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alentred 2 days ago [-]
I understand that the objective is to, pardon the language, detect the "creeps", but somehow the app itself feels creepy, too :/ Somehow I wouldn't feel comfortable even installing it. Not to mention my own privacy concerns.
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
I felt pretty violated when someone went through my Mac and personal data without my knowledge which is why I created this app. I see this much like a home security system with cameras: a way to know when someone accesses your space.
The app runs sandboxed, doesn't have access to your personal files, and meets Apple's privacy requirements as well as my own. That said, not everyone will be comfortable with it, and that's fine.
lakeviewterrace 2 days ago [-]
Or you could just buy a Yubikey
wltr 1 days ago [-]
I mean, everyone can assemble an FTP server, why start Dropbox, right?
lakeviewterrace 1 days ago [-]
Sounds like this app is perfect for you.
wltr 9 hours ago [-]
I think this is a great idea, overall. It’s not perfect for me, because I’m not using macOS for a very long time now. Good luck to a random stranger figuring out how to use my highly custom SwayWM system.
echelon_musk 1 days ago [-]
FileVault 2 exists for this reason?
mahboi 2 days ago [-]
Where is your Mac sitting that random people go through it? And it stays unlocked? My family had a shared iMac when I was a kid, but people still had their own accounts. Some of us may have known one or more other users' passwords, plus I had sudo, but that still prevented random people from going on.
Scarbutt 2 days ago [-]
[flagged]
saagarjha 2 days ago [-]
This is an extremely disrespectful and ignorant position to take in the context of domestic abuse.
2 days ago [-]
bloppe 2 days ago [-]
This app looks like a funny and whimsical response to that experience (respect) but wouldn't a much simpler solution be to shut your laptop lid? :)
Edit: re-read the description and I suppose it makes sense if you share your password
j45 1 days ago [-]
How could this app feel creepy?
It's a security camera in a laptop.
If someone opens your laptop, who isn't you/shouldn't, you know.
nikolay 2 days ago [-]
How about the free DND (DoNotDisturb) [0] by Objective See foundation?
DND is a valid alternative! There's definitely overlap, including photo alerts. DND's detection is based on opening a MacBook's lid.
Someone Was Here also detects activity after idle, lock-screen interaction, and unlocks, so it covers an already-open laptop or a desktop Mac that has no "lid" as well.
It also recognizes your face locally to suppress alerts about yourself, and offers a multiple remote alert options, Shortcuts actions with Siri phrases, a webhook for integration, and an MCP server for agents.
hajrice 1 days ago [-]
Surprised no one is commenting on the fantastic design. Looked at the hero, within 2 seconds, I understood what you do. Nice work.
4onthefloor124 1 days ago [-]
[flagged]
ludsan 2 days ago [-]
> Many thanks to my ex for inspiring my new MacOS app
story implied?
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
Oh yes...some relationships end in closure, others end in software.
ostacke 2 days ago [-]
Maybe in Clojure, even
vegnus 2 days ago [-]
Closure in Clojure
kirkenshrir 2 days ago [-]
I'm a PC/Android guy but I'd love an app like this! I have kids but i don't want to always have to input a pin whenever i step away from the computer in my own home. They can use it when i say it's okay but I don't like them hopping on when I'm out (and watching Youtube videos instead of doing their homework)
origfla 1 days ago [-]
Kinda cool - Sentry mode for your mac. I'd say the use-case is a bit weird, though, since you should just lock the darn machine and no longer need this, but, if, for some reason you need to leave your machine unlocked (don't get why, though), I can see the benefit of this
hkchad 3 hours ago [-]
Do people really not lock their computers when they walk away? I mean we have touch id for crying out loud and if they know your PW, welp, you've authorized the use.
thisislife2 2 days ago [-]
Nice idea.
> Real-time remote alerts are available via one-time $4.99 lifetime purchase via the free companion iPhone/iPad app, Pushover, ntfy, Telegram or a webhook.
