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Secure any macOS app behind Touch ID or a PIN; the app stays hidden until you unlock it, with no network access or account needed.
Parents who want to keep mail and messages private while letting a child use the Mac for homework or browsing. The lock card appears instantly, Touch ID makes unlocking fast when you return, and automatic relocking means you do not need to remember to re-secure apps.
If you share your Mac regularly with the same person, giving them their own macOS user account provides better isolation without asking them to unlock your apps.
Locking mail, messages, and notes before a client demo keeps private conversations out of sight when sharing a screen or handing over the keyboard. Lock All from the menu bar secures every protected app in one click before the session starts.
If the demo is entirely remote screen-sharing with no physical handoff, per-app locking adds no benefit.
Fortify's zero-network, zero-account design suits users who do not want app locking software to phone home or require a vendor login. The MIT license lets them inspect and build from source if they want to verify behavior independently.
If the concern is preventing someone with the Mac password from accessing data, Fortify does not solve that; FileVault and separate user accounts do.
When you hand your Mac to someone else, there is no built-in way to block access to specific apps while leaving everything else usable. Switching to a separate macOS user account is the right answer for long-term sharing but overkill for a quick handoff; it breaks your active work session and asks the other person to navigate an unfamiliar account. Locking the screen protects the whole Mac but requires your password to unlock it, which defeats the purpose of a brief handoff.
The result is a gap. Your mail, messages, notes, and browser are open to anyone who sits down at your keyboard. Per-app locking tools exist in the paid market, but they typically require a text password that bypasses Touch ID, or they tie the license to a vendor account that makes no sense for a simple privacy utility.
Covers any locked app the moment it opens with a full-screen lock card from the notch. Unlock with Touch ID for one-tap access, or a 4 or 6 digit PIN that works even with the MacBook lid closed. The PIN is stored as a PBKDF2-SHA256 hash in the app's local preferences. Nothing is sent off-device.
Relocks when you minimize, hide, or close an unlocked app, when your Mac sleeps, or when the screen locks. No manual step is needed to re-secure apps after using them. Once you walk away or close the lid, the lock is back in place.
The lock card appears even when a locked app is running in full-screen mode or on a different desktop space. The app stays hidden until you authenticate, with nothing showing through on any display configuration.
Press Control+Command+L in any unlocked app to lock it immediately and return to the app you were in before. The shortcut is configurable in Settings and can be turned off. This covers situations where you need to lock quickly without visiting the menu bar.
One click in the menu bar locks every protected app at once. Covers situations where you need to step away and want all sensitive apps secured without unlocking your Mac first. The menu bar icon is always accessible regardless of which app is in focus.
Locks Progressive Web Apps installed from Chrome, Brave, Edge, or Safari, alongside native macOS apps. Apps are grouped by category (browsers, messaging, web apps, and more) and can be displayed as a list, card view, or grid. Right-click any app to move it to a different category.
AppCrypt is a paid macOS tool that password-protects individual apps and websites. Both tools prevent access to chosen apps until a credential is entered, but their unlock methods differ.
| Feature | Fortify | AppCrypt |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (free) | Proprietary (paid) |
| Unlock method | Touch ID or PIN | Password |
| Website blocking | No | Yes |
| Source code | Available (MIT) | Closed |
Fortify is the better choice when you want Touch ID alongside PIN, a free MIT-licensed tool, and open source code you can inspect. AppCrypt is worth considering when you need website blocking in addition to app locking, a feature Fortify does not include.
Lockish is a paid macOS menu-bar app that uses Touch ID, Face ID, or Mac passcode to lock individual apps on macOS 14+. Of the two paid alternatives, Lockish overlaps most with Fortify. Both are macOS 14 menu-bar tools with biometric unlock.
| Feature | Fortify | Lockish |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (free) | Proprietary (paid) |
| Unlock method | Touch ID or PIN | Touch ID, Face ID, Mac passcode |
| Source code | Available (MIT) | Closed |
| Cost | Free | Paid |
Fortify is the better choice when you want an open source, auditable, and free tool with Touch ID and PIN unlock. Lockish may suit users who prefer a commercial product with vendor support, or who need Face ID as an unlock method, which Fortify does not support.
Download the signed macOS installer from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/aadityesh/fortify/releases/latestYes. Fortify is MIT licensed and free, with no subscription or vendor account. The signed installer is available from GitHub Releases, and the full source code is in the same repository under the MIT license.
Yes. A 4 or 6 digit PIN always works as the unlock method, even with the MacBook lid closed. Touch ID is optional. If your Mac does not have a Touch ID sensor, or if the lid is closed, the PIN is the fallback unlock method.
Yes. Fortify is a privacy lock for social situations, not a security barrier against account-level access. Someone with the Mac password and enough time can force-quit the Fortify process or read app data from disk. For genuine data protection against that threat, Apple's FileVault and separate macOS user accounts are the right tools. Fortify covers the more common situation of lending your Mac briefly and wanting quick per-app privacy.
Fortify requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. macOS 13 Ventura and earlier are not supported.
The Accessibility permission lets Fortify hide locked apps when they open and notice when an unlocked app is minimized or closed. It observes which windows are open, not their content. No app data or screen content is read by Fortify.
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