MacHider Support

Note: MacHider is no longer supported by MacPaw since the release of Hider 2. However, you can still download and use it. Also note that License Retrieval for all MacPaw products is through the CleanMyMac section of MacPaw Support.

MacHider FAQ

Q: My activation number doesn’t work.

A: First, check to make sure that you entered your activation number correctly — maybe you’ve accidentally copy & pasted it with spaces or other invisible symbols.

If that doesn’t help, please contact us via macpaw.com/support.

Q: I want to activate my copy of MacHider on another Mac.

A: If you don’t have multiple licenses, you can activate only one copy of MacHider with your activation number. In order to deactivate your copy of MacHider and activate it on another Mac, uninstall MacHider on your current Mac and then install it on a Mac of your choosing. You can then activate your newly installed MacHider with your original activation number.

Q: My files have become corrupted or have disappeared. What should I do?

A: In the event that your file becomes corrupted or disappears, please refer to How to Recover Lost Files, located below.

Q: I want my hidden files to be accessed and modified by other apps. Is this possible?

A: MacHider was developed to make files unavailable to other users, even if they use third-party apps in an attempt to find these files. This means that, after hiding files with MacHider, other apps won’t be able to access or modify them. You should make hidden files visible if you need to work with them using other apps.

Q: I forgot my MacHider password. How do I reset it?
A: The only way to reset your MacHider password is to contact us via macpaw.com/support.

Q: What are the limitations of the free version of MacHider?

A: The free, Demo version of MacHider allows you to hide up to 3 files.

Q: Is there a User Guide for MacHider?

A: A User Guide for MacHider is available here in PDF format.

Q: I don’t like MacHider. Can I have my money back?

A: If you want to know more about our refund policy, please refer to this document.

MacHider Knowledge Base

1. Getting Started

MacPaw’s MacHider was developed to make hiding files and folders easy even for inexperienced Mac users. In fact, the main feature of MacHider lets you hide files by simply dragging them to MacHider and then using the slider on the right-hand side to hide or unhide them.

The left side of the main window of MacHider shows a list of groups that are easily manageable and allow you to keep your hidden files organized. This is useful for those who would prefer to hide many files at once.

The right side of MacHider provides you with information on select files and shows whether the chosen file, or a group of files, added to MacHider is currently hidden or not.

MacHider also lets you password protect the MacHider app (itself) so it cannot be accessed by third-parties.

Though hiding files manually may seem quite easy, it’s even simpler to do it with MacHider. Check the Install Finder Plug-in in the Preferences window and you’ll be able to hide files using the contextual menu in Finder without needing to launch MacHider.

As you can see, MacHider is truly the simplest utility to keep your files hidden and protected from third-parties.

2. MacHider Features and Functionality

MacPaw’s MacHider is an easy-to-use utility that hides files and folders on your Mac, and keeps them hidden, from unwanted persons. MacHider lets you:

• Hide files and entire folders of files.
• Wipe your Open recent list clean so that hidden files and folders cannot not be accessed from it.
• Set a password for MacHider so that unwanted users cannot hide or unhide files with it.
• Integrate hiding features into Finder and hide files using Finder’s contextual menu.
• Organize hidden files into groups.
• Even hide files that have privileges.

MacHider guarantees that after hiding your files and folders, there will be no way for third parties to find them.

3. MacHider Installation and Activation

Installing and activating MacHider is quite simple. To install MacHider:

• Go to the top of this page.
• Click MacHider Free Download and then mount the downloaded MacHider.dmg.
• Drag the MacHider icon to the Applications folder, presented in the newly opened window.

If you follow these steps, MacHider will automatically be installed. The app can be launched from Applications folder or by searching for MacHider in Spotlight.

If you want to fully utilize all the features of MacHider, you should activate your copy of MacHider. In order to do this, follow these steps:

1. Launch MacHider and click Activate in the upper right-hand corner of the app.
2. If you don’t have Activation Number, click Purchase to obtain it. If you already have an Activation Number, click Enter Activation Number.
3. Use the Activation Number you were provided with in order to activate your copy of MacHider.
4. Note: if you want to activate your copy of MacHider but don’t have an Internet connection, the activation window will offer an alternative way to activate your copy of MacHider by phone. Follow the instructions presented on the screen to do that.

Once activated, you will be able to fully utilize all of MacHider’s potential.

4. How to Uninstall MacHider

You can uninstall MacHider using the standard way of Mac software uninstallation in Mac OS X. Just drag the Application file from Applications folder to the Trash.

If you use CleanMyMac Classic or CleanMyMac 2, you can uninstall MacHider by dragging the Application file to the main section of Application Uninstaller module and then by clicking Uninstall.

5. How to Recover Lost Files

It can occur that some files appear to have been lost or corrupted. This can be caused due to several reasons. For instance, you could have ejected a removable device or accidentally deleted a folder that contained hidden files. No matter the reason, there is no reason to panic. Here is what to do to recover your files:

1. Launch MacHider and click Restore Files in the main toolbar.
2. Select the folder where the hidden files were originally located and click Open in the window that appears.

The file will be found and shown in the main list so that you can select to unhide it using the slider in the Inspector panel.

6. How to Hide Files and Folders on a Mac

MacPaw’s MacHider provides you with the ability to make any file invisible in Finder. If someone else has access to your computer, he or she will never know that you’ve hidden anything at all.
Here is how you can hide files with MacHider:

1. Launch MacHider.
2. Open a Finder window and navigate to the file, foler, or even group of items you'd like to hide.
3. Drag your selection to the main area of MacHider.
4. Use the slider on the right-hand side to hide or unhide the files you have selected.

Another way to hide your data is by using the Add Item button on the main toolbar of MacHider to add files and folders you would like hidden. Or you can enable the Finder Plug-In feature in MacHider’s Preferences to give you the option of hiding files directly from Finder's contextual menu.

Please note that MacHider can also increase the level of secrecy of your files by removing references from the Open Recent menus of other apps. You can enable this setting by going to the General tab of MacHider’s Preferences.

A common misconception is that another person can just open the MacHider app and unhide your files. However, this is where MacHider’s Set Password option comes into play. As the name says, you can set your own password for the application by using the corresponding button in the main toolbar.

MacHider provides you with a simple way of making confidential data invisible to others on your Mac.

7. MacHider is a Shareware Program. What is Shareware?

Generally speaking, shareware is a kind of proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability or convenience.

MacPaw’s MacHider is a shareware program. That means that you can download MacHider for free, but its functionality will be limited until you purchase a license. To be more precise, the free version of MacHider allows you to hide only up to three files on your Mac.

After purchasing a license and entering the obtained activation number in the activation window, you’ll be able to hide an unlimited amount of files with your activated copy of MacHider.