Boss key for Mac: every way to hide your screen fast
A boss key is one quick action that makes your screen look like you were working all along. Windows has had apps for it for decades. On a Mac you have a few built-in shortcuts, one free app and KnockKnock. Here is what each one actually hides, what it leaves on screen, and which Mac it needs.
The shortcuts already on your Mac
- ⌘HCommand-H hides the windows of the app you are using. It is instant, but it only covers one app, and whatever was behind it is now in full view.
- ⌥⌘HOption-Command-H hides every other app and keeps the front one on screen. Useful when the app in front is the one you want seen.
- ⌥⌘MOption-Command-M minimises every window of the front app to the Dock, where their thumbnails stay visible.
- fnF11Show the desktop with Command plus Mission Control, Fn-H or Fn-F11, depending on your keyboard. Your windows slide to the edges of the screen, where their edges stay visible.
- Hot Corners in System Settings, under Desktop and Dock, can show the desktop when you push the pointer into a corner of the screen.
They are free and always there. What none of them do: silence a video that is playing, put something believable on screen, or work when your hands are nowhere near the keys. Some full screen apps also refuse to hide.
NothingHere, a free hotkey app
NothingHere is a free, open source menu bar app. One keyboard shortcut, Command-Shift-H by default, hides your windows, mutes system audio and opens a cover document you picked in advance. It needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later and works on any Mac that runs it, desktops included.
If you are happy pressing a shortcut and want to pay nothing, it is a good choice.
KnockKnock: knock instead of reaching for keys
KnockKnock uses the motion sensor built into newer MacBooks. Knock twice anywhere on the base and every window hides, background audio goes silent, and a decoy app of your choice fills the screen. Knock twice again and every window comes back exactly where it was.
- A knock looks like an idle tap on the desk, and your hand is usually already there.
- Typing, clicking and sliding the laptop do not set it off. It calibrates to your Mac in four knocks.
- A triple knock can lock the screen, mute your microphone or sleep the display instead.
- Full screen apps that refuse to hide get covered by your wallpaper, a black screen or an image you choose.
Windows visible
Double click anywhere along the base to knock thereDouble tap anywhere along the base to knock there
It costs $5 once, with no subscription, for up to 3 Macs. Works on MacBooks with M2 or later, or M1 Pro.
Side by side
| Option | What disappears | Mutes audio | How you trigger it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Command-H | The front app | No | Keyboard shortcut | Free |
| Option-Command-H | Every app except the front one | No | Keyboard shortcut | Free |
| Show the desktop | Windows move to the edges | No | Keyboard shortcut or Hot Corner | Free |
| NothingHere | All windows, then a cover document | Yes | Keyboard shortcut | Free, macOS 15 or later |
| KnockKnock | All windows, then your decoy app | Yes | Two knocks on the MacBook | $5 once, supported MacBooks |
Which one should you use
- On a desktop Mac, an Intel Mac or a MacBook with the base M1 chip: use the built-in shortcuts or NothingHere. KnockKnock needs a motion sensor these Macs do not have.
- Happy with a shortcut and want it free: NothingHere.
- Hands off the keyboard, or you would rather not lunge for one when someone walks up: KnockKnock.
Whichever you pick, check your Mac first. Can my Mac knock? takes ten seconds, and KnockKnock sales are final, as the refund policy explains.