Mac Pause

Mac Pause is a small macOS menu bar utility for one job: temporarily suspend input so you can clean your Mac without triggering keys, clicks, scrolls, brightness changes, or media controls by accident.

It is built as a direct-download app, not an App Store product. The app lives in the menu bar, asks for the two permissions it needs, and exits cleaning mode only when you hold Right Shift + Escape or when the failsafe timer expires.

Why Mac Pause

• Prevent accidental key presses while wiping down your keyboard.
• Block clicks, scrolls, and pointer movement during a cleaning session.
• Keep a hard failsafe timeout so you cannot get stuck in cleaning mode.
• Support quick presets and configurable session defaults.
• Stay out of the Dock as a focused menu bar utility.

Core Features

• Global cleaning mode with a session-level input blocker.
• Unlock chord: hold Right Shift + Escape.
• Failsafe timeout with automatic recovery.
• Countdown before cleaning begins.
• Partial modes:
  • Full Lock
  • Keyboard Only
  • Pointer Only
• Cleaning backdrops:
  • Classic HUD
  • Black Screen
  • Gray Screen
  • White Screen
• Launch at Login support.
• Built-in permission guidance and refresh flow.

macOS Requirements

• macOS 13 or later

Permissions

Mac Pause requires:

• Accessibility
• Input Monitoring

You can find them in:

• System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility
• System Settings > Privacy & Security > Input Monitoring

Input Monitoring often requires a full quit and reopen before macOS reports it correctly.

Install a Shared Build

Download the latest MacPause-<version>.zip release, then:

1. Unzip it.
2. Open Mac Pause.app.
3. Drag Mac Pause.app into /Applications if you want to keep it installed there.
4. If macOS warns that the developer cannot be verified, right-click the app and choose Open.
5. Grant Accessibility and Input Monitoring when prompted.
6. Quit and reopen once after enabling Input Monitoring.

If Gatekeeper still blocks the app after download, remove the quarantine flag:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Mac Pause.app"

Build From Source

Build a local bundled app:

./Scripts/build_app_bundle.sh

Run the bundled app:

./Scripts/run_bundled_app.sh

Run tests:

swift test --disable-sandbox

Create a Shareable Release

Build a release bundle and zip package:

./Scripts/package_release.sh

This creates:

• Build/Release/Mac Pause.app
• Build/Release/MacPause-<version>.zip
• Build/Release/MacPause-<version>.zip.sha256

The release zip includes:

• Mac Pause.app
• INSTALL.txt

Distribution Notes

Mac Pause is currently packaged as a direct-download app bundle and ad-hoc signed during local builds. That is enough for personal use and private sharing, but it is not the smoothest distribution path for strangers on the internet.

If you want broader distribution later, the next step is:

1. Sign with a Developer ID Application certificate.
2. Notarize the app with Apple.
3. Repackage the notarized build for download.

That will avoid most Gatekeeper friction without requiring the App Store.

Safety Model

• Cleaning mode always has a timeout.
• Unlocking requires an intentional hold, not a tap.
• The app never disables hardware directly; it suppresses events while active.
• If permissions are missing, cleaning mode does not start.

Current Default Behavior

• 3s arming countdown
• 2s unlock hold
• 60s failsafe timeout
• Full Lock
• Classic HUD