Look-away protection
Use a camera or compatible AirPods to estimate when you have turned away, with calibration, brief-glance filtering in Camera mode, and transitions that clear when you face the display again.
QuietGlass
QuietGlass is an open-source native macOS menu bar app that protects visible screen content with automatic look-away detection, nearby-person alerts, and manual blur controls. It is designed for people working in cafés, shared offices, classrooms, and other settings where others may see their display.
QuietGlass overview
QuietGlass is an open-source native macOS menu bar privacy app for people who work where others may see their display. It can frost or blur screens when camera or compatible AirPods-based head tracking indicates that the user has looked away, then clear the protection when the user faces the screen again.
The app also supports direct privacy controls that do not require head-tracking hardware, including full-screen, window, selected-area, and Focus modes. Camera-based nearby-person detection can warn about another face or blur the display, while local text recognition can respond to supported sensitive content and custom phrases. Screen content, camera frames, recognized text, and motion data are processed on the Mac.
Features
Instant screen privacy
Blur every display with a shortcut or the menu bar and floating controls; manual blur can be cleared immediately with Escape or temporarily revealed with the peek shortcut.
Window, area, and Focus protection
Protect a selected window or area, restore saved areas for matching app and window titles, or use Focus mode to keep the active window visible while surrounding content is covered.
Profiles and app rules
Choose Home, Office, Public, or Focus profiles, adjust blur and sensitivity, and set per-app head-tracking sensitivity with automatic protection for visible windows.
Sensitive-content and nearby-person detection
Detect supported sensitive text and custom phrases using local text recognition, and monitor additional faces with either estimated facing direction or a more cautious extra-face count response.
Camera controls and owner recognition
Optionally enroll the owner's face with Touch ID or a Mac password, run camera coverage checks, and choose whether a nearby-person warning gives time to respond or blurs automatically.
Use cases
Working in public spaces
Enable look-away protection while working in a café, library, or shared office so the display can blur when your attention moves away. Camera mode can be calibrated to your normal position, or compatible AirPods can provide head tracking.
Shared rooms and classrooms
Use Nearby people detection during presentations, study sessions, or desk work in an open room. The app can warn you, allow a response window, or blur after a sustained additional face is detected.
Recurring app and document work
Add an application under App rules and automatically protect its visible windows. Saved areas can return for windows with matching app and title after relaunch, which suits recurring workflows involving particular documents or tools.
Focused work and selective disclosure
Use Focus mode when you need one active window visible while surrounding content fades, or select a specific area when only part of a display contains material that should remain covered.
Content-sensitive protection
Set custom phrases or use supported sensitive-text recognition for an additional local response to visible content, alongside profiles such as Home, Office, Public, and Focus.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Offers both automatic look-away protection and immediate manual screen controls.
- Supports camera head tracking as well as compatible AirPods, with hardware-free manual blur, window, area, and Focus modes.
- Processes screen, camera, recognized-text, and motion inputs locally according to the product documentation.
- Includes distinct controls for nearby people, sensitive text, app rules, profiles, and saved protected areas.
Cons
- Camera head tracking estimates head direction rather than eye gaze, and nearby-person detection estimates whether another person is facing the screen; neither proves that someone is reading it.
- Camera-based features depend on camera coverage and permissions, while AirPods head tracking requires compatible AirPods and Motion & Fitness access.
- The current release is locally signed but not Apple-notarized, and updates are installed manually.
FAQ
How do I install and set up QuietGlass?
QuietGlass requires macOS 14 or later. Download the DMG or ZIP, move the app to Applications, launch it, and grant Screen Recording access. Camera or Motion & Fitness permissions are requested only for the camera- or AirPods-based features you enable. The current download is locally signed but not Apple-notarized, so macOS may require using Open Anyway on first launch.
How does look-away protection work?
For camera head tracking, open Settings → Head tracking, choose Camera, start tracking, and calibrate while facing the screen. Camera mode estimates head direction rather than eye gaze and filters brief glances. Compatible AirPods can also provide head tracking through Motion & Fitness access.
Can I use QuietGlass without AirPods or a camera?
Yes. Manual full-screen blur, window protection, selected-area protection, Focus mode, and some text-based protection controls work without AirPods or a camera. A camera is required for nearby-person detection, camera head tracking, coverage checks, and optional owner recognition.
What happens to my screen and camera data?
QuietGlass processes screen content, recognized text, camera frames, and motion data on the Mac. The product states that these inputs and motion history are not saved or uploaded by QuietGlass; preferences, app rules, saved areas, and custom phrases remain local. Optional owner face enrollment stores a face template in the encrypted macOS Keychain.
How is QuietGlass distributed and updated?
QuietGlass is distributed as a Mac application from the project's GitHub releases. The 0.1.2 release includes a universal DMG for Apple silicon and Intel, a ZIP alternative, checksums, and package information. Updates are checked and installed manually.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Desktop privacy and screen protection
- Platform
- macOS 14 or later
- Release
- QuietGlass 0.1.2, Build 3
- Hardware options
- Compatible AirPods or a camera for head tracking
- Distribution
- Open-source GitHub project with DMG and ZIP downloads
- Data processing
- Screen, camera, recognized-text, and motion processing occurs on the Mac
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