Hiding Folder Icons on just one Space

Question

Hiding Folder Icons on just one Space

I use 5 Spaces on my M4 Mac Studio, flicking between them for different apps. Is there a way to hide my folder Icons on just one Space? So that I can share my screen and a video over Zoom without any attendees seeing my folders?

Alternatively, if there is only a way to hide them on all my Spaces, but quickly re-appear them when my screen share is done, that could also work. One website recommended selecting the folders I want to hide, then holding down Shift+Command and the period (.) key. That didn't work.

I'm running Sonoma 14.5. Any help, thanks!

Mac Studio, macOS 14.5

Posted on Jan 28, 2025 7:26 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 29, 2025 2:15 AM in response to Rhythm Earthsong

The folders appear on the desktop because Finder is running.

One easy way to not have them displayed is to quit Finder.

Despite many users probably feeling like the Finder "is" macOS, somehow, as it happens Finder is just an application like any other. It can be launched again very quickly using Spotlight (or the Dock, if that is your preference; or even... Launchpad, or Terminal!).

If you still want or need Finder to be running, but just not in one Desktop, that can be arranged too. By default, Finder shows on All Desktops, but this is a setting you can change.

Press and hold the Finder icon in the Dock, and choose Options->Assign To->None.

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Answer 2

Jan 29, 2025 10:26 AM in response to Rhythm Earthsong

Be aware that if Finder is already running in some Desktop, changing to None does nothing.

This only affects the future - and you can, even then, move windows around to other desktops.

For example, you have Finder present in Desktop 1 and 2, and set it to None. It will still be in 1 and 2.

Try setting to None, then quit Finder, go to some Desktop - say, Desktop 1 - and launch Finder again. It will only be there.

Wait... one other thing that has an impact: there is this setting in System Settings->Desktop & Dock->Mission Control. You want this to be ON.

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Answer 3

Jan 29, 2025 10:09 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks Luis, but your instructions are not working:

"Press and hold the Finder icon in the Dock, and choose Options->Assign To->None."

When I press and hold and choose options->assign to, None is already what's checked off...yet all desktop folders are still visible. The other two options are All Desktops and This Desktop, but choosing them similarly does nothing to hide the desktop folder.

If I choose the Hide option at the bottom of the menu, Finder seems to go off, but folders are still visible, and simply clicking in any blank space on any of my Desktops immediately shows Finder again, in the top menu bar.

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Answer 4

Jan 30, 2025 11:33 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Sorry Luis, perhaps I'm not understanding you.

Mission Control is ON, buttons all ON

Try setting to None, then quit Finder, go to some Desktop - say, Desktop 1 - and launch Finder again. It will only be there.

I don't see any way to quit Finder. There is no QUIT option in Finder's drop down menus in the toolbar, only Hide Finder and Hide Others.

Aside from that, I have followed your instructions, but Finder and Folders still visible in every Space/Desktop

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Answer 5

Jan 30, 2025 11:43 AM in response to Rhythm Earthsong

I see it here:

Wait... maybe I set this with a hidden preference years ago and it's normal for me...

Yes, that's it, sorry. You can do these two lines in Terminal to add Quit to the Finder menu.

Replace YES with NO to remove Quit from the menu.

defaults write com. apple.finder QuitMenuItem -bool YES
killall Finder

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