Is it possible to manage which apps user accounts can access?

[rocknblogger]

Is there any way I can hide apps from user accounts, for example a guest account?

I also want to let my wife use my Mac but I don't want her to be overwhelmed by all the apps I have installed.

And as far as guests I would prefer to only allow them to have access to a browser and maybe a couple others. This will keep them from wanting to hang out on my Mac for too long, if you know what I mean

 

[ScoobyMcDoo]

You can limit which applications can be run through parental controls. Not sure if it hides their existence though.

Other than that, you can create a new groups in system preferences->Accounts, then only give members of that groups access to the applications you want to limit (using "get info"). If you use this method, they can still see the apps exist, the just can't execute them.

 

[rocknblogger]

Okay, that's an option but I would love to just hide the apps altogether. I would have thought that OSX would allow that somehow.

 

[breakingdawn]

Hide app existance

I know the last msg here is almost a year old, but i'm trying to find out the exact same thing. Did you ever figure out how to hide the actual existance of certain apps from different users?

I'm trying to set up an iMac with different user accts for my kids...but hubby and I are not interested in being overloaded by their games. Every time I download something from the app store in any user acct it shows up in all. I also want to be able to limit the clutter on the launchpad for my three year old. I know how to use parental controls to prevent opening an app....but I want it out of sight completely.

Thanks

 

[durija]

What about placing the app in an encrypted disk image? An app doesn't need to be in an Applications folder to run (at least not usually). Nobody will see the app unless they can open your encrypted disk first.