PanicMode
Protect your screen in public with one shortcut
63 followers
Protect your screen in public with one shortcut
63 followers
PanicMode is a native desktop app for macOS and Windows that lets you instantly cover your screen with a clean, neutral workspace using a single hotkey. Built for people working in public spaces, it helps avoid exposing emails, chats, or sensitive data when someone walks by. Choose from different workspace profiles (Developer, Office…) that blend naturally with your setup. No screenshots, no blur, just instant control.
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Hey Product Hunt
I built PanicMode after too many moments working in cafés, trains, or shared spaces where my screen was fully exposed. Minimizing everything quickly is messy and never really works.
So I made a simple solution: press one shortcut, and your screen is instantly replaced with a normal-looking workspace that blends in instead of hiding everything.
It’s not a lock screen or a fake overlay, it’s fully interactive and customizable so it actually feels like a real environment.
Curious if this is something you would use, especially if you work in public a lot.
There’s also a small launch offer if you want to remove the delay (code: PHLAUNCH)
The name alone got me. What's the core use case is it a "drop everything" focus mode or more of a triage tool when things go sideways?
@imad_elkhafi Haha glad the name worked 😄
It’s more of a "things go sideways" tool
When someone walks behind you and your screen is full of emails / chats, instead of minimizing everything you press one shortcut and it instantly looks like a normal workspace
So yeah not focus mode, more like instant cover when needed
Curious how you usually handle that situation?
@justin_seyvecou Haha that's a very specific and very real problem the "boss walks by" moment. Honestly I usually just alt-tab into a terminal and pretend I'm debugging something. This is a much cleaner solution.
@imad_elkhafi Haha yeah the classic open a terminal and look busy move 😄
I used to do the same but it always felt a bit obvious
this way it blends more naturally, like nothing really changed
curious if you’d actually use something like this or stick to the terminal trick?
@justin_seyvecou Honestly yeah I'd use this the terminal trick works but there's always a split second of suspicion. Blending naturally with zero visible action is a much smoother sell.
The fake workspace approach is way more interesting than a blur. Curious how fast the swap actually is on an older machine. Any flicker would kind of kill it.
@andrewbuilds I developed the Windows version on a VM with 2 vCPU and 4GB memory. The transition still looks convincing, but I am curious to know what is other people experience with it.
This is one of those things you don’t think about until you need it 😅
Feels much more practical than trying to hide everything manually every time you’re in a public space.
@munevver_ertuncccc Haha yeah exactly, one of those things you don’t think about until it happens once
Would definitely need this because I don't joke with my privacy..
@manal_essalek1 Haha yeah, same here. I think a lot more people care about screen privacy than we realize, especially now that so many people work from cafés, coworking spaces, or open offices.
I honestly didn’t expect so many people to immediately relate to the idea during the launch.
Also just added a small interactive demo on the website so people can get a feel for it directly in the browser without installing anything yet.
Curious, do people actually use privacy screen filters or do you find them annoying?
I can finally protect my confidential business data(endless feed with cats memes)😄
@eugene_chernyak Exactly 😄 important to keep the right level of privacy for those cat memes