Help and FAQ

Yes, Vanish is safe. The MSI installer is code-signed, which verifies the file's authenticity and that it has not been tampered with. Browsers and Windows Defender may flag downloads from new publishers because the publisher has not yet accumulated enough verified installs. This warning will appear less frequently as more users install Vanish. To download safely, use the download link on the Download page. Do not download from third-party sites.

This is the Windows SmartScreen warning, which appears for MSI files from newer publishers. To proceed: click "More info" in the SmartScreen dialog, then click "Run anyway". Vanish's MSI is code-signed. SmartScreen is a reputation-based system — it flags all new publishers until enough installs accumulate. This does not indicate a security problem with the file.

Windows 10 or later (Windows 10, 11), 64-bit (x64) processor. Vanish is Windows-only. It is not available for macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS.

No, this is intentional behavior. The hide list is session-volatile by design — it resets to empty on every launch. This is a safety decision: window handles are runtime-only identities. A window from yesterday's session has a different handle today. Persisting the hide list would result in misidentification. Re-add your apps at the start of each session — the process selector makes this fast.

Open the Vanish main window (double-click the tray icon). On the General page, click "Add Process". The process selector shows all currently running visible applications. Click an app to add it to your hide list. Only running applications appear in the selector — open the app before adding it.

After adding at least one app to your hide list: click "Start Vanishing" on the General page, use the Start/Stop shortcut you configured on the Shortcuts page, or right-click the tray icon and choose "Start Vanishing". Vanish must be in an active session for keyboard shortcuts and edge zone triggers to work.

Check these in order: Is the session active? The tray icon shows the active state — if not, start the session first. Is there at least one app in the hide list? The list resets on each launch. Is the shortcut configured? Open the Shortcuts page and confirm the shortcut is set. Is the shortcut conflicting with another application?

Hidden windows are removed from the Windows shell — they disappear from your taskbar and Alt+Tab. They are not closed, minimized, or moved to another desktop. They continue running in the background exactly as they were.

No. Task Manager shows all running processes regardless of window visibility. Task Manager is a system-level tool, not a user interface shell. Vanish removes windows from the taskbar and Alt+Tab — it does not affect what appears in Task Manager.

No. Vanish hides and restores all apps in your hide list together. If you need to hide only one specific app, add only that one app to the hide list.

Yes. The hide list is based on process name — it hides all matching top-level windows regardless of which monitor they are on. If an app has windows on multiple monitors, all of them will be hidden.

7 days, starting from the first time you launch Vanish after installation.

No. The trial start date is stored in two places (a file in %APPDATA%\Vanish\ and the Windows registry). The earlier of the two dates is used as the canonical start date. This prevents trial extension by rolling back the system clock, deleting the file, or reinstalling.

When the 7-day trial ends, the Start Vanishing button and session controls are locked. The Vanish app remains installed with your settings intact. A "Trial Expired" dialog will appear. To continue, activate a license on the About page.

Purchase a license at the Pricing page. You will receive a license key by email from Lemon Squeezy. Open Vanish → About page. Enter the license key in the activation field and click Activate. Activation requires internet access once; subsequent launches verify locally.

No. After the initial activation, all subsequent launches verify the license locally. No internet connection is required for daily use.

If a hidden app crashes or is closed while hidden, Vanish cannot restore it — the process no longer exists. Check Task Manager to see if the process is still running. If it was closed, relaunch the application manually.

Some applications override their own window position when shown. This is controlled by the application, not by Vanish. Vanish captures and applies the window placement exactly — but if the application itself moves its window after being shown, Vanish cannot prevent this.

Check: Is the app in the hide list? The list resets on each launch — re-add the app if needed. Is the session active when you trigger? Is the app a UWP/Store app with a non-standard window type? Is the app running as administrator while Vanish is not?

Uninstall Vanish from Windows Settings → Apps. Note: license.dat is intentionally preserved after uninstall to prevent the trial from resetting on reinstall. To remove it completely, delete %APPDATA%\Vanish\license.dat after uninstalling.

After installation: Vanish contacts the internet during license activation only. Once activated, all license verification is local. Vanish uses Sentry for crash reporting if you encounter an error — this sends anonymized error data. No window content, screen content, or application data is ever sent anywhere.

No. Vanish stores settings in %APPDATA%\Vanish\settings.json and license information in %APPDATA%\Vanish\license.dat. It optionally registers itself for Windows startup via a registry key if you enable "Launch at startup." No system files are modified.