Wardlume
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Support & contact

How can we help?

Wardlume is built by one developer, and that person reads every message. Expect a human reply, not a ticket number.

Get in touch

💼

Business & licensing

Commercial licenses, press, partnerships, or anything private. No GitHub account needed. Write to workwithvinshu (at) gmail.com; I usually reply within 2–3 business days.

Email me →
🐛

Report a bug

Something broken? Open a GitHub issue. Include your macOS version and Wardlume version (menu bar → Settings → Overview).

Open an issue →💬

Questions & ideas

How-tos and feature requests live in GitHub Discussions, where answers help the next person too. No GitHub? Just email.

Start a discussion →

Looking for how-tos? The docs cover setup, unlocking, automation, displays, and reactions.

Before you write in

These fix most problems.

The setup window opens instead of the ward

Wardlume won’t cast a ward while a permission is missing, so it reopens the guided setup instead. macOS sometimes revokes permissions after an update: re-grant them in the setup window (or System Settings → Privacy & Security), then use Quit & Reopen when asked.

Permissions guide →

I’m stuck behind the ward

Press your unlock shortcut (⌘⇧U by default) and use Touch ID or your password. As a last resort, ⌘⌥Esc → Force Quit Wardlume always works; macOS reserves it.

Safety guide →

Apple Watch unlock doesn’t work

Your watch must be on your wrist, unlocked, signed in to the same Apple Account, and enabled in System Settings → Touch ID & Password. Then use Settings → Lock & unlock → Send test to watch.

Unlocking guide →

macOS says “Wardlume is damaged”

It isn’t; unnotarized downloads are quarantined. Install with Homebrew instead, or clear the flag once:

$ xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Wardlume.app

A “Ward Deactivated” alert appeared

Screen capture stopped while you were away, almost always because Screen Recording was turned off. Wardlume drops the ward rather than leave you behind a frozen image. Re-enable it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording and cast the ward again.

Frequently asked

Is my screen hidden while warded?
No, and that’s the point. The screen stays visible so anyone nearby can watch your agent work. Only input is locked. If you’d rather other monitors go dark, choose Settings → Displays & gestures → Other monitors → Black out.
How is this different from the macOS lock screen?
The macOS lock screen hides your work behind the login window, and the display can go to sleep. Wardlume keeps everything in full view and your Mac awake, so you (and anyone nearby) can see the agent, build, or render carry on, while nobody can type into it.
What if I get stuck?
You always have a way out: Touch ID / your unlock shortcut, your Apple Watch, or ⌘⌥Esc → Force Quit Wardlume (macOS reserves that shortcut, so no app can block it). You can also enable an emergency‑exit key. See the Safety guide.
Does it work with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, …?
Yes. Wardlume doesn’t care what’s running. It locks input for the whole Mac while every app keeps working on screen, so any agent, build, render, or download carries on.
Will my Mac fall asleep while I’m away?
No. While the ward is up Wardlume holds a standard power assertion (the same mechanism as caffeinate), so the display and system don’t idle‑sleep. Closing the lid still ends the ward, on purpose.
Is Wardlume safe? Why does it need Screen Recording?
Screen Recording is how the glass shows your live desktop behind it, and Wardlume can’t send what it sees anywhere. macOS blocks the app from the internet: it’s sandboxed with no network entitlement. It captures only while the ward is up, straight to the GPU, and never saves frames. Check it yourself in Settings → Privacy & security, or run codesign -d --entitlements - /Applications/Wardlume.app. See Privacy for how to read the result and confirm it with LuLu or Little Snitch.
Does Wardlume take photos of people?
Only if you turn on Intruder photo (off by default), and then only when someone fails to unlock: a wrong Touch ID until macOS gives up, or a wrong password. Never when they just cancel, and never covertly: the camera light always shows and the glass says “Failed unlocks are photographed”. Photos stay on your Mac (the app has no internet access) and are deleted after 30 days by default. See Intruder photo.
Does Wardlume collect any data?
No. No analytics, no accounts, and the app itself can’t connect to the internet. The only thing that goes online is the separate updater (Sparkle, in its own sandbox), and only to fetch signed Wardlume updates after you allow it. Nothing about you is sent. See Privacy.
Apple Watch unlock isn’t working
Open Settings → Lock & unlock → Unlock with Apple Watch and follow the setup steps. Your watch has to be signed in to the same Apple Account, have a passcode, be on your wrist and unlocked, and be enabled in System Settings → Touch ID & Password. Then press Send test to watch.
Is it free?
Yes, for any noncommercial use (personal, study, hobby, nonprofit). Commercial use needs a license. See Pricing and Terms.
How do I uninstall?
First turn off Settings → Automation → Launch at login. Then run brew uninstall --cask wardlume, or quit Wardlume and drag it from Applications to the Trash.