents. It wasn’t disastrous, but it certainly wasn’t the polished, focused environment I wanted to present. That visual clutter, even for a moment, detracts from professionalism and frankly, from my own ability to focus when I’m not presenting.
Why not just clean up or use a different desktop?
You might think, “Just clean your desktop, old man,” and usually, I do keep things tidy. But sometimes, especially during intense project phases, the desktop becomes a transient holding area for things I’m actively working on – quick notes, code snippets, reference images. Manually moving everything into a folder before a call and then moving it back feels like a waste of time, a chore that breaks flow. And switching to an entirely separate user account or another display isn’t always practical, especially if I need to quickly reference something I just saved to the desktop.
The standard solutions often feel like workarounds. There are third-party utilities that can hide icons, but I’m generally wary of adding another layer of software for something macOS should be able to handle natively. Extra processes consume resources, introduce potential compatibility issues down the line, and frankly, I prefer system-level solutions when they exist and are robust. This is where macOS Focus Modes became genuinely useful to me. It’s built right in, works reliably, and doesn’t require any extra fuss or background applications.
How to set up Focus Mode to hide desktop icons
Here’s how I’ve set this up on my machine. It’s pretty straightforward once you know where to look.
- First, open System Settings. On older macOS versions, this would be System Preferences. You can find it in your Dock, Applications folder, or via Spotlight (Command + Space and type “System Settings”).
- In the sidebar, click on Focus.
- Now, you have a couple of choices. You can either modify an existing Focus Mode you use regularly (like “Work” or “Personal”), or you can create a new one specifically for situations where you need a clean desktop. For a presentation or deep work, I find it cleaner to have a dedicated mode. Click the + button at the bottom of the Focus list and choose Custom.
- Give your new Focus a name, something like “Presentation Mode” or “Zen Desktop”. Pick an icon and a color; this is just for visual flair in the Control Center. Click Customize Focus.
- You’ll now be in the customization screen for your new Focus. You can configure things like allowed notifications from specific people or apps, but the key part for hiding desktop icons isn’t under those sections. Scroll down a bit to find Focus Filters.
- Under Focus Filters, click the + button to add a new filter.
- A pane will slide out. You’ll see an option for Desktop & Dock. Select it.
- Inside the Desktop & Dock filter, there will be a toggle labeled Hide Desktop Items. Make sure this is switched On. This is the crucial bit.
- Once that’s done, you can click Done at the bottom to save your filter.
- (Optional) You can also set up schedules or automations for this Focus Mode under “Turn On Automatically.” For example, I might have “Presentation Mode” activate when I open my screen-sharing app, or “Zen Desktop” turn on during my daily deep-work block. For impromptu needs, though, I just activate it manually.
Activating and Deactivating Your Focus Mode
To use your new Focus Mode:
- Open Control Center from the menu bar (it’s the icon with two sliders, usually next to Siri).
- Click on the Focus section.
- From the list, click on your newly created Focus Mode (e.g., “Presentation Mode”). Your desktop icons should disappear instantly.
- When you’re done, simply open Control Center again, click Focus, and then click on the active Focus Mode to turn it off. Your desktop icons will reappear exactly where they were.
Things people often get wrong
I made a small but irritating mistake the first time I set this up. I went through steps 1-7, created the Focus Mode, added the “Desktop & Dock” filter, and then eagerly activated my new “Presentation Mode.” Nothing happened. My desktop was still a mess.
I spent a good minute or two clicking around, wondering why it wasn’t working. It wasn’t until I went back into the Focus Filters for that specific mode that I saw it: I had added the “Desktop & Dock” filter, but I hadn’t actually *toggled on* the “Hide Desktop Items” switch *within* that filter. It’s a two-step process: add the filter, then activate the specific hiding function inside it. Easy to overlook when you’re just clicking through.
Another common oversight I’ve seen is that this setting is an all-or-nothing deal for desktop icons. You can’t selectively hide certain icons and keep others visible. It’s either all icons or no icons. If you need some files visible during a presentation but not others, you’d be better off moving the temporary files into a folder beforehand, or using a separate folder as your “active work” area and keeping your desktop clean by default.
Also, don’t confuse this with hiding all windows or applications. This specific Focus Filter only affects the visibility of items directly on your desktop canvas. Your open Finder windows, browser tabs, and applications are unaffected, unless you’ve configured other Focus Mode settings to manage notifications or app behavior.
Finally, if you’ve set up automation, make sure it’s working as expected. Sometimes, an application-based trigger might not fire if the app isn’t explicitly launched in a certain way, or a schedule might be off by a minute or two. Always double-check it manually once or twice.
Ultimately, a clear desktop contributes to a clear mind, especially when you need it most.
