How to hide apps while screen sharing?

To hide apps while screen sharing on Windows, download Cloakly. Once installed, you can select specific windows to 'cloak', making them completely invisible to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and other screen capture applications while they remain fully usable on your desktop.

Can people still see the apps I hide with Cloakly?

No. When you hide a window, it becomes invisible to screen sharing apps like Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Discord, and OBS. You can still use the window normally, but nobody else sees it.

Does Cloakly work with Zoom and Microsoft Teams?

Yes. Cloakly is fully compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Meet, OBS, and all major screen sharing applications on Windows.

Is Cloakly free to use?

Cloakly offers Free and Pro plans. You can download it from the Microsoft Store and upgrade any time from the pricing page.

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Workplace6 min read

A Guide to Desktop Privacy for Remote Professionals

Published by Katelyn Walker

May 15, 2026

Remote work offers incredible flexibility, but it comes with a major security trade-off: your computer has become a hybrid portal. On one side are client deliverables, team channels, and company IP. On the other side are banking accounts, medical visits, and family chats.

When you screen share, work, or present, these two worlds frequently collide. In this guide, we will design a comprehensive desktop privacy system for the modern remote professional.

1. Conduct a Personal Desktop Audit

Open your desktop right now and look at your setup. Ask yourself:

Are there loose files on my desktop containing client names, financial data, or credentials?
What applications are currently pinned to my taskbar? Do they reveal personal habits?
Which browsers auto-complete my search bar when I type? What suggestions appear?

If you are uncomfortable with a stranger seeing any of these items, it is time to make some adjustments.

2. Restructuring Your Windows Environment

Clean Your Taskbar & Desktop Icon Grid

It takes one click to hide desktop icons entirely. Right-click on your desktop, hover over View, and uncheck Show desktop icons. Keep your taskbar pinned apps strictly professional.

Separate Personal and Professional Browsers

Do not mix work accounts and personal history in the same Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge profile. Use separate profiles, or dedicate Chrome to work and Brave or Firefox to personal browsing. This prevents autofill suggestions and history results from leaking on screen.

3. Solving the Screen Capture Vulnerability

The most vulnerable point in a remote professional's day is the screen share. Standard screen-sharing tools captures *everything* that draws on your display hardware.

Using **Cloakly**, you can establish a true cryptographic-level barrier for your active windows:

Taskbar Invisibility

Cloakly can hide selected apps from the Windows Taskbar entirely while they remain open and active on your screen.

Meeting Capture Exclusion

Select specific apps (like password managers, Slack, Spotify, or email clients) and render them completely blacked-out or invisible to Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.

Join thousands of remote professionals using Cloakly to secure their screens.

Download Cloakly from Microsoft Store

4. Establish a Professional Transition Ritual

Before joining any call, establish a 10-second checklist:

Open Cloakly and verify that your personal browser profile, Spotify, and messaging apps are set to "Cloaked".
Turn on Windows Focus Assist to disable incoming system notifications.
Close unused spreadsheets or PDF documents.

Once this sequence becomes routine, desktop anxiety vanishes, leaving you to focus entirely on presenting.