Instead of making users download 2 apps (one on the Mac and one on the iPhone), you should instead consider sending the alert by email (through Mail extensions) and / or iMessage (iMessage Extensions) - you can still charge for it.
keyringlight 2 days ago [-]
Wouldn't messages syncing to all devices, which might be a concern if you wanted the detection to be covert and only get alerts on a devices you can trust to be on your person? i.e. the 'unrecognized person' won't see a new email coming in to tell them they've been spotted and prompt then to cover their tracks.
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
To this point, the app holds its own desktop notification until it recognizes your face again, and only then tells you who came by. Remote alerts are instant.
DANmode 2 days ago [-]
Slick!
thisislife2 1 days ago [-]
That's a good point, and a use case scenario, I hadn't considered. Email could be sent through third-party services, without alerting the intruder, but an iMessage would indeed be harder to hide if syncing is enabled.
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
Fair suggestion! The real-time remote alerts are optional.
The companion app gives you encrypted delivery through your own iCloud account without involving my servers, but I can see the appeal of email. For anyone comfortable wiring things together, there’s also a built-in MCP server alongside webhooks, so there’s plenty of room for custom integrations.
AdityaK_9999 1 days ago [-]
My question is , does it actually keep the camera turned on Always??? And check against facial biometrics? Else how does it differentiate between the user and some random guy .
Just a doubt and i hope its not what i think.
4onthefloor124 1 days ago [-]
No, the camera isn't always on. It briefly activates when someone interacts with the lock screen, unlocks the Mac, or returns after an configurable idle period. The camera light comes on for every photo (required by MacOS).
It compares the photo against your photos take during the initial using face recognition entirely on your Mac. Face data never leaves the Mac; photos leave only through an alert destination you enable. I receive neither.
octol 2 days ago [-]
I’d pay for this for my iPhone.
4onthefloor124 1 days ago [-]
[flagged]
cadamsdotcom 2 days ago [-]
This is so weird.
Like, ...
Lock your laptop when you stand up??
Why would anyone know your password? If they do, change it.
This advice is available for the low low price of $4.99/month.
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
Locking your Mac is good advice. This also records someone trying to use it while it's locked.
A lock prevents access; an audit trail tells you someone tried. Same reason people have both door locks and security cameras.
And to clarify the pricing: the Mac app and local history are free. Remote alerts are $4.99 once, not per month.
pizzly 2 days ago [-]
I guess it could help determine physical tampering. While you lock your computer, someone could stick something on the laptop or inside it such as a microphone, location tracker etc. That app will help for that type of situation. Perhaps unlikely situation but still within the realm of possibility.
Also could be cool to see if your "friends" + "family" try to access your locked computer.
judge2020 2 days ago [-]
Ctrl-command Q (and Win+L for Linux/Windows) is instinct at this point for me.
dolia 1 days ago [-]
I love these totally self-assured advice that totally work in theory and dismiss any particularities in any household.
_ks3e 2 days ago [-]
I look forward to a barrage of alerts with cat pictures.
skrunch 1 days ago [-]
Sounds like a feature to me, I'd love to get random pictures from my cat throughout the day!
4onthefloor124 1 days ago [-]
Accidental cat monitoring is a feature I'm willing to take credit for. :)
“Alert when no face is in view” is on by default. Someone snooping might cover the camera, look away, or sit out of frame. Treating an empty frame as suspicious is the safe default for a security app. The trade-off is the occasional cat alert.
Turn it off if you'd rather limit notifications to human suspects. Cat actually appearing in the frame sold separately.
holdmywaffles 2 days ago [-]
> whether you left it unlocked or they know your password
this is why mandatory security training is a thing.
protip: a habit of locking your doors is cheaper and more effective than cameras inside your house, too.
chilarai 2 days ago [-]
How frequently does it take a photograph? How do you identify if someone else is using my mac.
Although it sounds interesting, I'm a bit skeptical
4onthefloor124 1 days ago [-]
It takes a photo on lock-screen activity, an unlock, or activity after an idle period (2 minutes by default). It doesn't continually photograph you while you work. If it detects someone else, it can take up to five follow-up photos, 90 seconds apart, while they remain active.
