How to Lock Slack on a Mac
Slack channels and DMs can contain anything — salary talk, HR threads, unreleased plans, blunt opinions about coworkers. Sharing your screen or handing your Mac to someone else with Slack running is a common way for that to become visible by accident.
Why people want to lock Slack
The classic scenario: you're about to screen-share on a call, and a notification banner from a DM pops up in the corner, or you forget Slack is even open in the background and someone glimpses a channel they shouldn't. It's rarely malicious — it's just that Slack, by nature, is where the unfiltered version of workplace conversation happens, and it's easy to forget it's running.
What doesn't work
Quitting Slack manually before every call works exactly as long as you remember to do it, every time, which in practice means it eventually slips. Switching to a different workspace doesn't hide anything — your other channels and DMs are still one click away. And running a second macOS user account just to keep Slack separate is unrealistic for a daily work machine; nobody actually does that.
What actually works
Shoo! quits Slack automatically on a trigger you set — before a scheduled meeting, when your screen locks, or on a recurring schedule — so there's no need to remember. The app disappears from the Dock and Mission Control entirely, not just minimized, so a stray notification can't surface mid-screen-share. Reopening it afterward brings you straight back to your workspace.
Try it free for 7 days — full functionality, no credit card, $17.99 once if you keep it.
Frequently asked
Does locking Slack with Shoo! sign me out of my workspace?
No. Quitting the app ends the process, but Slack reopens already signed in to your workspace — you won't need to log in again.
Can I set it to lock automatically before meetings?
Yes. You can set a schedule or tie it to your screen lock, so Slack quits before you'd typically join a call without you having to remember.
Does this affect notifications from other apps?
No. Shoo! only manages the apps you choose — locking Slack doesn't touch email, calendar, or any other notification source.
Can I open Slack with Touch ID after locking it with Shoo!?
Yes. Once Slack is locked it only opens after Touch ID succeeds. If your Mac has no Touch ID, you can confirm with Apple Watch (double-press the side button) or a private backup password that is separate from your Mac login password.
Is Slack still protected if I switch desktops or come back to it later?
Yes. Shoo! does not draw an overlay or check only at launch. It ends the Slack process when locked, so switching Spaces or returning to the app later can't show what was on screen. It reopens only after you verify.