LidOwl
Arms itself at the office
Pick the Wi-Fi networks that arm it, like work or your usual café, and the ones that stand it down, like home.
Two minutes is long enough.
The coffee order. The meeting that ran over. The hotel breakfast. You come back, the lid is where you left it, and you have no way of knowing whether anyone opened it.
Now you will.
What happens when the lid opens
A real wake, as LidOwl logs it. Timings measured on a MacBook Pro.
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lidOpenedThe lid lifts. LidOwl is armed, so the camera starts, right on the lock screen.
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photoTakenOne photo, once the camera has adjusted to the light. The green light comes on while it does.
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alertYour iPhone shows the photo on the lock screen, and on your Apple Watch if it mirrors your iPhone.
iCloud delivers the alert. It usually takes seconds, sometimes longer.
Set it once. It keeps watch.
Stays quiet when it's you
Unlock within 15 seconds and nothing is sent. The photo stays on your Mac.
On Macs where LidOwl can read the lock state.
Arms from your pocket
One tap in the iPhone app, a widget on your Home Screen, or ask Siri.
“Arm my Mac with LidOwl”
Never drops a photo
No internet when the lid opens? The photo waits on your Mac and sends the moment it's back online.
One owl, two screens
The Mac takes the photo. Your iPhone shows it to you, wherever you are.
No secrets. It's a camera app.
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The green light comes on
It's built into your Mac and nothing can hide it. LidOwl wouldn't want to.
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It photographs you too
LidOwl can't tell your password from a wrong one. Open your own Mac while it's armed and you'll get your own photo, unless you unlock in time.
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Your iCloud, not ours
Photos live on your Mac and in your private iCloud. No accounts, no LidOwl servers, no ads, no analytics.
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Only after you log in
After a restart, FileVault's login screen runs before any app can. LidOwl keeps watch from your next login.
Use LidOwl only on Macs you own.
Questions people ask
Does it work when my Mac is locked?
Yes. That's the point. The photo is taken on the lock screen, before anyone types a password.
Will I get an alert every time I open my own Mac?
Not if you unlock within 15 seconds, on Macs where LidOwl can read the lock state. You can also disarm before you sit down, from your iPhone, or let your home Wi-Fi disarm it for you.
Where do my photos go?
To your Mac and your own private iCloud, and nowhere else. We never see them. Read the privacy policy.
Does it drain the battery?
LidOwl sleeps when your Mac sleeps. The camera runs for about a second per photo.
Do I need an iPhone?
No, but it's what makes LidOwl useful away from your desk. Without it, your Mac still keeps every photo and a log of every wake.
Leave the owl on watch.
LidOwl is in testing now.
Soon in the Mac App Store