It identifies you by comparing against photos you take during setup, entirely on your Mac. The camera light comes on with every capture, and you can restrict detection to only lock-screen activity and unlocks.
pnkzin 11 hours ago [-]
[dead]
nazmoonmunny 1 days ago [-]
[dead]
drrajvanshi 1 days ago [-]
[flagged]
tempaccountabcd 17 hours ago [-]
[dead]
vancekai 1 days ago [-]
[flagged]
imposter 2 days ago [-]
[dead]
hyperjeff 2 days ago [-]
[flagged]
4onthefloor124 2 days ago [-]
The goal is an audit trail of someone trying to use your Mac, including at the lock screen. Much like a doorbell camera or home security system. It complements proper account boundaries.
There's nothing hidden about the app. It sits visibly in the menu bar, and the camera light comes on whenever it takes a photo. Face recognition happens locally. Photos stay on your Mac unless you enable an alert destination. They never touch my server. No ads or tracking. I built it how I would want an app to function from a privacy standpoint.
2 days ago [-]
kube-system 2 days ago [-]
spyware is by definition capturing information from someone else's computer
peddling-brink 2 days ago [-]
This software can be installed on someone else’s computer.
That being said, this isn’t spyware, but neither is a hammer a weapon.
The app runs sandboxed, doesn't have access to your personal files, and meets Apple's privacy requirements as well as my own. That said, not everyone will be comfortable with it, and that's fine.
Edit: re-read the description and I suppose it makes sense if you share your password
It's a security camera in a laptop.
If someone opens your laptop, who isn't you/shouldn't, you know.
[0]: https://objective-see.org/products/donotdisturb.html
Someone Was Here also detects activity after idle, lock-screen interaction, and unlocks, so it covers an already-open laptop or a desktop Mac that has no "lid" as well.
It also recognizes your face locally to suppress alerts about yourself, and offers a multiple remote alert options, Shortcuts actions with Siri phrases, a webhook for integration, and an MCP server for agents.
story implied?
> Real-time remote alerts are available via one-time $4.99 lifetime purchase via the free companion iPhone/iPad app, Pushover, ntfy, Telegram or a webhook.
Instead of making users download 2 apps (one on the Mac and one on the iPhone), you should instead consider sending the alert by email (through Mail extensions) and / or iMessage (iMessage Extensions) - you can still charge for it.
The companion app gives you encrypted delivery through your own iCloud account without involving my servers, but I can see the appeal of email. For anyone comfortable wiring things together, there’s also a built-in MCP server alongside webhooks, so there’s plenty of room for custom integrations.
It compares the photo against your photos take during the initial using face recognition entirely on your Mac. Face data never leaves the Mac; photos leave only through an alert destination you enable. I receive neither.
Like, ...
Lock your laptop when you stand up??
Why would anyone know your password? If they do, change it.
This advice is available for the low low price of $4.99/month.
A lock prevents access; an audit trail tells you someone tried. Same reason people have both door locks and security cameras.
And to clarify the pricing: the Mac app and local history are free. Remote alerts are $4.99 once, not per month.
Also could be cool to see if your "friends" + "family" try to access your locked computer.
“Alert when no face is in view” is on by default. Someone snooping might cover the camera, look away, or sit out of frame. Treating an empty frame as suspicious is the safe default for a security app. The trade-off is the occasional cat alert.
Turn it off if you'd rather limit notifications to human suspects. Cat actually appearing in the frame sold separately.
this is why mandatory security training is a thing.
protip: a habit of locking your doors is cheaper and more effective than cameras inside your house, too.
It identifies you by comparing against photos you take during setup, entirely on your Mac. The camera light comes on with every capture, and you can restrict detection to only lock-screen activity and unlocks.
There's nothing hidden about the app. It sits visibly in the menu bar, and the camera light comes on whenever it takes a photo. Face recognition happens locally. Photos stay on your Mac unless you enable an alert destination. They never touch my server. No ads or tracking. I built it how I would want an app to function from a privacy standpoint.
That being said, this isn’t spyware, but neither is a hammer a weapon.