Mac privacy, without the cloud
Look away.
We’ll cover
the rest.
WalkBlur notices when you turn away and gently covers your displays. Camera and screen processing stay on your Mac. No uploads. No account required to use the app.
Live protection
At a café. At work. At home.
Privacy that keeps up with you.
- At the café. Turn to collect your coffee without leaving your screen on show.
- In the open office. Turn to a colleague; your display covers while you look away.
- At home. Answer your roommate or check on your child without leaving work in view.
Open WalkBlur
It lives in the menu bar and starts monitoring once you allow camera access.
Look at your screen
WalkBlur calibrates your normal position, then keeps the screen clear while you are there.
Look away
Your display gradually covers itself. Look back to continue where you left off.
Your data stays yours
Your camera and screen never leave your Mac.
Camera frames are analyzed in memory on your Mac. If you choose the optional blur effect, screen snapshots are also captured only in memory and discarded when the cover closes. No camera frames, screen snapshots, face landmarks, or face embeddings are uploaded.
“Only me” mode stores local face embeddings in your app sandbox, never photos. You can delete that profile at any time.
The app makes no network requests. Purchases happen separately through Polar in your browser. Read the privacy policy →
See it work
Quiet when you need focus. Ready when you return.
WalkBlur recognizes when your attention moves away, then gently covers your display until you return.
Simple pricing
One small payment.
Your Mac stays private.
WalkBlur for Mac$3 one time
Buy WalkBlur
One personal license for one Mac.
- Local processing, no app account
- Cover connected Mac displays
- Optional “Only me” recognition
- Delete your saved face profile anytime
One payment. No subscription. Checkout via Polar.
Before you buy
A few fair questions.
What the camera does, what stays local, and where the limits are.
Does the camera stay on? What about the light?
The camera is on while protection is running or while you explicitly enroll your face. The Mac’s built-in camera light is on while the camera is in use. Pause protection removes the cover and stops WalkBlur’s camera capture. Turn on protection restarts it. Closing the settings window leaves active protection running; another app may keep the camera light on after WalkBlur pauses. If you are using an older build that keeps the camera active after pausing, choose Stop or quit the app to release it. Apple’s camera privacy guide ↗
Are frames only in memory? Can I check the network activity?
Camera frames and optional screen snapshots are processed in memory, not saved as recordings or uploaded. “Only me” saves a local numerical face profile, not photos; you can delete it in Settings. The app makes no network requests. In Activity Monitor → Network, find WalkBlur and inspect its sent and received bytes. This checks network activity, not what is stored in memory. See exactly what stays on your Mac →
What if I wear glasses or a hat, or the room is dark?
Camera position, lighting, and anything obscuring your face can affect detection. Reliable recognition across glasses, hats, and low-light conditions has not been established. Keep your face well lit and recalibrate from your usual working position. WalkBlur estimates head direction; it does not track eye-only glances.
What happens when a second person enters the frame?
In Only me mode, more than one visible face keeps the cover up. The default Anyone in front mode follows the adequately sized face closest to the center of the camera frame; another person can clear the cover in that mode. Only me is not authentication and has no liveness detection.
Does it cover multiple monitors, Sidecar, or an iPad?
WalkBlur creates a cover for each display reported by macOS and responds to display changes. Sidecar and iPad-as-display setups have not been verified, so compatibility is not promised. It does not protect an iPad running its own apps. See display requirements →
What is the battery and thermal impact?
While protection is running, the camera stays active and local face analysis uses processing power. Battery and thermal benchmarks are not available yet, so there is no “negligible impact” claim. Check WalkBlur in Activity Monitor’s CPU and Energy views on your own Mac. Pause protection when you do not need monitoring; this stops WalkBlur’s camera use.
Which macOS versions are supported?
The current app requires macOS 27 or later and a working camera with Camera access enabled. Optional snapshot blur also requires Screen Recording permission. The solid cover does not. Earlier macOS versions are not supported by the current build.
What if the screen covers while I’m still at my desk?
Press Escape, choose Pause protection on the cover, or use the menu bar control. Pausing also stops the camera. Improve lighting and adjust the look-away delay in Settings if needed. Choose Turn on protection while facing the screen; camera startup recalibrates your position.
Will it prevent screen-share accidents or lock my Mac?
Do not rely on WalkBlur to hide content from screen sharing or recordings; capture apps can behave differently. It is a dismissible visual cover, not a Mac lock. Content remains partly visible during the cover’s fade-in. Lock your Mac when leaving it unattended, even for a short break.
Is the license for one Mac? What about refunds?
The listed $3 purchase is one personal license for one Mac, not a household license. Check the refund terms provided at checkout before purchasing. License & purchase details →