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.

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.

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Oh yes...some relationships end in closure, others end in software.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Ctrl-command Q (and Win+L for Linux/Windows) is instinct at this point for me.

I love these totally self-assured advice that totally work in theory and dismiss any particularities in any household.

Sounds like a feature to me, I'd love to get random pictures from my cat throughout the day!

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.

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.

spyware is by definition capturing information from someone else's computer