Hides for Mac is a professional tool focused on privacy protection and file concealment. Through an intuitive interface and robust encryption logic, it helps users securely manage sensitive files, folders, images, videos, and documents, preventing unauthorized access. This guide will detail its core features and complete workflow.

I. Core Interface and Workspace Breakdown

Hides adopts a clean single-window design, primarily divided into four functional areas:

Top Toolbar: Contains core action buttons——”Add Item,” “Lock/Unlock Vault,” “Settings,” and a search box.
Left Sidebar (Vault List): Displays all created vaults. Each vault is an independent encrypted container and can be set with a different password.
Central File Browsing Area: Displays all hidden items within the currently selected vault. Supports icon and list views, and allows previewing.
Bottom Status Bar: Shows vault status (locked/unlocked) and storage space usage.

Tip: When a vault is in the “locked” state, its contents are completely invisible and inaccessible, and are only decrypted in memory. This is Hides’ core security mechanism.

II. Complete Workflow: From Creation to Export

1. Create a New Vault and Add Files

Step 1: Create a Vault

Click the + button on the left side of the toolbar, or use the shortcut Command + N.
In the dialog that appears, set the vault name, storage location (defaults to the app sandbox), and password (a strong password is required).
Click “Create,” and the new vault will appear in the left sidebar.

Step 2: Unlock the Vault to Add Files

Select the target vault in the left sidebar, enter the password and press Enter, or double-click the vault name.
Once the vault is unlocked, the status bar icon changes to the “open” state.

Step 3: Import Files/Folders

Method A (Drag and Drop): Drag files or folders directly from Finder into the central browsing area.
Method B (Menu Import): Click the “Add Item” button in the toolbar (or press Command + O) and select files from the dialog.
Imported files will be immediately removed from their original location and stored encrypted in the vault.

2. Daily Management and Viewing

Viewing and Previewing

Click a file in the central browsing area to preview its contents in the Quick Look preview pane (if enabled).
Press the Spacebar to invoke macOS’s native Quick Look feature.

Internal Operations

Rename: Select a file and press the Enter key.
Create Folder: Press Command + Shift + N to create a new folder within the vault for categorized management.
Delete: Select an item and press Command + Delete to move it to the “Trash” within the vault, which requires separate emptying.

3. Exporting Files and Locking the Vault

Step 1: Export Files Externally

Select one or more items within the vault.
Right-click and select “Export…”, or simply drag the selected items to any location in Finder.
The export operation will copy the files to the specified location, while the originals remain in the vault.

Step 2: Lock the Vault

After completing your operations, be sure to lock the vault to ensure privacy.
Click the lock icon in the toolbar, or use the shortcut Command + L.
Once locked, the central browsing area will be cleared, and the files will remain encrypted on the disk.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

Multiple Vault Management: Create separate vaults for different purposes (e.g., work, personal, finance) to achieve permission separation.
Quick Search: Enter keywords in the search bar at the top to filter file names in real time within the currently unlocked vault.
Auto-Lock Settings: In “Settings” > “Security,” you can enable “Automatically lock all vaults after X minutes of inactivity” to enhance security.
Disguise Vault Names: Vault names themselves are not encrypted, so you can give them an inconspicuous name.
Use Finder Extension: After enabling Hides’ Finder extension in System Settings, you can right-click a file directly in Finder and select “Hide with Hides” to add it quickly.

IV. Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Forgot vault password	The password cannot be recovered or reset.	Hides uses local strong encryption with no backdoor. Please be sure to keep your password safe. When setting it up for the first time, you can store it in a password manager.
App unresponsive when importing large files	The encryption process is consuming CPU resources.	This is normal. Please wait patiently for encryption to complete. You can observe the activity indicator in the status bar.
Drag-and-drop export fails	Insufficient permissions for the target folder.	Try exporting to a location where the user has write permissions, such as the Desktop or Documents folder.
Vault file visible in Finder	The vault data file itself is stored in the configured location.	This is normal. This file (usually ending in .hides or a specific extension) is an encrypted container, and its contents cannot be read without the password. You can move it to an inconspicuous location.

V. Hides for Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Summary

Action	Shortcut (Mac)	Description
Create New Vault	Command + N	Create a new encrypted vault
Open/Add Files	Command + O	Add items to the current vault
Lock Current Vault	Command + L	Core security operation
Quick Search	Command + F	Focus on the search bar
Create New Folder in Vault	Command + Shift + N	Organize files internally
Rename Selected Item	Enter	Edit the file name
Delete Selected Item to Trash	Command + Delete	Delete within the vault
Quick Look	Spacebar	Invoke macOS Quick Look
Show/Hide Sidebar	Command + Option + S	Toggle view
Quit Application	Command + Q	All vaults will be automatically locked before quitting

Important Security Reminder: The security of Hides relies on your absolute control over your password. Do not share your password with others, and consider using a reliable password management solution. Regularly back up important vault files to a secure location (such as an external encrypted hard drive).

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