# The best apps to clean up your Mac for screen recording Canonical page: https://leversmac.com/best-apps-to-clean-up-your-mac-for-screen-recording > Nine Mac apps that hide desktop icons, the Dock, apps, notifications and menu bar icons before you record or share your screen, compared on what they hide, price, and whether they put things back. Checked 24 October 2026. Nine apps that hide your desktop, Dock, other apps, notifications and menu bar icons before you record or share your screen, compared on what they hide, what they cost, and whether they put it all back. We make Levers, so it’s first here. Everything about the other apps was checked on 24 October 2026 on its maker’s site, Mac App Store listing or GitHub page. - [Levers](#levers) if you want one click that clears the desktop, apps, Dock, menu bar and notifications, and puts every one of them back afterwards. - [Stealthly](#stealthly) if you want the cleanup to start by itself the moment you share your screen. - [CleanShot X](#cleanshot-x) if you already record with it and only need the desktop hidden. - [OnlySwitch](#onlyswitch) if you want switches for free and don’t mind flipping them one at a time. - [Nothing at all](#built-in) if you share rarely: macOS can do most of it by hand. ## What each one hides A dash means the maker doesn’t offer it or doesn’t list it. Each app’s notes below say more. | App | Price | Desktop icons | Other apps | Dock | Menu bar icons | Notifications | Backdrop | Keep awake | Starts by itself | Puts it back | | ----------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Levers](#levers) | $5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Yes | | [Stealthly](#stealthly) | $12.99 | Yes | Yes | Partly: Direct version only | Yes | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Partly: Direct version only | Partly: Wallpaper, desktop, widgets and menu bar icons; windows come back as you use those apps | | [CleanShot X](#cleanshot-x) | $35 | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes: While CleanShot records | ? Not stated | | [Desktop Curtain](#desktop-curtain) | $5 | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Partly: In the mode that covers everything | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | n/a Doesn’t apply: It draws a cover and changes no settings | | [Theine](#theine) | $8.99 | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Yes | Not offered or not listed | ? Not stated | | [One Switch](#one-switch) | $4.99 | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | ? Not stated | | [OnlySwitch](#onlyswitch) | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | ? Not stated | | [Bartender](#bartender) | $20 | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | n/a Doesn’t apply: It shows and hides menu bar icons only | | [Lungo](#lungo) | $4 | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Not offered or not listed | Yes | Not offered or not listed | n/a Doesn’t apply: It keeps the Mac awake and changes nothing else | Yes Partly Not offered or not listed ? Not stated n/a Doesn’t apply Lowest price, in US dollars ## 1. Levers Fore Studio (us) Best for one click that clears everything and puts it all back - Price $5 for 1 Mac, $9 for 3, $29 for 10, one-time (launch prices) - Needs macOS 15 or later - Clears Desktop icons, other apps, Dock, chosen menu bar icons; backdrop behind the front app; Do Not Disturb, keep awake, alert sounds - Puts back Yes, everything it changed, in reverse; also after a crash or restart Good - Recording Mode does the whole cleanup in one click, a hotkey, Siri or a shortcut, with an optional countdown and time limit. - Writes each change down first, so a quit or restart mid-recording is undone at the next launch. - Fifteen everyday switches in the same dropdown, and menu bar icons on three shelves. Less good - Doesn’t start by itself when screen sharing begins; you start it. - No free trial; a 14-day refund instead. ## 2. Stealthly Peter Benko [stealthly.app](https://stealthly.app/) Best for cleanup that starts by itself when you share or record - Price $12.99 one-time, direct or Mac App Store - Needs macOS 14 or later - Clears Notifications (Do Not Disturb), other apps’ windows, wallpaper and desktop icons, menu bar icons; the Dock in the direct version - Puts back Wallpaper, desktop icons, widgets and menu bar icons, per its site; hidden windows come back when you use those apps again Good - The direct version can turn itself on when screen sharing or recording starts, when chosen apps open, or on a schedule. - A 14-day trial. Less good - Hiding the Dock and starting automatically are in the direct version only. - No backdrop behind the front app, keep awake or muting of alert sounds listed. ## 3. CleanShot X MTW [cleanshot.com](https://cleanshot.com/) Best for people who already record with CleanShot - Price Basic $35 one-time with a year of updates; Pro $10 per user a month, billed yearly - Needs macOS 13 or later - Clears Desktop icons and widgets; turns on Do Not Disturb while recording - Puts back Not stated Good - A full screenshot and screen recording app; the cleanup comes along with it. - Can hide desktop clutter and turn on Do Not Disturb while it records. Less good - Doesn’t hide the Dock, other apps or menu bar icons. - Worth it for the recording, not for the cleanup alone. ## 4. Desktop Curtain Many Tricks [manytricks.com](https://manytricks.com/desktopcurtain) Best for a simple backdrop behind the app you show - Price $5 direct, $4.99 on the Mac App Store - Needs macOS 10.13 or later - Clears Covers desktop icons and widgets with a picture or a color, behind the front app or window - Puts back Nothing to put back: it draws a cover and changes no settings Good - Long-standing and focused; hotkeys, and an optional mode that covers everything, the Dock included. Less good - Doesn’t hide menu bar icons or turn on Do Not Disturb. - Its site says it can’t draw behind the translucent menu bar on recent macOS. ## 5. Theine App ahead [apps.apple.com](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/theine/id955848755) Best for keep awake with a desktop cover - Price $8.99 on the Mac App Store - Needs macOS 15.6 or later - Clears Covers desktop icons and widgets with a picture, blur or color; dims what’s behind the active window - Puts back Not stated Good - Keeps the Mac awake and covers the desktop from one menu bar app, pitched for screen sharing and recordings. Less good - Doesn’t hide the Dock, other apps or menu bar icons. ## 6. One Switch Fireball Studio [fireball.studio](https://fireball.studio/oneswitch) Best for an inexpensive set of switches - Price $4.99 for 1 Mac, $7.99 for 2, $16.99 for 5, lifetime with free updates; also on Setapp - Needs macOS 12 or later - Clears Desktop icons, Dark Mode, keep awake, screen saver, AirPods and Do Not Disturb, among its switches - Puts back Not stated; no one-click cleanup listed Good - Cheap and lifetime, with a 7-day trial. Less good - Switches one at a time; no single cleanup that undoes itself. ## 7. OnlySwitch Jacklandrin (open source) [github.com](https://github.com/jacklandrin/OnlySwitch) Best for the most switches, free - Price Free, open source (MIT) - Needs macOS 14 or later - Clears Among 40-odd switches: hide desktop, autohide Dock and menu bar, hide menu bar icons, hide windows, keep awake, mute mic - Puts back Not stated; no one-click cleanup listed Good - Free, open source and very actively updated. Less good - Switches one at a time; no Do Not Disturb switch by name. ## 8. Bartender Applause Group [macbartender.com](https://www.macbartender.com/) Best for deep control of menu bar icons - Price Bartender 6: $20 one-time; Pro: $15 a year; 4-week trial - Needs macOS 14 or later - Clears Menu bar icons only - Puts back Not applicable: it shows and hides menu bar icons only Good - Triggers, Shortcuts, AppleScript and Siri for showing and hiding menu bar icons. Less good - Menu bar only. Hidden Bar is a free, simpler option for the same job. ## 9. Lungo Sindre Sorhus [apps.apple.com](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lungo/id1263070803) Best for keeping the Mac awake, and nothing else - Price $4 one-time on the Mac App Store; also on Setapp - Needs macOS 26 or later - Clears Nothing; keeps the Mac and screen awake - Puts back Not applicable Good - Small, current and well made. Less good - Keep awake only. Amphetamine is free with more triggers but hasn’t been updated since November 2023. ## What macOS already does If you share your screen once in a while, these built-in settings cover most of it. They are separate switches, and you have to remember to turn each one back. Hide desktop items System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Show Items: turn off On Desktop. Widgets have a setting of their own there. Hide the Dock System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Automatically hide and show the Dock. Hide the menu bar Turn on Automatically hide and show the menu bar in System Settings. Notifications while sharing System Settings › Notifications has a setting for notifications while mirroring or sharing the display. Hide other apps Press Option-Command-H in the app you want to keep. Keep the Mac awake The caffeinate command in Terminal. ## Questions ### How do I hide desktop icons on a Mac before I record? Open System Settings › Desktop & Dock and, under Show Items, turn off On Desktop; widgets have a setting of their own there. Turn it back on when you’re done. Levers, Stealthly, CleanShot X, Desktop Curtain, Theine, One Switch and OnlySwitch can do it for you. ### How do I stop notifications while I share my screen? System Settings › Notifications has a setting for notifications while you mirror or share the display; turn it off, or turn on Do Not Disturb in Control Center. Levers, Stealthly, CleanShot X and One Switch can turn on Do Not Disturb for you. ### Is there an app that hides everything at once? Levers and Stealthly both hide the desktop, other apps, menu bar icons and notifications in one go. Levers also hides the Dock, puts a backdrop behind the app you show and keeps the Mac awake. Stealthly can start by itself when you share your screen, in its direct version. ### Do these apps put everything back afterwards? Levers writes each change down first and undoes all of them in reverse when you stop, even after a crash or a restart. Stealthly brings back the wallpaper, desktop icons, widgets and menu bar icons, and hidden windows return as you use those apps. The other makers don’t say, or their app changes nothing that needs putting back. ## How we chose We looked for Mac apps that clear what viewers shouldn’t see during a recording, a presentation or a video call, and that are sold or updated today. For each we read the maker’s own site or store listing; where a maker doesn’t say something, such as whether its cleanup is undone afterwards, we wrote “Not stated” rather than guess. Prices are in US dollars and can change, so check the maker’s site before you buy. We left out apps with no update in several years, such as Muzzle (last update June 2021) and HiddenMe (October 2022). We make Levers, so we put it first; everything said about it here is true of the version on sale. If something on this page is out of date, email and we’ll correct it.