https://github.com/erel3/lidguard
macOS laptop theft protection — Telegram alerts, location tracking, siren alarm
https://github.com/erel3/lidguard
anti-theft macos menu-bar-app security swift telegram
Last synced: 2 months ago
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macOS laptop theft protection — Telegram alerts, location tracking, siren alarm
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/erel3/lidguard
- Owner: erel3
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-02-17T11:16:22.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-16T17:32:35.000Z (2 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-16T19:26:03.316Z (2 months ago)
- Topics: anti-theft, macos, menu-bar-app, security, swift, telegram
- Language: Swift
- Homepage: https://lidguard.erel3.me
- Size: 914 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
LidGuard
Laptop theft protection for macOS
A menu bar app that detects lid close and power disconnect events,
then tracks your device and sends alerts via Telegram.
---
## How It Works
```
Disabled ──arm──▶ Enabled ──trigger──▶ Theft Mode
◀──disarm─── ◀──authenticate───
├─ 📍 Location
arm: menu, shortcut, BT auto-arm ├─ 📶 WiFi & IP
trigger: lid close, power disconnect, ├─ 🔋 Battery
motion (pickup/carry), ├─ 🔔 Telegram alerts
power button ├─ 🚨 Siren alarm
authenticate: Touch ID, Telegram └─ 🔒 Lock screen overlay
disarm: Touch ID
```
When theft mode activates, LidGuard sends **tracking updates every 20 seconds** with location, IP, WiFi, and battery status — all controllable remotely via Telegram.
## Features
🛡️ **Theft Detection** — lid close, power disconnect, power button press\
🤚 **Motion Detection** — pickup, tilt, and walking via Apple Silicon accelerometer (helper required)\
📡 **Bluetooth Auto-Arm** — arms when trusted devices (phone, watch) leave range, disarms when they return\
📍 **Device Tracking** — location, IP, WiFi, battery every 20s\
📲 **Telegram Alerts** — instant notifications with full device info\
🎮 **Remote Control** — enable, disable, alarm, status via Telegram bot\
🚨 **Alarm** — synthesized siren or system sounds at max volume (enforced, can't be silenced)\
😴 **Sleep Prevention** — IOKit assertions + `pmset disablesleep`\
🔒 **Lock Screen** — fullscreen "STOLEN DEVICE" overlay with owner contact info\
⌨️ **Global Shortcuts** — system-wide hotkeys for protection toggle and Bluetooth auto-arm toggle\
🔐 **Touch ID** — biometric auth for settings, disable, and quit\
🛑 **Shutdown Blocking** — prevents force quit and shutdown during theft mode\
🔄 **Auto-Update** — checks for new versions and installs with one click\
🚀 **Launch at Login** — start protection automatically via macOS login items
## Install
### Download
Grab the latest `.zip` from [**Releases**](https://github.com/Erel3/lidguard/releases/latest), unzip, and move `LidGuard.app` to `/Applications`.
### Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/Erel3/lidguard.git
cd lidguard
just run # build .app with -dev suffix and open
just lint # run swiftlint
just install # install to /Applications
```
## Setup
On first launch, LidGuard opens Settings automatically if no notification service is configured.
### Telegram Bot
LidGuard uses a Telegram bot to send alerts and receive remote commands.
1. Open Telegram and message [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather)
2. Send `/newbot`, pick a name and username
3. Copy the **bot token** (looks like `123456789:ABCdefGHI...`)
4. Send any message to your new bot, then open `https://api.telegram.org/bot/getUpdates`
5. Find your **chat ID** in the response JSON (`"chat":{"id":123456789}`)
6. Paste both into LidGuard Settings → Notifications → Telegram
> The bot only responds to your chat ID — no one else can control it.
### Settings
Settings are organized into five tabs:
| Tab | What's there |
|:----|:-------------|
| **General** | Contact name & phone (shown on lock screen overlay), launch at login, auto-update, reset |
| **Triggers** | Lid close, power disconnect, power button, motion detection toggles; global shortcut for protection toggle |
| **Protection** | Sleep prevention, shutdown blocking, lock screen, alarm sound & volume, auto-alarm |
| **Bluetooth** | Trusted device picker, auto-arm toggle, lock-on-arm option, dedicated global shortcut |
| **Notifications** | Telegram bot token & chat ID, alert and tracking toggles |
> Credentials are stored in macOS Keychain — never synced or uploaded.
## Remote Commands
Control LidGuard from anywhere via your Telegram bot:
| Command | Action |
|:--------|:-------|
| `/stop` or `/safe` | Deactivate theft mode |
| `/enable` | Arm protection |
| `/disable` | Disarm protection |
| `/status` | Device info + current state |
| `/alarm` | Trigger siren |
| `/stopalarm` | Stop siren |
Telegram replies include context-aware button keyboards — no need to type commands manually.
## Menu Bar
LidGuard lives in the menu bar with a custom laptop icon:
| Icon | State |
|:-----|:------|
| Closed eye (dark) | Disabled |
| Open eye (green) | Protection enabled |
| Open eye (red) | Theft mode active |
**Left-click** opens the full menu. **Right-click** quick-toggles protection.\
Hold **Option** while the menu is open to reveal hidden items (test alert, activity log).
## Permissions
| Permission | Why |
|:-----------|:----|
| **Input Monitoring** | Global keyboard shortcuts (protection + Bluetooth toggles) |
| **Accessibility** | Power button monitoring (via helper) |
| **Location Services** | Device tracking in theft mode |
| **Bluetooth** | Trusted-device proximity for auto-arm |
| **Contacts** *(optional)* | Auto-fill owner phone number from your Me card |
The app is **not sandboxed** — it needs direct access to IOKit, CoreAudio, and `pmset` for full theft protection.
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)