Download gohide
Free for up to 3 apps. Offline, no account — one package for every supported Windows PC.
Most people: get the Microsoft Store version — signed by Microsoft, no warnings, updates itself. No Store on your PC? Use the installer (Windows may warn once, because it isn't code-signed yet). On a USB stick or a locked-down PC? Take the portable ZIP.
Microsoft Store
RecommendedNo download warningsThe Store copy is signed by Microsoft: no browser or SmartScreen warning, nothing to keep or unblock, and updates install themselves. It still asks for admin once at startup, which gohide needs to manage other apps' windows.
gohide for Windows
v5.8.4x64 · runs on ARM64 via emulation
6cb347872ff39f810466434522ddfa9170fdc1bd3db63a4602369b4b4c0b1f8cPortable (no install)
No installUnzip anywhere and run — all settings and data live in a data folder next to the exe, nothing touches the registry or %APPDATA%. Delete the folder to remove it completely. Great for a USB stick, a shared PC, or if you'd rather not install.
No installer and no updater — fewer moving parts for Windows to block.
Size 86 MB · ZIP
Other download options
Windows 11 with Smart App Control on? Tray hiding still works
Smart App Control only runs programs it already recognizes or that carry a certificate from a trusted authority, and it offers no “Run anyway”. It normally doesn't stop gohide: with it switched on, windows, taskbar buttons and tray icons all hide as usual in our tests. For a few apps it can still block part of gohide, reporting “Part of this app has been blocked”, and that app's tray icon then stays visible.
If an icon does stay put, turning Smart App Control off clears it, and you can switch it back on in Windows Security whenever you like. This isn't specific to where you got gohide — the block depends on gohide's signature, so the Microsoft Store version behaves the same. A code signing certificate, which we're working on, will remove the need for it entirely.
Not sure whether it's on? Open Windows Security → App & browser control. If you see Smart App Control set to On, that's it.
One self-contained package: gohide runs natively on x64 and emulated on ARM64, with tray hiding supported on x64, ARM64 and x86.
System requirements
- Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
- x64 PC, or ARM64 via emulation
- No admin needed to install — gohide elevates only at runtime for window/tray control
- ~90 MB download, self-contained — no .NET or runtime to install
After downloading
- 1Run the downloaded Setup.exe. If Windows shows a warning, follow the guide linked above.
- 2gohide installs in a few seconds — no admin prompt to install — and starts automatically. It asks for admin once when it starts, to manage other apps' windows.
- 3A tray icon appears and the main window lists your running apps; tick apps and assign hotkeys.
- 4If a window hides but its tray icon stays, that app is probably protected — or Windows 11's Smart App Control is blocking part of gohide. See the Smart App Control section above.
- 5Bought Pro? Activate offline on the Activate page.