MacGuard: Anti-Theft

Protect your MacBook with local-first alarms, secure iPhone and iPad alerts, private photo evidence, and account-free pairing.

MacGuard for iPhone and iPad is the secure companion to the MacGuard physical-security alarm for Apple silicon MacBooks.

Pair your device with your Mac using a one-time QR code or pairing code, compare the verification number on both devices, and approve the connection on the Mac. No MacGuard account is required.

When the Mac alarm is triggered, the local siren starts on the Mac without waiting for the internet. With remote alerts enabled, MacGuard can send a push alert to the paired device and add the successfully sent event to Alert History.

Optional Camera Evidence can make up to three private JPEG photos available to the paired device when a face is detected during an active alarm. Face detection runs locally on the Mac and detects presence only—it does not identify a person. When incident video is recorded, it is saved locally on the Mac and is never uploaded.

Features include:

• Secure, time-limited pairing with Mac approval
• Remote alarm notifications and test alerts
• Alert History for events successfully sent through the cloud service
• Authenticated access to private JPEG evidence
• Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode confirmation before cloud-photo deletion
• App-switcher privacy protection
• Optional custom notification sound from a supported WAV, AIFF/AIF, or CAF file under 30 seconds

Internet access is required for pairing, remote alerts, history, and photo evidence. The companion app requires MacGuard on an Apple silicon MacBook. Motion and lid sensor availability varies by Mac model and is shown by the Mac app after helper authorization. A fully sleeping Mac cannot continuously run camera or motion monitoring; Closed / Sleep Guard protects the next open or wake.