macOS is a very secure operating system by default. Unless you’re visiting shady websites or opening unverified links, the chances of someone hacking your system to gain access to your personal file are very low. However, just because macOS is difficult to attack remotely doesn’t mean it’s impossible to physically access your files. The problem is exacerbated if you tend to use a shared system that is shared between family members or coworkers. Fortunately, there are some steps to hide your personal files or folders that no one can access, even if someone has access to your machine. In this article, I will show you how you can protect your personal files by storing them in macOS:
Hide a File or Folder in macOS Mojave
1. Hiding a File or Folder Using Terminal Commands
The Terminal app on your Macs gives you access to a number of cool and hidden features that are not possible otherwise. One of these hidden features you can access using Terminal is the ability to hide a file or folder in macOS. It’s very easy to do.
- First start the Terminal app and then write the code below.
chflags hidden
2. Don’t Forget leave a space after typing the above code. Now drag and drop the file or folder you want to hide.
3. When its path appears in the terminal as shown in the image below, press enter/return to hide the file. Also, copy and paste the file path if you can’t remember it, as you will need to point to the folder.
4. When you need to show the folder, Just replace the word “hidden” with “nohidden” in Terminal press enter while keeping the rest of the command the same. Your file will now be displayed automatically.
Hide Using Third-Party Apps
If you don’t want to mess with the terminal and want a simple and easy way to hide your files that are not only hidden from view but also require a password to access, you should use a third-party app. Personally, my favorite app for doing this is Hider 2 ($19.99) because I have been using this app for several years and it has never failed me.
The app may seem a bit pricey at first, but if you have really sensitive files that need to be protected, this is the best app you can get. So the app not only hides your files but also it also protects them inside a password protected vault using AES-256 bit encryption which is almost impossible to break. While the app will guide you through the installation process, I’ll show you how to install it:
- Launch the application and click next until you reach the screen shown below.
2. Here, create your secure password that will be used to unlock the safe and Click “Create Vault”.
3. From the drop-down menu that appears after clicking the button, select the folder where you want your vault to be located. For the purposes of this article, I’ll stick with the default option.
4. Now all you have to do is drag and drop the folders and files you want to hide. After dragging all the folders inside Hider 2, simply close the application; it will lock itself.
Launch Hider 2 and enter your password to access your hidden folders. After that, double-click on the file or folder you want to open, or click the “Show All” button at the bottom.
SEE ALSO: Right Click Using Keyboard on Mac
Hide and Protect Your Personal Files on Mac
You can easily protect your personal files from prying eyes using the above two methods. If you’re price conscious and don’t have many files to store, the first option is fine for you. However, if you are dealing with a lot of files and you want to not only hide them but also encrypt them, you should choose the second option.
