diff --git a/screen-toolkit/plugin.toml b/screen-toolkit/plugin.toml
index 6c7b7225..084256ee 100644
--- a/screen-toolkit/plugin.toml
+++ b/screen-toolkit/plugin.toml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 id = "alexander/screen-toolkit"
 name = "Screen Toolkit"
-version = "1.3.0"
+version = "1.3.1"
 plugin_api = 13
 author = "alexander"
 license = "MIT"
@@ -157,6 +157,13 @@ label_key = "settings.record_audio_in.label"
 description_key = "settings.record_audio_in.description"
 default = false
 
+[[setting]]
+key = "hide-when-unused"
+type = "bool"
+label_key = "settings.hide_when_unused.label"
+description_key = "settings.hide_when_unused.description"
+default = false
+
 [[setting]]
 key = "hide-cursor"
 type = "bool"
diff --git a/screen-toolkit/translations/en.json b/screen-toolkit/translations/en.json
index 76ec92d4..bb6f4c8a 100644
--- a/screen-toolkit/translations/en.json
+++ b/screen-toolkit/translations/en.json
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@
       "description": "Maximum duration in seconds for GIF recordings.",
       "label": "Max GIF Duration"
     },
+    "hide_when_unused": {
+      "description": "Hide the bar widget when no recording is active. It will appear only while recording.",
+      "label": "Hide When Unused"
+    },
     "hide_cursor": {
       "description": "Exclude the cursor from recordings. Screenshots never include the cursor.",
       "label": "Hide Cursor in Recordings"
diff --git a/screen-toolkit/widget.luau b/screen-toolkit/widget.luau
index eec96749..055e1345 100644
--- a/screen-toolkit/widget.luau
+++ b/screen-toolkit/widget.luau
@@ -6,10 +6,13 @@
 -- Recording logic lives in the [[service]] — this widget
 -- only reflects the published state and drives the service through the
 -- "command" state channel.
+-- When "hide-when-unused" is enabled, the widget is hidden until a
+-- recording starts (issue #444).
 
-local recording = false
+local recording = noctalia.state.get("recording") == true
+local hideWhenUnused = noctalia.getConfig("hide-when-unused") == true
 local phase = 0
-local startedAt = nil
+local startedAt = noctalia.state.get("recordStartedAt")
 
 local function elapsed()
   if not startedAt then return "00:00" end
@@ -18,6 +21,12 @@ local function elapsed()
 end
 
 local function render()
+  if hideWhenUnused and not recording then
+    barWidget.setVisible(false)
+    return
+  end
+  barWidget.setVisible(true)
+
   local container = barWidget.isVertical() and ui.column or ui.row
   local children = {}
   if recording then
@@ -52,6 +61,11 @@ noctalia.state.watch("recordStartedAt", function(value)
   render()
 end)
 
+function onConfigChanged()
+  hideWhenUnused = noctalia.getConfig("hide-when-unused") == true
+  render()
+end
+
 function onClick()
   -- The bar icon never stops a recording; it just opens the panel so the
   -- stop button (in the panel header, next to the close X) is reachable.