macOS
NothingHere
One key press. Clean screen. Zero evidence.
Someone walks up behind you and your screen is… not work-appropriate. NothingHere does three things on one key press — hides every window, mutes system audio, and opens a cover file. Done in milliseconds.
This screen is live — press any key
Guard Mode
Guard Mode lives in your menu bar. When armed, NothingHere watches for any key press and is ready to act instantly. Toggle between armed and disarmed with a single click — the menu bar icon changes to match, so you always know whether you're protected.
App Whitelist
Some apps should stay visible when panic triggers. Add them to the whitelist and they won't be hidden — perfect for keeping your music player, terminal, or messaging app running in plain sight. Combined with Cover Action, you can open an app instead of a file: pick Slack, Xcode, or anything that screams "I'm working."
How it works
- 1
Set your hotkey
Choose any key combination. ⌘⇧H, or whatever feels natural.
- 2
Configure your cover
Pick a file or an app — a spreadsheet, Slack, Xcode, anything that looks like legitimate work.
- 3
Press and relax
One key press hides everything, mutes sound, and opens your cover. Done in milliseconds.
HOTKEY · Try recording one
Click here, then press the combo you want
What it does
- 01
Hide All Windows
Instantly minimizes or hides every visible window across all applications. Your screen goes clean in milliseconds.
- 02
Mute Sound
Mutes all system audio instantly. Music, podcasts, videos — everything goes silent simultaneously.
- 03
Cover Action
Opens a cover file or launches an app — a spreadsheet, Slack, Xcode, or anything that looks like real work.
- 04
Menu Bar Resident
Lives in the menu bar with no Dock icon. Always one key away, never in the way.
- 05
Auto-Update
Built-in updates via Sparkle, so you get fixes without hunting for a download link.
- 06
Free & Open Source
GPL-3.0, developed in the open. Read every line before you trust it with your screen.
Frequently asked questions
What does NothingHere actually do?
On one key press it hides every visible window, mutes system audio, and opens a cover file or app. Three actions, simultaneously, in milliseconds.
What does it cost?
Nothing. It's free and open source under GPL-3.0.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 15.0 or later. It also needs Accessibility permission, which macOS requires for any app that uses a global hotkey and manages other apps' windows.
Why does it need Accessibility permission?
A global hotkey has to be registered system-wide, and hiding other apps' windows means talking to them. macOS gates both behind Accessibility. Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
Is it on the Mac App Store?
No. The app cannot be sandboxed given what it does, so it's distributed directly from GitHub Releases with Sparkle handling updates.
Does it collect any data?
No. There's no analytics, no network calls beyond the update check, and nothing leaves your Mac.
Changelog
All releases →v1.2.0LatestMarch 2026
- App whitelist — whitelisted apps stay visible when panic triggers
- Cover Action can now open an app, not just a document
- Redesigned Cover Action as a single-slot toggle: file and app are mutually exclusive, with a one-tap switch between them
- Fixed spacing in the Accessibility permission pill
v1.1.1March 2026
- Custom logo replaces the app icon across all views
- Menu bar icons redesigned with the custom cat marks
- Menu bar popover rebuilt with new typography and a more compact layout
- Fixed popover background opacity and onboarding card styling
- Fixed the menu bar preview pill gradient, time format, and arrow spacing
v1.1.0February 2026
- Redesigned onboarding — dark theme, animated step transitions, clearer layout throughout
- Fixed the "Open Settings" button on the final onboarding step
- Replaced menu bar SF Symbols with Lucide icons for a consistent look
- Unified icon sizes, button corner radii, and border colors across the app
v1.0.0February 2026
- First release — one key press hides all windows, pauses media, and opens a cover document
- Global hotkey to trigger panic
- Guard Mode — trigger on any key press
- Menu bar resident, no Dock icon
- Auto-update via Sparkle
Why I built this
I built NothingHere because we've all had that moment — someone walks up behind you and your screen is… not work-appropriate.
Maybe it's a YouTube rabbit hole. Maybe it's online shopping. Maybe it's just Reddit at 2pm on a Tuesday.
The frantic ⌘H, ⌘M, scramble-to-click-something dance never works fast enough.
So I built the panic button I always wanted — one key, everything gone, cover story up. Done.
— Bo
Get NothingHere
NothingHere is a macOS utility that hides all windows, mutes sound, and opens a cover file or app with a single key press.