There are moments when someone walks up to ask a question while you’re working on your Mac, and you’d rather not have every open application visible on screen. Maybe you’re sharing your laptop with a colleague for a presentation, or a friend needs to borrow your computer for a quick task. These situations always feel slightly awkward as you frantically click through windows trying to hide sensitive information or personal projects.
I discovered Casilla while searching for a simple solution to this exact problem. The name comes from the Spanish word for “box,” which perfectly describes what the app does—it puts all your running applications into a metaphorical box, hiding them from view with a single action. Click the menu bar icon once, and everything disappears. Click again, and it all comes back.
The concept is straightforward, but the execution makes it genuinely useful. Rather than manually hiding applications one by one using Command+H, or minimizing windows individually, Casilla handles everything at once. It’s particularly handy in work environments where you frequently collaborate with others on your machine, or when you need to quickly clear your screen without actually quitting anything.
I’ve been using it on my Mac Mini M4, and the app operates exactly as promised. The menu bar icon shows a small box graphic that clearly indicates its function. Performance is solid with minimal system resource usage—it simply sends the hide command to all running applications simultaneously. The app starts automatically on login and stays quietly in your menu bar until needed.
The current version (1.2.4) focuses on the core hide-all functionality, though the developer has mentioned plans to add selective hiding for individual applications in future updates. That would be a welcome enhancement, allowing you to hide specific apps while keeping others visible. For now, it’s an all-or-nothing approach.
Casilla is available on the Mac App Store, though pricing information isn’t prominently displayed on the developer’s GitHub repository or product site. The app represents a focused solution to a specific problem rather than a feature-packed utility suite. If you regularly find yourself in situations where you need instant privacy or a clean slate when sharing your screen, Casilla offers a straightforward answer.
The app won’t replace dedicated window management tools or menu bar organizers, but it serves its particular purpose well. It’s one of those utilities that you don’t need every day, but when you do need it, you’re glad it’s there. For users who frequently work in shared spaces or collaborate directly on their machines, having a one-click hide-everything option can be surprisingly valuable.
