
## You have a call in 2 minutes and your desktop looks like a crime scene

We've all been there. You're about to share your screen and you notice Resume_FINAL_v3.pdf sitting right next to vacation photos and some meme your friend sent you at 1am.

Not great.

Let me walk you through how to hide desktop icons on both Mac and Windows. I'll show you the manual way, and then what I actually do.

## Hiding icons on Mac

### Terminal method

Open Terminal and run:
```
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop false
```
Then:
```
killall Finder
```
Icons gone. To bring them back, swap `false` for `true` and run both again.

Works fine. But nobody is opening Terminal before a Zoom call. Let's be real.

### The drag-into-a-folder method

Select everything, right-click, move to a folder. Now you have to move them all back later. And you'll forget where half of them went.

## Hiding icons on Windows 10 and 11

Right-click desktop. Go to View. Uncheck "Show desktop icons."

That's actually pretty easy. But your wallpaper is still that beach photo. Notifications are still popping up. Apps are still open everywhere. Icons are only one piece of the problem.

## What I actually do

I got tired of doing 5 separate things before every call, so I built [QuickPresent](/).

Press one button:
- Icons hidden
- Apps minimized
- Wallpaper swapped
- Audio muted
- Notifications blocked

Call ends, press again. Everything back.

Works on Mac and Windows. Free trial, takes 30 seconds to set up.

## When do you even need this?

Anytime someone else can see your screen. Zoom calls, Loom recordings, client demos, plugging your laptop into a projector. Basically if you screen share more than once a week, your desktop should be ready for it.

## Quick comparison

| Method | Time | Icons | Apps | Audio | Notifications |
|--------|------|-------|------|-------|---------------|
| Mac Terminal | 30 sec | Yes | No | No | No |
| Windows right-click | 5 sec | Yes | No | No | No |
| QuickPresent | 1 sec | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

If you only need to hide icons occasionally, the built-in way is fine. If you're sharing your screen daily, you need something better.

[Download QuickPresent →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting](/blog/how-to-turn-off-notifications-before-meeting)
- [How to Change Your Wallpaper Automatically for Presentations](/blog/change-wallpaper-automatically-presentations)
- [Zoom Meeting Etiquette: The Complete Guide](/blog/zoom-meeting-etiquette-guide)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Your desktop is a mess and you have a call in 2 minutes. Here's how to hide desktop icons on Mac and Windows fast.

How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac and Windows (2025)


## That iMessage notification during your client call

You're presenting to a client. Screen shared. Everything going great. Then a notification slides in from your group chat. Or worse, your mom texts something you really don't want your boss reading.

It happens more often than anyone admits. And it's completely avoidable.

## Mac: turning on Do Not Disturb

Click Control Center (top right of your menu bar), click Focus, turn on Do Not Disturb. Or hold Option and click the date in your menu bar.

That blocks most notifications. But here's the thing. It doesn't touch your desktop icons. Doesn't minimize your apps. Doesn't swap your wallpaper. You're still half-exposed.

You can schedule DND in System Settings too, but that only works if all your meetings happen at the same time every day. They don't.

## Windows: Focus Assist

On Windows 10, click the Action Center icon, click Focus Assist, pick Alarms Only. On Windows 11, go to Settings, System, Notifications, toggle Do Not Disturb.

Same limitation though. Notifications are handled but everything else on your screen is still visible.

## Notifications are only 20% of the problem

When you share your screen, people see everything. Your messy desktop. Your personal wallpaper. Slack messages in the background. A YouTube tab that randomly starts playing.

Blocking notifications is good. It's not enough.

## What I do instead

I built [QuickPresent](/) because I was tired of this exact problem. One button:

- Blocks everything. iMessage, Slack, email, all of it.
- Hides desktop icons
- Minimizes open apps
- Changes wallpaper to something neutral
- Mutes system audio

Meeting ends, press again, everything comes back.

