MacGuard Support
How can we help?
Installation, secure pairing, alerts, Camera Evidence, and the permissions MacGuard needs.
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Requirements
- MacGuard for Mac: macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon MacBook; the Mac download is free. Motion and lid sensor availability varies by model and is verified in the Mac app after helper authorization.
- MacGuard for iPhone: iOS 17 or later; the companion is a US $9.99 one-time App Store purchase with no subscription. Local storefront pricing may vary.
- Internet access is required for pairing, remote push alerts, cloud Alert History, and cloud JPEG evidence.
- The local Mac alarm and local incident recording do not depend on Firebase being reachable.
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Install the Mac app
- Download the signed and notarized MacGuard DMG from this website when version 1.0 is released.
- Open the DMG and move MacGuard to Applications.
- Open MacGuard and follow the macOS permission prompts for the protections you want.
- Starting the privileged motion helper requires an administrator confirmation.
Only download MacGuard from getmacguard.com. Release downloads will include a version number and SHA-256 checksum.
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Pair an iPhone
- Install MacGuard on the iPhone from the App Store and allow notifications.
- On the Mac, open MacGuard settings and create a pairing session.
- Scan the QR code with the iPhone app, or enter the displayed 10-digit code.
- Compare the 6-digit verification number shown on both devices.
- Approve the matching number on the Mac. Pairing is not complete until the Mac approves it.
Pairing codes are single-use and expire after about five minutes.
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Alerts and Camera Evidence
The local siren starts independently of the cloud service. If a paired iPhone and internet connection are available, MacGuard sends an alert through the cloud. A “sent” status means the push provider accepted it; it does not prove the notification was displayed on the phone.
When Camera Evidence is enabled, an alarm can create up to about 20 seconds of camera-only local video. The movie remains on the Mac and is never uploaded. Face-presence detection runs locally and does not identify anyone. Up to three compressed JPEG photos may be stored privately for the paired iPhone to view.
Deleting evidence
- On Mac, choose Delete All Local Videos and complete device-owner authentication.
- On iPhone, open an alert, choose the cloud-photo deletion action, then complete Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode authentication.
Local videos and cloud evidence have independent retention. Unpairing does not itself delete an alert timeline.
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Troubleshooting
Pairing is unavailable
- Confirm the Mac and iPhone are online.
- Create a new session if the pairing code expired or was already claimed.
- Make sure the verification number is approved on the Mac.
Notifications do not appear
- In iPhone Settings, allow notifications for MacGuard and review Time Sensitive notification settings.
- Open the iPhone app after installation so it can register for notifications.
- Confirm pairing is fully approved on the Mac.
- Use the test-alert action before relying on remote alerts.
Motion or input protection does not respond
- Verify the requested macOS permissions are enabled.
- Restart the protection session after changing permissions.
- Test on the physical Mac that will be protected.
What does Closed / Sleep Guard protect?
It protects the next lid open or wake after the grace period. A fully sleeping Mac cannot continuously run user-space motion or camera monitoring.
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Contact support
Email support@getmacguard.com and include the MacGuard version, macOS or iOS version, device model, and a description of what happened.
Do not send pairing claims, device secrets, App Check tokens, Apple credentials, Firebase configuration files, or private evidence photos unless a secure support procedure has been agreed.