Cloak 2.0 is liveThe Cloak Blog
Clear, practical advice on keeping your Mac private. How to lock apps behind Touch ID, hide them completely, encrypt your files, and share your Mac without sharing everything on it.
Latest articles
How to Make an App Fake a Crash on Mac
Make a private app look broken on your Mac. With Cloak's fake crash, anyone who opens it sees the Mac's own 'quit unexpectedly' box. Only you can get in.
How to Lock a Folder from Finder on Mac
Right-click any folder or file in Finder and choose Lock with Cloak or Hide with Cloak. Turn on the Finder menu once in Cloak's settings, then skip the app.
How to Lock an App with a Keyboard Shortcut on Mac
Press one shortcut in any app and Cloak locks it and closes it on the spot. Set it up once in Cloak's settings. Handy when someone walks up behind you.
How to Lock Apps on a Schedule on Mac
Lock an app only at the times you choose, like games on school nights or work apps at the weekend. The rest of the time it opens freely.
How to Open a Hidden App Without Unhiding It on Mac
Open a hidden app straight from its encrypted copy. It runs as normal, never comes back to Applications, and stays hidden when you quit.
What's New in Cloak 2.0
Everything new in Cloak 2.0: fake crash, lock schedules, lock the app in front, Lock with Cloak in Finder, open hidden apps without unhiding, seven skins.
AppLocker (Alex Denk) Alternative for Mac (2026)
Why people leave AppLocker for Mac, what it really costs, and a one-time-purchase alternative that locks, hides and encrypts.
Cisdem AppCrypt Alternatives for Mac (2026)
Five AppCrypt alternatives for Mac, tested against what people actually complain about: no Touch ID, subscription pricing, and no folder or file protection.
Cloak vs FaceGate: Which Mac App Locker Should You Use?
Cloak vs FaceGate, side by side: unlock methods, what each one protects, encryption, intruder photos, the Mac password loophole, install and price.
Cloak vs Lockish: Two Touch ID App Lockers for Mac Compared
Cloak vs Lockish, side by side: what a window lock does and does not protect, the Mac password loophole, encryption, folders and files, and price.
FaceGate Alternative for Mac: Encrypted, No Camera Needed
FaceGate is a free, open source Mac app locker with face unlock. If the camera, the install, or the apps-only limit is the problem, here is what to use instead.
Lockish Alternative for Mac (2026)
Lockish is a $9.99 Touch ID app locker for Mac. What it leaves out, and the alternatives that cover folders, files, encryption and the Mac password loophole.
Every Mac App Locker Compared (2026)
Seven Mac app lockers scored on eleven points: price, Touch ID, hiding, encryption, folders and files, intruder photo, Mac password, force quit, offline.
How to Password Protect a Document on Your Mac
How to put a password on a Pages, Word, Excel, Numbers, or PDF document on a Mac, what each built-in password really protects, and how to lock any document.
How to Lock a File on Your Mac
Four real ways to put a password on a single file in macOS, from the built-in options to an encrypted vault, and which one to use for the file you have in mind.
How to Lock and Hide Photos on Your Mac or MacBook
Put a lock on the Photos app and your hidden photos on a Mac or MacBook. What the Hidden album protects, what it does not, and how to lock photos with Touch ID.
Best Mac App Locker and Privacy App (2026)
The best ways to lock apps, hide apps, and encrypt files on macOS in 2026, compared. What each tool does well, what it misses, and which one fits your needs.
Can You Lock Apps on a Mac for Free?
FileVault, Screen Time and Disk Utility are free, but none puts Touch ID on a single app. What each built-in tool really protects, and what it leaves open.
Cisdem AppCrypt Alternative for Mac: Cloak vs AppCrypt (2026)
Looking for a Cisdem AppCrypt alternative on Mac? A side-by-side of Cloak vs AppCrypt: what each one locks, pricing, and where the real difference is.
Concealer and Espionage Alternative That Also Locks Apps
Concealer and Espionage keep files in a vault. Cloak also locks and hides the apps you use with Touch ID. Prices, features and a side by side table.
Encrypto Alternative for Mac: Cloak vs Encrypto & Hider 2
Looking for an Encrypto alternative on Mac? How Cloak compares to Encrypto and the discontinued Hider 2 for hiding and encrypting files, and when to use each.
How to Share Your Mac Safely
Practical ways to let kids, friends, or coworkers use your Mac without exposing your messages, email, photos, and files. From guest accounts to app locks.
Touch ID App Lock, Explained
How Touch ID works on a Mac, why a fingerprint is a good way to lock apps, what the Secure Enclave does, and the trade-offs to understand before relying on it.
The Complete Mac Privacy Checklist
A practical, no-nonsense checklist for locking down your Mac, from FileVault and app permissions to locking apps and encrypting files. Do these in an afternoon.
How to Encrypt Files on Your Mac (and What AES-256 Means)
A plain-language guide to file encryption on macOS: what AES-256 actually protects against, how it differs from FileVault, and how to encrypt specific files.
How to Password Protect a Folder on Your Mac
Put a password on any folder on your Mac or MacBook: a Disk Utility image, a password-protected zip, or a one-click vault with Touch ID. Which one to pick.
How to Hide Apps on Your Mac
Make any app vanish from your Mac or MacBook: gone from the Dock, Launchpad and Spotlight until you bring it back. Hiding vs locking, and how to do each.
How to Lock Apps on Your Mac
Lock any app on your Mac or MacBook behind Touch ID or a password in under a minute. Why the built-in options fall short, and the one-click way that works.
Lock a specific app
Hide a specific app
Lock anything on your Mac
Cloak locks apps behind Touch ID, hides them completely, and encrypts folders with AES-256. Everything stays local. No account, one-time purchase.
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