## Some habits that help regardless

Close WhatsApp and Telegram before calls. Not just minimized. Closed.

Use a separate browser profile for work. Keeps your personal bookmarks and history out of sight.

Set your Slack status to "In a meeting" so people message you less during the call.

Turn off email desktop notifications permanently. Honestly, you don't need them. Check email on your own schedule.

## Why this actually matters

A notification leak during a client call can make you look sloppy. It can share info you didn't mean to share. It distracts everyone on the call. All preventable with like 1 second of prep.

[Try QuickPresent free →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac and Windows](/blog/how-to-hide-desktop-icons-mac-windows)
- [How to Change Your Wallpaper Automatically for Presentations](/blog/change-wallpaper-automatically-presentations)
- [10 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers](/blog/productivity-hacks-remote-workers)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Nothing worse than a personal notification popping up during a work call. Here's how to silence notifications on Mac and Windows before your next meeting.

How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting on Mac and Windows


## Skip the wake-up-at-5am stuff

Every productivity article tells you to meditate for 20 minutes and batch your emails. Cool. Let me tell you what actually works when you have 6 calls a day and you're trying to ship code between them.

## 1. Prep your screen before every call

I know, I'm biased. But the 2 minutes you spend closing apps, hiding files, silencing notifications before a call is wasted time. I built [QuickPresent](/) specifically for this. Press a button, screen is clean. Press it again after the call, everything's back. When you have 5 calls a day, those minutes add up fast.

## 2. Two browser profiles

One for work, one for personal. Your personal bookmarks, passwords, and history never show up when you share your screen. Chrome and Edge both support this. Set it up once, never think about it again.

## 3. Block time around deep work

Don't just schedule "focus time" on your calendar. Block 15 minutes before and after it so nobody books a meeting right up against it. Google Calendar has a "Speedy meetings" setting that makes 30-min meetings 25 min automatically. Use it.

## 4. Close Slack during focus time

Sounds scary. It's not. Set a routine where you check Slack for 5 minutes every hour instead of leaving it open all day. You'll miss zero critical things. Slack is the single biggest time sink for remote workers and nobody talks about it.

## 5. Dedicated monitor for meetings

If you have two monitors, put the meeting on one and your work on the other. When sharing, share only the specific window. If you need to share your whole desktop, make sure it's clean. That's where QuickPresent comes in.

## 6. Automate your meeting prep

QuickPresent can detect when you join Zoom, Meet, or Teams and ask if you want to turn on presentation mode. So you don't have to remember. One less thing to think about.

## 7. Learn your keyboard shortcuts

Seriously. Mute/unmute in Zoom is Cmd+Shift+A. Screen share is Cmd+Shift+S. Switch apps with Cmd+Tab. Lock your screen with Cmd+Ctrl+Q on Mac, Win+L on Windows. Knowing these saves you seconds every time, and those seconds feel like minutes when you're live on a call.

## 8. Don't save stuff to your desktop

Just don't. Use Downloads, use cloud storage, whatever. A clean desktop isn't just about looking professional. It's less visual clutter, which genuinely helps you focus.

## 9. Same workspace every day

Even if it's just a corner of your room. Your brain associates the space with work and you get into flow faster. Good lighting helps too. Nothing fancy, just make sure your face isn't in shadow on video calls.

## 10. Shutdown routine

Spend 5 minutes at the end of each day. Close everything. Write tomorrow's top 3 priorities. Clear your desktop. Set Slack to away. This creates a clean break between work and personal time, which is really hard when your office is also your living room.

## The pattern here

Most of this is about removing friction. The less setup and cleanup you do around your actual work, the more time you spend on the work itself.

That's why I built QuickPresent. It removes one of the most common friction points for anyone who works remotely.

