iUseApple

Cluttered Desktop? Hide Applications

Multitasking is just a new word for not paying attention. Sometimes I want a simple solution to clean up my computer and focus on one open window. This makes me extremely more productive. There are some applications I can download that are perfect for this problem. I wrote a blog post about making a Distraction Free Mac. But I don’t need a bunch of fancy applications to do this. Apple already thought of the concept of hiding applications.

If I have multiple windows from different applications open, I can Select Hide Others from the Application’s drop down menu in the menu bar. Or I can do this with a keyboard shortcut, by pressing Shift + Cmd + H. This will hide all the other open applications and just leave the window on top. So, if Safari is the front most application, select Safari -> Hide Others from the drop down menu at the top of the screen.

Alternatively, I can hide the current open application in the foreground and reveal the application behind it. Select Hide (the application’s name) from the Application drop down menu in the menu bar. So, if Safari is the front most application, then select Safari -> Hide Safari to hide Safari. Or I can use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + H