Hide running apps from your desktop while keeping them active

When you minimize an application on Mac, it disappears from your screen but stays running in the background. The application continues to work — checking email, downloading files, or processing tasks — without taking up space on your desktop. You can bring it back whenever you need it by clicking its icon in the Dock or using a keyboard shortcut.

This is different from closing an application entirely. A closed app stops running completely. A minimized or hidden app keeps running but stays out of sight, which is useful when you want something working in the background without the distraction of seeing its window.

Key Takeaways

  • Minimizing an app hides its window but keeps the application running and active in the background.
  • The quickest way to minimize is to click the yellow minimize button in the top-left corner of any application window, or press Command+M.
  • Minimized apps appear as icons in the Dock at the bottom of your screen, and clicking them brings the window back instantly.
  • You can also hide an entire application and all its windows by pressing Command+H, which removes it from view until you click its Dock icon again.
  • If you want an app to stay running but not appear in the Dock at all, you will need third-party tools — Mac's built-in options do not support this.

Minimize individual windows with the yellow button or keyboard shortcut

The simplest way to hide a single application window is to click the yellow minimize button in the top-left corner of that window. The window disappears from your desktop, and the app continues running in the background. You will see a small icon appear in the Dock — the row of application icons at the bottom of your screen — showing that the app is still active.

If you prefer using the keyboard, press Command+M to minimize the active window. This works in almost every Mac application. To bring the window back, click its icon in the Dock, or use Command+Tab to switch between open applications and then release to select the one you want.

When you minimize a window, the application itself keeps running. If the app was downloading a file, checking email, or performing any other background task, it continues doing that work even though you cannot see it on your screen.

Hide an entire application and all its windows at once

If an application has multiple windows open and you want to hide all of them at once, use Command+H. This hides the active application completely — every window it has open disappears from your desktop, but the application keeps running in the background.

The app's icon remains in the Dock. Click it to bring all the windows back, or press Command+H again while the app is active to hide it once more. This is faster than minimizing each window individually if you have several open.

Hide is different from minimize: minimize puts one window away, while hide puts the entire application away. Both keep the app running.

Use the Dock to manage minimized and hidden applications

The Dock shows you which applications are currently running. Applications with a dot underneath their icon are active right now. When you minimize or hide an app, its icon stays in the Dock with that dot visible, telling you it is still running.

Click any icon in the Dock to bring that application back to your screen. If the app was minimized, its window reappears. If it was hidden, all its windows come back. You can also right-click an app's Dock icon to see options like "Hide", "Quit", or "Show All Windows".

To remove an app from the Dock entirely, right-click its icon and select "Remove from Dock". This does not close the app — it just removes the icon from the Dock. The app keeps running, and you can still access it through Spotlight search or your Applications folder.

Switch between open applications without seeing their windows

Press Command+Tab to open the application switcher. A row of icons appears showing all your open applications. Hold Command and press Tab repeatedly to cycle through them, or hold Command and click an icon to jump directly to that app. When you release Command, that application comes to the front.

This lets you move between running apps without needing to see their windows on your desktop. You can switch to an app that is minimized or hidden, work in it, and then switch back to something else — all without cluttering your desktop with multiple visible windows.

If you want to see all open windows of a single application at once, press Mission Control (usually F3 or Fn+Up Arrow, depending on your Mac model). This shows a bird's-eye view of every window on your screen, organized by application.

Keep applications running without closing them

On Mac, closing an application is different from minimizing or hiding it. When you close an app — by pressing Command+Q or clicking the red close button — the application stops running completely. Any unsaved work is lost, and the app no longer uses your computer's memory or processing power.

If you want an app to keep working in the background, do not close it. Instead, minimize it (Command+M) or hide it (Command+H). The app will continue running, checking for new email, syncing files, or whatever task it was doing. You can leave it running this way for hours or days without any problem.

Some applications, like Mail or Slack, are designed to run in the background all the time. Minimizing or hiding them is the normal way to use them — you keep them running so they can notify you of new messages without you having to open them manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does minimizing an app slow down my Mac?

Minimizing does not slow your Mac. The app still uses some memory and processing power because it is still running, but hiding it from your screen does not change how much it uses. If you want to free up resources, you need to quit the app entirely by pressing Command+Q.

Can I hide an app so it does not show in the Dock?

Mac's built-in tools do not let you hide an app from the Dock while keeping it running. Third-party applications like Bartender or Hides can do this, but they cost money and require installation. The standard Mac approach is to minimize or hide the app, which keeps its icon visible in the Dock.

What is the difference between minimize and hide?

Minimize hides one window at a time. Hide removes all windows of an application at once. Both keep the app running. Minimize is Command+M for a single window; hide is Command+H for the entire application.

If I minimize an app, will it still get notifications?

Yes. A minimized or hidden app still runs in the background and can send you notifications. If Mail is minimized, it will still alert you when new messages arrive. If Slack is hidden, it will still notify you of new messages.

How do I know which apps are currently running?

Look at the Dock. Any app with a dot underneath its icon is running right now. Apps without a dot are not active. You can also open Activity Monitor (search for it in Spotlight) to see every running process on your Mac, though this shows technical details most people do not need.