ScreenVeil

Comparison / 4 min read

Muzzle vs ScreenVeil: which privacy problem are you solving?

For notification interruptions, use Focus or try Muzzle. If you only need to show one app, share that window. ScreenVeil is for calls where you move between several apps and need private ones to stay open and usable without appearing in the window you share.

Muzzle and macOS Focus deal with notifications. ScreenVeil keeps private apps out of the window you share. Compare them and pick the simplest setup for your calls.

By ScreenVeilUpdated

Illustration of a muted bell beside a filtered window, comparing notifications and capture control.Muzzle or ScreenVeil?
Illustration

Start with what you're trying to keep off screen

"Keep private things off my screen share" sounds like one job, but it can mean stopping a message banner, hiding an inbox you have open, or keeping a private browser tab out of view. Each of those needs a different fix.

We make ScreenVeil, so we're not a neutral source. We've tried to be straight about what each option does, including the settings your Mac already has, since sometimes those are all you need.

What each option does

Scroll sideways to compare →

OptionWhat it's forLimits
macOS FocusChoosing which notifications can interrupt youIt won't hide an open app window from a desktop share.
MuzzleTurning on Do Not Disturb automatically when you start sharing, according to its websiteIts website doesn't describe it as a way to hide app windows.
Sharing one window or tabShowing only that window or tabOn its own, it can't show several apps while leaving others out.
ScreenVeil's Privacy ScreenA separate window to share, with the apps you mark as private left outIt can't filter a whole-screen share, and it doesn't hide individual browser tabs or text inside an app you're sharing.

Notifications and windows are separate problems

What handles what

  1. 01

    A banner arrives

    Focus, or a notification tool like Muzzle

  2. 02

    You open an inbox

    Share just the window you're presenting

  3. 03

    You move between several apps

    Share Privacy Screen, with private apps left out

If banners are your only worry, the first fix is enough.

When the built-in option is enough

If you're presenting one slide deck and just want fewer interruptions, turn on Focus and share only the slide window. Check the Focus exceptions and send yourself a harmless test notification. You probably don't need another app for a problem your Mac already handles.

Muzzle is worth a look if you keep forgetting to turn on Do Not Disturb. Its website says it does that for you when screen sharing starts. We haven't tested Muzzle across current macOS versions ourselves, so try it with your Mac and meeting app before relying on it.

When ScreenVeil fits

ScreenVeil makes sense if you demo several apps on a call and need Slack or email open on the side. Mark those apps as private, start Privacy Screen and share that window. When ScreenVeil detects that sharing has started, it hides its preview on your Mac. Choose Show Privacy Screen from the menu if you need to select the window again.

You get three free protected sessions. You'll need to enter an email address the first time, but not a card. After that, Pro is a one-time $9.99 plus applicable tax. Use the free sessions to try it with your own apps and meeting tools before you buy. We've tested it with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Loom and OBS.

Try it

Your Mac

Public presentation

Q3 product demo

Private team message

Let's talk after the demo.

Example message

Shared Privacy Screen

Public presentation

Q3 product demo

Private app hidden

The private app stays open on your Mac but isn't in the shared view. In a real call, you pick the Privacy Screen window in your meeting app.

Can you use notification settings and ScreenVeil together?

Yes. They handle different parts of getting ready for a call. Notification settings cut down on interruptions, and ScreenVeil keeps the apps you mark as private out of Privacy Screen. Privacy Screen also leaves macOS notification banners out by default, but pop-ups an app draws itself and notification sounds still come through, so keep Focus or Do Not Disturb on while you present. Neither one stops other apps from recording your real screen, and a macOS or meeting app update can change how either of them behaves.

Browser tabs need their own plan. ScreenVeil hides whole apps, so if your public and private pages are in the same browser, it can't hide just the private tabs. Share a single tab instead, or keep private browsing in a different browser.

Before you decide

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