Fix the ‘hide all other Mac apps’ distraction problem

One macOS feature I really like is the ability to hide all the apps you’re not currently using with a single keystroke: CMD-Option-H.

I use this a lot when I’m writing and don’t need to reference materials in other windows. But there’s one significant issue with it …

Namely, it’s not a toggle. Restoring all your other apps has to be done manually.

There are, of course, a number of different ways of creating a distraction-free environment, with just a single app visible. The most obvious of these is to put the app into full-screen mode. That can be a good solution on a small-screen Mac, but I find it too wide for writing on a 16-inch MacBook Pro – and it would be utterly comical when connected to my 49-inch monitor!

Another is to use multiple desktops, and assign just one app to a particular desktop. But that’s too clunky for me: I have a three-desktop setup which works really well for me, but going much above that feels too messy.

So the solution I employ is a simple CMD-Option-H while my desired app is in focus. All other apps disappear from view, and I have a beautifully clutter-free environment with just the app and the desktop in view.

The issue comes when I’m done, and want my other apps back on-screen. That requires me to click on the dock icons for each.

To be sure, this is the very definition of a First World Problem, but it’s also one with an incredibly easy fix: Just turn the CMD-Option-H function into a toggle. Toggle once to hide all other visible apps, toggle again to bring the same ones back.

One macOS feature I really like is the ability to hide all the apps you’re not currently using with a single keystroke: CMD-Option-H.

I use this a lot when I’m writing and don’t need to reference materials in other windows. But there’s one significant issue with it …

Namely, it’s not a toggle. Restoring all your other apps has to be done manually.

There are, of course, a number of different ways of creating a distraction-free environment, with just a single app visible. The most obvious of these is to put the app into full-screen mode. That can be a good solution on a small-screen Mac, but I find it too wide for writing on a 16-inch MacBook Pro – and it would be utterly comical when connected to my 49-inch monitor!

Another is to use multiple desktops, and assign just one app to a particular desktop. But that’s too clunky for me: I have a three-desktop setup which works really well for me, but going much above that feels too messy.

So the solution I employ is a simple CMD-Option-H while my desired app is in focus. All other apps disappear from view, and I have a beautifully clutter-free environment with just the app and the desktop in view.

The issue comes when I’m done, and want my other apps back on-screen. That requires me to click on the dock icons for each.

To be sure, this is the very definition of a First World Problem, but it’s also one with an incredibly easy fix: Just turn the CMD-Option-H function into a toggle. Toggle once to hide all other visible apps, toggle again to bring the same ones back.