Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.6

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.6

Build 244. Requires macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon.

What changed

• The day at a glance on the Daily digest. Above the digest's sections there is now a headline, four figures, which agents did the work, the flags worth a look, and an hour-by-hour chart with away hours hatched. Every number comes from the same tallies that write the digest's sentences, and the summary contains no model-written text. Each line's record links are folded behind "Show the N records". Nothing is removed: opening the line shows them all.
• Turn the network sensor back on after replacing the app. Dragging a new Watchtower over the old one in the Finder makes macOS stop the network sensor. Settings now says the sensor is off and offers Turn On, instead of asking for a restart. The Overview and "What left this Mac" show a bar while the sensor is off, so a 0 B day is not mistaken for a quiet one.
• An Appearance setting. Settings opens with System, Light or Dark. It changes only how Watchtower looks.
• About the live map. An info button on the Overview's live map explains its rings, lines, motion and hover.
• Settings opens focused. While Settings is open, Watchtower has a Dock icon and a Cmd-Tab entry, so the window always takes the keyboard.
• A quieter Overview at rest. The Overview's looping animations redraw at most 30 times a second, and they stop when the window is not in front.

Install and update

Download the DMG, drag Watchtower to Applications and launch it there. Existing alpha users can use Check for Updates in Watchtower once the signed update feed is published. Keep your existing records when moving between versions.

If you replace the app by dragging the new one over it in the Finder, macOS turns the network sensor off. Open Settings and choose Turn On.

This alpha is free of charge for 30 UTC calendar days from its signed release date, not from installation. This build's signed release date is 5 November 2026, and it expires at 00:00 UTC on 5 December 2026. Update to a newer alpha or 1.0 before then. Installing a license, reinstalling or deleting data does not extend this build.

At expiration, new recordings and new readings stop. Existing records remain available, subject to normal retention, along with the deterministic views, export, delete, updates and uninstall. Monitored traffic and tool calls continue unchanged.

If Watchtower won't open

If Watchtower does not open, or does not start working, check that you are not running it from the disk image. Watchtower has to run from the Applications folder. To recover:

1. If Watchtower is running, quit it: right-click the lighthouse in the menu bar and choose Quit.
2. In the disk image's window, drag Watchtower onto the Applications folder. If asked, replace the older copy.
3. Eject the disk image (the eject button next to "Watchtower" in the Finder sidebar).
4. Open Watchtower from the Applications folder.
5. If Settings says the network sensor is off, choose Turn On.

Testing status

Package tests and unsigned Debug and Release builds passed. The production app and DMG are signed with Developer ID, accepted by Apple notarization, stapled, and accepted by Gatekeeper. These artifact checks do not establish how the signed build behaves on a device. The quieter Overview was measured with unsigned Debug builds only.

The following release-specific checks were not performed:

• the signed app and filter checklists
• clean-Mac installation, extension activation and uninstall
• signed expiration and device checks

The founder explicitly accepted these deferrals for alpha.6 and owns the remaining manual coverage. They are not claimed as passed.

Source availability

The application source is private. GitHub's automatically generated source archives for this public release repository contain release metadata, not Watchtower application source.

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.5

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.5

Build 233. Requires macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon.

What changed

The free-alpha reminder now has a close button. Dismiss it for the current app session; it returns when Watchtower next launches. The expiration date remains in Settings. There are no timed reminders during a session, and the expired-build warning stays visible when recording has stopped.

Install and update

Download the DMG, drag Watchtower to Applications and launch it there. Existing alpha users can use Check for Updates in Watchtower once the signed update feed is published. Keep existing records when moving between versions.

This alpha is free of charge for 30 UTC calendar days from its signed release date, not from installation. This build's signed release date is 5 November 2026; it expires at 00:00 UTC on 5 December 2026. Update to a newer alpha or 1.0 before expiration. Installing a license, reinstalling or deleting data does not extend this build.

At expiration, new recordings and new readings stop. Existing records and deterministic views, export, delete, updates and uninstall remain available, subject to normal retention. Monitored traffic and tool calls continue unchanged.

Testing status

Package tests and unsigned Debug/Release builds passed. The production app and DMG are Developer ID signed, accepted by Apple notarization, stapled and accepted by Gatekeeper. These artifact checks do not establish signed-device behavior. Dismissal, pane changes, Settings details, relaunch, light/dark appearances and accessibility labels were inspected using a disposable synthetic store. Window reopening, minimum-width layout and keyboard/VoiceOver interaction remain unverified.

Release-specific signed app/filter checklists, clean-Mac installation/extension activation/uninstall, and signed expiration/device checks remain unperformed. The founder explicitly accepted these deferrals for alpha.5 and owns the remaining manual coverage. They are not claimed as passed.

Source availability

The application source is private. GitHub's automatically generated source archives for this public release repository contain release metadata, not Watchtower application source.

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.4

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.4

An invited alpha for macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon.

What changed

Your day has a compact Activity while away summary and timeline markers. Expand the panel to see each away period's times and reason, every program entry, and its tool-call count. Busy periods no longer stack repeated warning labels above the chart. Network flows stay separate from tool-call counts; program names can include helpers and are not verified app identities.

Free alpha and expiration

This alpha is free of charge and needs no license. Its signed UTC release date is November 5, 2026 and it expires at 00:00 UTC on December 5, 2026. The lifetime starts at that signed date, not when you download or install it. Update to a newer alpha or 1.0 before expiration.

