If you use your Mac to record screencasts, present during Zoom meetings, or project to a large audience, a cluttered desktop filled with personal files and screenshots looks unprofessional. While you could create a temporary folder and drag everything into it, there is a much faster way to temporarily make all your desktop icons completely invisible using the Terminal.
How to Hide Your Desktop Icons
This method does not delete any files; it simply tells macOS to stop rendering the Desktop interface.
- Open the Terminal app (found in Applications > Utilities, or by pressing Cmd + Space and searching for it).
- Copy and paste the following exact command into the terminal window:
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false - Press Return.
- For the change to take effect, you must restart the Finder application. Copy and paste this second command:
killall Finder - Press Return.
Your screen will flash briefly as Finder restarts, and every single icon on your desktop will vanish, leaving you with a perfectly clean wallpaper. Your actual files are completely safe; you can still access them by opening a Finder window and clicking on the Desktop folder in the sidebar.
How to Bring Your Icons Back
Once your presentation is over, you can easily restore your desktop to its normal state.
- Open the Terminal app again.
- Paste the following command to re-enable desktop rendering:
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop true - Press Return.
- Restart Finder again by running:
killall Finder
Your icons will instantly reappear exactly where you left them.