What is NothingHere?

NothingHere is a free, open-source macOS panic button that hides everything on your screen, mutes all sound, and opens a pre-configured cover document — all with a single hotkey. It turns a potentially awkward moment into a seamless transition from "definitely not working" to "hard at work" in milliseconds. The app is lightweight at roughly 5.9 MB and requires macOS 15.0 or later.

Who it's for

• Remote workers — who need a split-second way to hide personal browsing or video content when a colleague or manager unexpectedly appears.
• Open-office employees — who want to avoid awkward explanations when someone walks up behind their desk during a non-work moment.
• Students and freelancers — who study or work in shared spaces and need a reliable, instant screen-clearing solution without fumbling through multiple shortcuts.

Key features

One-key panic trigger

NothingHere executes three actions simultaneously the moment you press your chosen hotkey: it hides all windows across every app, mutes all system audio, and opens your cover file or application. The entire sequence completes in milliseconds, leaving your screen looking work-appropriate.

Guard Mode

A menu bar icon lets you arm or disarm the panic button with a single click. When armed, NothingHere watches for your hotkey and is ready to act instantly. The icon changes its appearance to clearly show whether protection is active or disabled.

App Whitelist

You can specify certain applications that should remain visible when panic triggers — for example, keeping your music player, terminal, or messaging app open. The whitelist ensures that only the apps you want to hide actually disappear, giving you fine-grained control over what stays on screen.

Cover Action

Configure a specific file (like a spreadsheet) or an application (like Slack or Xcode) to open automatically when you trigger the panic button. File and app selections are mutually exclusive, so there is no confusion about what will launch as your cover.

What stands out

"One key, everything gone, cover story up. Done."

This one-liner captures the product's core promise: absolute simplicity in a high-stakes moment. NothingHere eliminates the frantic multi-step scramble of hiding windows, muting sound, and opening a work file separately. Instead, it bundles all three actions into a single, reliable keystroke — and the Guard Mode ensures you never forget to arm it.

Worth checking out if…

You work in an environment where your screen is visible to others and you want a fast, foolproof way to switch from personal content to a work-appropriate appearance. NothingHere is especially useful if you have ever fumbled with multiple keyboard shortcuts or felt the panic of someone approaching while your screen showed something non-work-related.