We use our computers for work all of the time. Our Macs tend to be filled with useful applications designed to help us get things done in the most efficient way possible. Whether your app of preference is Pages, Final Cut, or just a simple web browser, there is plenty of ways to get work done.

The problem is, there exists plenty of things to do on our Macs that distract us from work. Whether its playing games or doing any one of the hundreds of fun things, it's easy to lose focus and find yourself pressed against a deadline because you've spent far too much time doing things you shouldn't.

Of course, there is no magic way to stop procrastinating, but we've come across a solution that might be able to help. A useful program called Desktop Curtain hides as much or as little as you want behind a curtain, so you can focus on exactly what you need to do, with those pesky distractions tucked away for later. It's even featured on our Best Mac Apps Page, so you know it's good.

Free Vs. Premium

The application comes with a free version that you can download and enjoy, but it is missing some of the cool features. With the $5 investment into the premium version, you get the following:

  • Set a custom image as background from image history
  • Specific window isolation options
  • Hotkey control
  • Ability to run program in menu bar 

With the free program, you are given the ability to run the app forever, so if you don't want those extra features, you can save the $5 and use it for as long as you want.

Using The App

Desktop Curtain is incredibly customizable, so you can make it on your own. Of course, you will need to spend a little time tweaking everything to your liking, but the application is designed well, so it won't take much effort to get everything going.

cluttered computer desktop

First, you are going to want to set the appearance of the curtain. If you are going to stick with the base curtain design, you will want to click the color icon and choose a look and color of it. You can move the color wheel around or choose one of the other options for choosing a color quickly and easily. You can also tweak options like opacity and more to make the curtain look exactly as you wish.

organize desktop

If you don't want an image, you can click the "X" next to the color selector, and set the curtain as a solid color. This will all come down to personal preference, but it's nice to have the option of just hiding your stuff behind a solid color.

organize desktop

If you prefer to go with an image as the background, you can do that as well. This will make it look like you are not running the curtain at all, and it makes appear as a standard desktop background. To make an image your curtain, you simply drag and drop it to the curtain window and it will become the background. If you want to choose an image from your history of images, you will need the premium version.

organize desktop

The other important item to set is how much it covers. With the free version, you cannot select certain windows to block, but with the premium version of the program, you can block any open windows behind the curtain. Either way, even with the free version only blocking the desktop icons or everything on your desktop, you still get a clean workspace, which is quite handy for keeping your eyes focused on what you are doing.

organize desktop icons

If you are using multiple displays, you can set how the program will affect them. You can set it to all displays or just a certain monitor. This gives you options, depending on how you actually use each of your monitors.

cluttered computer desktop

If you close the settings and want to bring it back, simply right click anywhere on the curtain, and the options for Desktop Curtain will come up. You can click "Settings" from the menu to get back to the screen where you will set up the options again.

Conclusion

If you have a cluttered computer desktop that you want to hide, or you want to remove those pesky distractions, Desktop Curtain is perfect for you. Whether you spring for the $5 premium version or stick with the free one, this Mac application has plenty of options to make it your own.