[Download QuickPresent →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [Zoom Meeting Etiquette: The Complete Guide](/blog/zoom-meeting-etiquette-guide)
- [Best Mac Apps for Professionals in 2025](/blog/best-mac-apps-for-professionals)
- [QuickPresent vs Manual Screen Cleanup](/blog/quickpresent-vs-manual-screen-cleanup)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Forget the generic wake-up-at-5am advice. These are things I actually do every day working remotely.

10 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers That Actually Work


## The messy desktop moment

You're on a call. You hit Share Screen. Everyone sees your desktop covered in random screenshots, that vacation wallpaper, and then a notification from your mom slides in about dinner plans.

Happens way more than people admit. I've been in calls where people scramble to close things and it makes the whole meeting awkward.

## What I used to do before every call

1. Drag desktop icons into some folder
2. Change wallpaper to something boring
3. Turn on Do Not Disturb
4. Mute speakers
5. Minimize every app one by one

5-10 minutes. Every time. And I'd still forget something. Usually notifications.

## So I built something

I kept thinking this should just be one button. That's what [QuickPresent](/) is.

You press one button and it hides all your desktop icons, minimizes every open app, mutes speakers, swaps wallpaper, and blocks notifications.

Call is done? Press again. Everything comes back exactly how it was.

## Some things I've learned

Run it a minute before the call, not after you're already sharing. Pick a solid color wallpaper, gradients work too. Close browser tabs with personal stuff since QuickPresent handles desktop apps but your browser tabs are on you. And test your mic after muting system audio, just to be safe.

## Give it a shot

Works on Mac and Windows. Free trial, no credit card. Download it and try it during your next call.

[Download QuickPresent →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac and Windows](/blog/how-to-hide-desktop-icons-mac-windows)
- [Zoom Meeting Etiquette: The Complete Guide](/blog/zoom-meeting-etiquette-guide)
- [How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting](/blog/how-to-turn-off-notifications-before-meeting)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Here's the thing. Nobody wants to see your messy desktop during a Zoom call. Let me show you how to fix that.

How to Prepare Your Screen for a Professional Presentation


## Nobody teaches you this

You probably had some training on giving presentations. But nobody ever said "here's how to not embarrass yourself on a Zoom call." So here's what I've learned from years of doing this.

## Before the meeting

### Clean your screen

Number one thing people get wrong. You share your screen and there's files everywhere, personal wallpaper, Slack notifications sliding in, and 40 browser tabs open.

I use [QuickPresent](/) for this. Hides icons, minimizes apps, mutes audio, blocks notifications, swaps wallpaper. Takes 1 second. If you screen share regularly, you need something like this.

### Join early

1-2 minutes before. Check your mic, check your camera. Nobody wants to spend the first 3 minutes of a meeting saying "can you hear me? how about now? what about now?"

### Close what you don't need

Even if you're not sharing your screen, close unnecessary apps. Frees up RAM so Zoom runs smoother, and removes distractions for you.

## During the meeting

Stay muted when you're not talking. Background noise is annoying for everyone.

Look at your camera when talking, not at the person's face on screen. Feels weird. But to them it looks like eye contact. Big difference.

Drop links in chat instead of trying to spell out URLs verbally. Same with action items.

Share specific windows when you can, not your whole screen. If a notification sneaks through, nobody sees it. But if you need to switch between apps, you'll need whole-screen sharing, which is why having QuickPresent running matters.

## Screen sharing do's and don'ts

Do: clean your desktop, close personal tabs, use presenter view for slides, zoom in on small text.

Don't: share your whole screen when you only need one app, leave personal chats visible, forget to stop sharing when you're done, type passwords while sharing.

## After the meeting

Send a quick follow-up with what was discussed and next steps. Takes 2 minutes and makes you look organized.

If you used QuickPresent, toggle it off. Apps, icons, wallpaper, notifications all come back.

## Video setup stuff

Lighting: face a window if you can. If not, a cheap ring light works. Don't sit with a bright window behind you.

Background: clean wall or bookshelf. Virtual backgrounds work in a pinch but a real clean background always looks better.

Camera: eye level or slightly above. Nobody wants to look up your nose. Stack some books under your laptop if needed.

Audio: use headphones with a mic. Even basic AirPods sound better than laptop mics.

## That's basically it

Clean screen, good audio, camera on when appropriate, mute when not talking. 90% of meeting etiquette in 2025.

The screen part is the easiest to fix. [QuickPresent](/) handles it.

[Try QuickPresent free →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting](/blog/how-to-turn-off-notifications-before-meeting)
- [How to Prepare Your Screen for a Professional Presentation](/blog/how-to-prepare-screen-for-presentation)
- [10 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers](/blog/productivity-hacks-remote-workers)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Nobody teaches you how to not look unprofessional on a Zoom call. Here's everything I've picked up from years of remote work.

Zoom Meeting Etiquette: The Complete Guide for 2025


## Apps I actually use

Half the "best Mac apps" lists are sponsored. This one isn't. These are apps on my Mac right now that I open almost every day.

## Productivity

### QuickPresent
I built this so I'm obviously biased. But if you screen share regularly, you know the pain. One button hides desktop icons, minimizes apps, mutes audio, blocks notifications, swaps wallpaper. Press again when you're done. Everything comes back.

[Get QuickPresent →](/)

### Raycast
Replaced Spotlight for me. App launcher, clipboard history, snippets, window management, calculator. All one app. Free and fast.

### Rectangle
Window snapping on Mac. Drag a window to the edge, it resizes. Windows has this built in, Mac still doesn't. Rectangle is free.

## Communication

### Slack
If you work remotely you're on Slack. My advice: close it during focus time. Check it for 5 minutes every hour. Productivity doubles. I'm not exaggerating.

### Zoom
The meeting app. Learn the shortcuts. Mute, unmute, share screen. Makes you way faster mid-call.

### Loom
Instead of scheduling a meeting to explain something, record a 2-minute Loom. The other person watches whenever. I send probably 3-4 of these a day.

## Dev tools

### VS Code
My code editor. Big extension ecosystem, fast, works for any language.

### iTerm2
Better terminal than the default. Split panes, search, good themes. If you use the terminal at all, switch.

### TablePlus
Database GUI. Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, whatever. Way nicer than running queries in terminal.

## Utilities

### 1Password
Stop reusing passwords. Stop saving them in Chrome. Get a password manager. 1Password is the best on Mac.

### CleanMyMac
Cleans old caches, removes apps properly, frees disk space. Run it monthly.

### Hand Mirror
Tiny menu bar app. Click it, see your webcam. Check how you look before joining a call. Simple but useful.

## What makes a good Mac app

For me: does one thing well, is fast, works quietly in the background, and solves an actual problem. Not a hypothetical one.

QuickPresent fits that. It does one thing. Prepares your screen. One button. No settings to fiddle with.

## Your tools compound

A good app that saves you 30 seconds per use saves you hours over a month. Pick carefully and learn them properly.

[Try QuickPresent →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [10 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers](/blog/productivity-hacks-remote-workers)
- [How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac and Windows](/blog/how-to-hide-desktop-icons-mac-windows)
- [QuickPresent vs Manual Screen Cleanup](/blog/quickpresent-vs-manual-screen-cleanup)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


I've been using a Mac for work for years. These are the apps I actually use, not sponsored picks.

Best Mac Apps for Professionals in 2025


## The problem

If you work remotely and share your screen a couple times a day, you know the drill. Close apps, hide icons, change wallpaper, turn on DND, mute speakers. Every single time.

## How long the manual way takes

| What you're doing | How long |
|---|---|
| Hiding desktop icons | 1-2 min |
| Closing or minimizing apps | 1-2 min |
| Changing wallpaper | 30 sec |
| Turning on DND | 30 sec |
| Muting speakers | 15 sec |
| Total | 3-5 min per call |

Multiply that by 3-4 calls a day. Up to 20 minutes daily on something that should take zero effort.

