The short answer. BlurScreen blurs a region of the screen for a recording or a share, which is the direct answer to “I need to show this window but not that one”. Muzzle silences notifications while you are sharing, which is the same problem one layer up. Mask This masks sensitive text in the clipboard, so a paste does not leak what a screenshot would have. Lockpaw locks the screen from a hotkey, MakLock locks an individual application behind Touch ID, Apple Watch proximity or a password, and Deskmark watermarks the desktop for recorded video. The dividing question is what you are protecting against: a viewer in the room, a recording that outlives the meeting, or someone who picks up the laptop afterwards.
This guide covers 6 screen privacy apps for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlurScreen App | privacy utility | not published | not published | 1.0 |
| Deskmark | desktop utility | not published | not published | — |
| Lockpaw | security tool | Open source | MIT | 1.5.0 |
| MakLock | security tool | Open source | MIT | 1.0.1 |
| Mask This | system tool | Open source | Apache-2.0 | — |
| Muzzle | productivity app | not published | not published | 1.9 |
What actually decides this
- What is being hidden. A region of the screen, a notification, a clipboard payload and a whole application are four different surfaces. Tools in this category are usually good at exactly one, and the marketing language is identical across all four.
- Whether the protection survives the share. An overlay drawn on your screen is captured by a screen recorder unless the tool excludes itself from capture. A blur that only exists in your eyes is not privacy; it is decoration.
- When it turns on. A hotkey is a decision you make under pressure, which is exactly when you forget. Automatic activation on screen sharing is safer and harder to verify. Neither is reliable without a habit.
- What the authentication is. Touch ID, Apple Watch proximity and a typed password are three different threat models. The first two stop someone at the desk; the third also stops someone who took the laptop.
- Whether it leaves a trace. A watermark is meant to be visible and permanent in the recording. A blur is meant to be absent from it. Choosing one when you wanted the other is the mistake this category is built around.
Our picks
- BlurScreen App — Its record describes instantly blurring sensitive on-screen content for recording or screen sharing, which is the region case. Choose it when part of the screen has to be hidden during a share or recording.
- Muzzle — Its record describes silencing notifications while screensharing, which is the notification case. Choose it when the risk is a notification appearing mid-presentation.
- Mask This — Its record describes masking sensitive information in the clipboard, which is the clipboard case. Choose it when the risk is what you are about to paste.
- MakLock — Its record describes locking any app with Touch ID, Apple Watch proximity or a password, which is the per-app case. Choose it when one application has to be locked while the rest of the Mac stays usable.
- Lockpaw — Its record describes a menu bar screen guard that locks and unlocks with a hotkey, which is the whole-screen case. Choose it when you want the whole screen locked from a hotkey.
- Deskmark — Its record describes adding watermarks to the desktop for recording video, which is the marking case rather than the hiding case. Choose it when the recording needs a visible watermark on the desktop.
The apps
BlurScreen App
BlurScreen App is a privacy utility for macOS. Instantly blur sensitive on-screen content for recording or screen sharing. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Blur your screen in one click — hide sensitive info during demos, live streams, screen recordings and screenshots. No video editing needed.
BlurScreen App is listed with current version 1.0.
Full profile and verified facts for BlurScreen App →
Deskmark
Deskmark is a desktop utility for macOS. Add watermarks to the desktop, ideal for recording videos. Its pricing is not published.
Full profile and verified facts for Deskmark →
Lockpaw
Lockpaw is a security tool for macOS. Menu bar screen guard for macOS — lock and unlock your screen with a hotkey. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Lock your Mac with a hotkey without sleep. AI agents keep running — and the screen glows when your agent needs you. Choose dog, cat, or your own image, unlock with Touch ID.
Lockpaw is listed with current version 1.5.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Lockpaw →
MakLock
MakLock is a security tool for macOS. Lock any macOS app with Touch ID, Apple Watch proximity, or password. Full-screen blur overlay on all monitors. It is released under MIT.
What it does. [x] Lock apps with Touch ID (single prompt). [x] Password fallback for Macs without Touch ID. [x] Apple Watch proximity unlock with wrist detection. [x] Full-screen blur overlay on all monitors.
MakLock is listed with current version 1.0.1.
Full profile and verified facts for MakLock →
Mask This
Mask This is a system tool for macOS. Menu bar app that masks sensitive information in the clipboard. It is released under Apache-2.0.
What it does. Real-time Clipboard Monitoring: Automatically detects when you copy text to your clipboard. AI-Powered Masking: Uses Apple Intelligence to identify and hide sensitive data. Privacy First: Processing happens locally on your device using on-device language models. Menu Bar Integration: Quick access to settings directly from your macOS menu bar.
Full profile and verified facts for Mask This →
Muzzle
Muzzle is a productivity app for macOS. A simple mac app to silence embarrassing notifications while screensharing. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Automatically turn on Do Not Disturb when screensharing starts. It works with everything.
Muzzle is listed with current version 1.9.
Full profile and verified facts for Muzzle →
How to choose
- No licence fee, source available. Lockpaw, MakLock and Mask This — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Pricing not published in our data. BlurScreen App, Deskmark and Muzzle — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: Lockpaw, MakLock and Mask This (3 of 6).
Common mistakes
- Blurring something with an overlay that the screen recorder also captures.
- Relying on a hotkey you have to remember while someone is watching your screen.
- Locking the app but leaving a notification preview on the lock screen.
- Watermarking when the requirement was to redact. The two look similar in a settings panel and produce opposite results.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these screen privacy apps?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 6 screen privacy apps: BlurScreen App, Deskmark, Lockpaw, MakLock, Mask This and Muzzle. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these screen privacy apps free?
Pricing across this group: not published (BlurScreen App, Deskmark and Muzzle) and open source (Lockpaw, MakLock and Mask This). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these screen privacy apps are open source?
Lockpaw (MIT), MakLock (MIT) and Mask This (Apache-2.0) are open source.
Do these screen privacy apps support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
