Many
of us have files that we don’t want falling into the wrong hands but to
which we still need easy access. I’m less worried about encrypting my
files and more concerned with camouflaging a few folders that contain
personal data.
The most obvious way to keep my files flying under the radar is to
remove them from Spolight’s search results. There are several simple
ways to do this, and I’ll run through three in this Quick Tip.
1. Add .noindex to the Filename
Hide Files in a .noindex Folder
Therein lie all of my secrets, but anyone can find these files using Spotlight.
One of the fastest ways to hide a file or folder, from Spotlight, on
the fly is to add the .noindex extension to the end of the filename or
folder. The simplest way to get those files hidden is to create a
folder, preferably named something innocuous, and add the extension to
the end of the name. I’ll end up with a folder named “Nothing to See
Here.noindex” or something similar. With the .noindex extension, Spotlight can't find this folder or its contents.
From there, I just drag all of the files I want to hide from
Spotlight into the folder. I can check that they’re now hidden by
searching for them in Spotlight. While I’ll no longer be able to access
my hidden files from Spotlight, I can still click to them in Finder. If the file is still visible, it will show up here in Spotlight's results.
Hide the File Itself With .noindex
If I don’t want to create a special folder just to hide a couple of
files, I can add the .noindex extension to the file itself. This is a
little more involved, though, as OS X tends to work as hard as it can to
preserve the file’s original extension. You'll need to edit the file's info to reliably change the extension.
Select the file to be hidden. Right-click and select Get Info, or click Command+I. Find the Name & Extension
field, and replace the current extension with .noindex. When prompted
to confirm that I want to change the extension, I agree. Now my file is
properly hidden from Spotlight search.
Tip: Clicking on the filename in Finder to change
the extension may only tack .noindex onto the filename before the
original extension. The extension may appear to have changed, but the
Get Info window will confirm that the extension was preserved.
Finder won’t know what to do with my file anymore, though. Look to the drop-down labeled Open With,
and select an application to handle the file. Be careful of setting a
single application to handle all .noindex files, as many different file
types may be hidden from Spotlight, and OS X sometimes creates .noindex
files itself. These files are each individually hidden from Spotlight.
2. Hide the File in the Library Folder
Though there are ways to get around it, Spotlight doesn’t search the
Library folder by default, and while not completely inaccessible, Finder
doesn’t make getting to the Library folder particularly easy, either.
That means the Library folder is a great place to stash files, hiding
them from both Spotlight and the prying eyes of a guest user. The Library folder is a good place to stick some hard to find files.
In Finder, hold Option while selecting Go
from the menu bar. This reveals the Library folder. Once in the
Library, create a folder that will look at home with everything else in
there, such as “App Files.” Any files I want to conceal can just be
shifted to that folder, and they’ll be hidden from Spotlight and most
casual users.
3. Use Spotlight’s Preferences
Spotlight will prevent searches of specific folders in its preferences. Select Spotlight Preferences from Spotlight’s search results or open Spotlight Preferences in System Preferences. Select the Privacy tab. Look to the Privacy tab in Spotlight Preferences.
Click the plus sign in the lower left to add folders to the list, or
drag folders directly into the pane. Unfortunately, the Spotlight
blacklist won’t accept standalone files, but any folders added here will
be excluded from Spotlight searches. Each folded added will be excluded from Spotlight's search.
Conclusion
Each method outlined has its advantages. While managing Spotlight
from System Preferences ensures that there’s always a running tab of
what’s hidden from Spotlight search, it’s much simpler to toss a file
into an unsearchable folder when working quickly. The file rename method
can be performed remotely or as part of an Automator workflow, so it
can prove more versatile than the System Preferences method in certain
circumstances.
It’s important to remember that none of these methods truly “hides”
anything, and all of my files will still be visible to anyone who looks
hard enough. To encrypt or further obscure files, look to FileVault in
Mac OS X or third-party applications.
Unknown
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.
Medical Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only. Krobknea makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained on or available through this web site, and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.