Reduce distractions on Mac

Tidying up your desktop is easy when you have the DeskMat app

-  IAN OSBORNE

REQUIRES

macOS 15 or later, DeskMat ($3.99, eternalstorms.at)

YOU WILL LEARN

To hide desktop icons and covering your desktop with images

IT WILL TAKE

5 minutes

AS YOU WORK and play on your Mac, the desktop inevitably fills up with files and folders. It’s no great problem (although we should be filing as we go!), but there are times when you want a clean desktop with no distractions. When you’re making a tutorial video, for example, or showing your desktop during a video call or for screen sharing. Or when you’re taking screenshots for sharing with others. If the desktop isn’t clean, the boss rejects them and makes you do them again!

With DeskMat, you can clean up your desktop in an instant, without moving files and folders and then forgetting where you put them. It works by placing a new image over the top of your current desktop and its icons, covering them up. You can use your current wallpaper, a solid color, custom image or blur mask. Activating DeskMat is as simple as clicking a button, which can be placed on the desktop or in the menu bar. You can also have it activate automatically when an app is running.

1 Explore the settings

The DeskMat app is extremely configurable in several different ways. You can set it up however you like. Launch the app, and open its Settings by Ctrl-clicking on the DeskMat button and choosing the Settings option.