Welcome to Bare.

Look for Bare.dmg in Downloads. Try the download again.

  1. 1. Open

    Open Bare.dmg from your Downloads folder.

  2. 2. Install

    Drag Bare into the Applications folder.

  3. 3. Launch

    Open Bare from Applications. Look for the eye in your menu bar.

Your first clean Desktop.

Allow access to your Desktop folder when macOS asks. Click the eye to hide your icons. Click again to bring them back.

Double-click or right-click the eye for options, including which types to hide and your own keyboard shortcut.

A little help

No file in Downloads?

Check your browser’s downloads for a paused or failed transfer, then use the download link above to try again.

Bare will not open?

Bare needs macOS 13 or later. Drag it into Applications and open it from there. If it still will not open, include the message you see when reporting an issue.

How do I get my icons back?

Click the eye again. Bare also shows everything when you quit it, unless you turn that option off. Your files stay in the Desktop folder the whole time.

Bare
Download

Hide your Desktop icons
in one click.

Bare puts an eye in your menu bar. Click it and the folders, files and screenshots on your Desktop disappear. Click again and every one of them is back where you left it.

Download for macOSView the source

Free and open source · Notarized by Apple · macOS 13 or later

The same Mac Desktop with every icon hidden by Bare
A real Mac Desktop covered in folders, files and screenshots
After · one clickBefore · 46 items

A real Desktop. Drag the divider, or click the eye.

Why it costs nothing

Windows does this in two clicks. Your Mac should too.

  1. Right-click
  2. View
  3. Show desktop icons

I tried three Mac apps that hide Desktop icons. All three wanted money before they would hide a single one.

So I built Bare and gave it away. Every feature is in the download you get today, and the code is on GitHub under the MIT license. Read it, change it, or build it yourself.

Orlando Ascanio, who made Bare

You choose what goes

Hide everything, or just the clutter.

Keep your project folders and lose last week’s 40 screenshots. Bare sorts the Desktop by type and shows how many of each you have.

  • Folders
  • Screenshots
  • Photos
  • Videos & audio
  • Documents
  • Archives & DMGs
  • Apps & aliases
  • Disks & servers

Small app. Thought through.

Click to hide, double-click for options

One click on the eye clears the Desktop. A double-click or right-click opens the menu with every setting.

Your own shortcut

Record any key combination and hide or show the Desktop from whatever app you’re in.

New screenshots stay hidden

Take a screenshot or save a download while the Desktop is hidden, and it hides as soon as it lands.

Your files stay put

Bare sets the hidden flag macOS already uses. Files are never moved, renamed or deleted, and they still open from Finder and Spotlight.

Ready when your Mac is

Turn on launch at login and the Desktop is clean from the first minute of the day.

Questions

Is Bare really free?

Yes. There is one version, it has every feature, and it costs nothing. The source code is MIT licensed on GitHub.

Does it move or delete my files?

No. Bare sets the standard macOS hidden flag on Desktop items, the same one chflags hidden sets. Your files stay in the Desktop folder and open normally.

Will macOS let me open it?

Yes. Bare is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens like any app from the web. It asks for one permission: access to your Desktop folder.

How do I get my icons back?

Click the eye again. Bare also shows everything when you quit it, unless you turn that option off.

Does it collect any data?

No. Bare has no analytics and never connects to the internet. Its settings live on your Mac.

Which Macs does it support?

Any Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple silicon or Intel.

Clear your Desktop in the next minute.

Download Bare, click the eye, and that’s it.

Download for macOSView the source

Free and open source · Notarized by Apple · macOS 13 or later