At expiration, new recording and new Reader output stop. Existing records, previous digests, deterministic views, chain verification, export and delete remain available under normal retention. Monitored traffic and tool calls continue unchanged. Reinstalling, deleting data or installing a license does not extend an alpha. Previously shipped versions retain their original behavior.

Install or update

Existing alpha users can use Watchtower's update check. For a fresh install, download the versioned Watchtower DMG, drag Watchtower to Applications, and launch it from Applications. Use Watchtower's Install and Settings controls for agent integrations and the network sensor, including any macOS approval prompts. Keep your existing data unless you deliberately choose to delete it.

Testing status

Local package build/tests, unsigned Debug and Release builds, synthetic light/dark panel snapshots, and the running Debug app's expand/collapse interaction passed. Debug-only active/expired guidance, retained records, chain verification, export, Delete warning and disabled new digest generation were checked on a disposable synthetic store.

The signed app/filter manual checklists, clean-Mac installation/extension activation/uninstall, and signed expiration/device checks have not been performed for this release. Their deferral was explicitly accepted for this alpha. Code signing, notarization and Gatekeeper checks do not establish extension activation or device behavior. Full manual VoiceOver and Increase Contrast walkthroughs also remain unperformed.

Source availability

The Watchtower application source is private and is not distributed. GitHub's automatic Source code ZIP and TAR links contain only this public distribution repository's metadata; use the DMG to install the application.

Artifact

Build 231. The app and DMG are Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple and stapled. The final DMG is 7,274,079 bytes; SHA-256: ddb05ad267c0d295fa625c5165dcb815a3aebbdbe0e70928e98a2f8e3dd07321.

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.3

The third invited alpha of Watchtower, the macOS menu bar app that shows which AI services your Mac talks to and what your coding agents do with their tools. Observe-only and local-only. Requires macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon. Developer ID signed, notarized and stapled. Build 229.

This alpha expires after 30 days

An alpha released on November 4, 2026 expires on December 4, 2026 at 00:00 UTC. The app shows its expiration date. Update before then to keep recording.

After expiration, new recordings and new Reader output stop. Your existing records, old digests, deterministic views, verification, export and delete remain available, with normal retention continuing. The MCP proxy keeps forwarding tool calls unchanged. Reinstalling, deleting data or installing a license does not extend an alpha. A newer alpha or 1.0 is required to resume recording. Previously shipped alpha binaries are unchanged.

What changed since alpha.2

• Clearer navigation. A recognizable lighthouse in the menu bar, plus icons and labels for each pane.
• An updated Overview. The live map sits beside the latest flag and recent activity, with revised flag and sensor-coverage panels.
• Recorded activity in session replay. Fixed bar charts summarize tool calls, reported file operations and tool-server calls. Select a bar to see its supporting records; totals stay fixed while you play or scrub the session. Coverage limits remain visible, and Mac-wide network traffic is clearly distinguished from session activity.
• Dashboard reliability and performance. Incremental reads reduce repeated work, Delete clears cached Overview history, record-derived rule-card values are escaped, and byte sizes use consistent KiB/MiB labels.
• Build and license information. Settings and the menu show the running version and build. Offline-license controls prepare for 1.0; this alpha is free during its fixed validity period and needs no license. Export includes an installed license, and Delete explains what it removes or leaves behind.

Updating and installing

Existing alpha users can use Watchtower's update check when this release is published to the alpha feed. New testers: drag Watchtower to Applications, approve the network extension in System Settings when prompted, and read the alpha tester brief supplied with the download.

Watchtower observes; it does not block or modify your traffic or tool calls, open encrypted traffic, or send recorded events off your Mac. The optional, disclosed update check is separate from offline alpha validity.

Testing status: local package tests, Debug/Release builds and synthetic expiration checks passed. Signed clean-Mac activation/uninstall and signed-device expiration checks were deferred for this alpha.

Download verification

SHA-256 for Watchtower-0.1.0-alpha.3.dmg:

f5319f8630a5205317bafebed5b109d11d336431c8e82df3baad44415bab6e87

Source availability: Watchtower application source is private and is not distributed with this release. GitHub’s automatic “Source code” archives contain the public releases repository’s metadata, not the Watchtower application source.

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.2

Second invited alpha of Watchtower, a macOS menu bar app that shows every AI service your Mac talks to and what your coding agents do with their tools. Observe-only, local-only. Requires macOS 26 on Apple Silicon. Notarized Developer ID build.

New in this alpha:

• Menu bar glance. Click the eye for today's tool calls, AI services, data sent and the newest flag. Right-click still gives the menu.
• Overview. The window now opens on a dashboard: a live map of which programs talk to which AI services, the day's flags (each says whether a rule or the on-device model produced it), a live feed, your day against when you were at the Mac, and what each sensor can and cannot see.
• Session replay. Replay an agent session step by step from a timeline record or a flag.
• What left this Mac. Data sent to AI services by program, against each program's usual hour.
• Codex is recorded as a second coding agent, beside Claude Code.

Already on alpha.1? Watchtower offers this update itself. New testers: drag to Applications, then approve the network extension once in System Settings, and read the alpha tester brief the founder sends with this link before installing.

Watchtower 0.1.0-alpha.1

First invited alpha of Watchtower, a macOS menu bar app that shows every AI service your Mac talks to and what your coding agents do with their tools. Observe-only, local-only. Requires macOS 26 on Apple Silicon. Notarized Developer ID build; drag to Applications, then approve the network extension once in System Settings. Testers: read the alpha tester brief the founder sends with this link before installing.