## Why I built QuickPresent

This is such a dumb problem. Why isn't there a single button for it?

So I built it.

[QuickPresent](/) sits in your menu bar on Mac or system tray on Windows. Click it once. Desktop icons hidden. Apps minimized. Notifications blocked. Wallpaper changed. Speakers muted. Under one second.

No settings menus, no dragging files into folders, no forgetting to turn off notifications five minutes into a call.

## The meeting detection thing

This is actually my favourite part. QuickPresent detects when you join a Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams call and asks if you want to turn on presentation mode.

You don't even have to remember to click the button.

## That's basically it

If you share your screen regularly, there's no reason to keep doing it the slow way. QuickPresent saves you time and saves you from those awkward moments where everyone sees your messy desktop.

Free trial, takes about 30 seconds to set up.

[Check out pricing →](/pricing)

---

## Keep reading

- [Best Mac Apps for Professionals in 2025](/blog/best-mac-apps-for-professionals)
- [10 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers](/blog/productivity-hacks-remote-workers)
- [How to Prepare Your Screen for a Professional Presentation](/blog/how-to-prepare-screen-for-presentation)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


I got tired of spending 5 minutes before every call cleaning my screen. So I built something that does it in 1 second.

QuickPresent vs Manual Screen Cleanup: Why I Built This


## Your wallpaper is showing

I was on a client call once where the presenter's wallpaper was their dog wearing sunglasses. Funny? Sure. Professional? Not really.

Nobody notices a professional wallpaper. Everyone notices a weird one.

## Changing it manually is annoying

On Mac: System Settings, Wallpaper, browse, select, apply. On Windows: right-click, Personalize, Background, browse, select. That's 6 clicks minimum. Then you do it again after the call to switch back.

Nobody does this consistently. Which is why you see family photos, memes, and anime wallpapers on client calls all the time.

## What wallpaper to use

Keep it boring. Dark gray, navy blue, or black. A subtle gradient works too. Your company's branded wallpaper if they have one. The default macOS or Windows wallpapers are honestly fine.

Don't use personal photos, busy patterns, bright colors, or anything with text on it.

## What I do

I set up [QuickPresent](/) once with a dark wallpaper. Now every time I hit the button before a call:

1. Wallpaper swaps to the professional one
2. Desktop icons disappear
3. Open apps get minimized
4. Speakers muted
5. Notifications blocked

Call ends, I press the button. Personal wallpaper is back, icons reappear, everything normal.

Set it up once. Works every time after that.

## Virtual backgrounds don't help here

Zoom's virtual background covers your webcam feed, not your shared screen. Two different things. When you share your screen, people see your actual desktop, wallpaper and all. Virtual backgrounds are irrelevant.

## Where to find good wallpapers

You don't need to design anything. The built-in OS wallpapers work. Or open Paint/Preview, fill a canvas with a dark color, save as PNG. Or search "minimal dark wallpaper" on Unsplash.

Go dark. Dark backgrounds are easier on the eyes, make app windows stand out, and look professional in any context.

## Wallpaper is one piece

If you're fixing your wallpaper, you might as well hide icons, close apps, mute audio, and block notifications too. That's what QuickPresent does. All of it.

[Download QuickPresent →](/)

---

## Keep reading

- [How to Hide Desktop Icons on Mac and Windows](/blog/how-to-hide-desktop-icons-mac-windows)
- [How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting](/blog/how-to-turn-off-notifications-before-meeting)
- [Zoom Meeting Etiquette: The Complete Guide](/blog/zoom-meeting-etiquette-guide)

---

*QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. [See pricing](/pricing) · [Setup guide](/docs)*


Your beach vacation wallpaper doesn't belong in a client meeting. Here's how to swap it automatically before screen sharing.

QuickPresent Blog