Skip to main content

Product Updates

Changelog

Menu-bar quick look, visible hand tracking, and a big performance fix

Glance at your day from the menu bar or system tray, see exactly what the hand tracking sees, and enjoy a noticeably lighter, calmer app, plus smoother calibration and offline help.

v1.3.0
  • Menu-bar quick look: click the menu-bar icon for an at-a-glance panel of your day, with distance, posture, time to your next eye break, face touches, nail biting, and screen time shown as live rings. Jump straight to Stats or Goals, pause, mute alerts, or open at login, right from the panel.
  • Hand tracking you can see: the preview now draws the full hand skeleton instead of dots, so you can tell exactly what the nail-biting and face-touch detection is looking at.
  • Much lighter on your processor: fixed a hidden refresh loop that could keep a CPU core busy the whole time the app ran, so background use is back to its usual low level.
  • 20-20-20 reminders respect your presence: breaks no longer fire while you're away, and returning from a break, sleep, or a long call restarts the countdown instead of nudging you the moment you sit down.
  • Switching desktops rests the camera again: moving the app to another desktop drops it to the low-power capture rate as intended.
  • Calibration is smoother: an optional 3 or 5 second self-timer to settle into position, a note on how your sitting distance compares to a comfortable range, guided Step 1 and Step 2, and the option to redo just your distance or just your posture.
  • Help, Common Issues, and the Accessibility statement now work offline, built into the app under Help.
  • Documents like Terms, Privacy, and Help now open in their own window you can keep beside the app while you follow along.

Camera privacy alert, a calmer background view, and lots of polish

A heads-up when another app uses your camera, a soft-blur view while you work elsewhere, Resource Saver that follows Low Power Mode, clearer goals, and a long list of fixes.

v1.2.2
  • Camera privacy alert: ScreenGuardian lets you know when another app starts using your camera, and names the app when your system reports it. Silence specific apps or turn it off in Settings under Privacy.
  • Plays nice with your other apps: on Windows, when another app needs the webcam, ScreenGuardian hands it over and picks up again on its own once the camera is free; on macOS, where the camera is shared, it keeps running alongside.
  • When you switch to another app, the live view softly blurs and keeps checking your posture in the background. It is gentler on your battery, and your live feed is not left on screen.
  • Resource Saver can now follow your system's Low Power Mode, turning on when you save power and off when you stop.
  • Goals: a daily limit now shows today's value against the cap instead of an average, and progress refreshes live as you go, not only when you reopen the Goals tab.
  • Calibration is clearer (keep your eyes open during the measure), the Coaching reminder style is a little less strict, and keyboard shortcuts now show in tooltips.
  • Picture-in-Picture: closing it fully quits the app, and the resize handle is easier to grab.
  • Fixed a crash when saving a goal, and made too-close distance alerts count reliably in every session.
  • Windows: cleaner dropdowns and calendar, text that matches the rest of the app, safer settings saves, prompt shutdown, correct notification name and icon, and in-window dialogs.
  • Fewer false alerts when a hand is clearly in front of your face, plus more resilient offline access.

Change your email, open at login, and Windows polish

Manage your email from Account, have ScreenGuardian open when you log in, choose any custom date range in Statistics, and a round of Windows refinements.

v1.2.1
  • Change your email address from Account, confirmed at both your old and new address so a lost session can't move it.
  • Choose to open ScreenGuardian when you log in, so it's ready when you start work (off unless you turn it on).
  • Statistics gets a custom date range: pick any start and end on the calendar or type them in, and weeks now start on Sunday everywhere.
  • Multi-device fix: linking a new device no longer affects access on your other devices, so each stays verified on its own.
  • Access keeps working offline while it's still valid and re-checks quietly in the background when you're back online.
  • Windows: the app closes promptly at shutdown, notifications show the right name and icon, dialogs sit as panels over a dimmed app, and dropdowns render cleanly.

Goals 2.0: daily practice, streaks, and quiet hours by day

Goals become something you keep up day to day, with streaks, per-day results, and new goals for viewing distance and easing the face-touch and nail-biting habits.

v1.2.0
  • Goals can now be an ongoing daily practice you keep up day to day and build a streak on, or the classic challenge with a set end date.
  • New goals: hold a comfortable viewing distance, and daily limits for face-touching and nail-biting.
  • An optional once-a-day nudge the first time you pass a goal's limit, with the same Quiet Hours and snooze as any alert.
  • Goals you've finished or put away move to a Past view with an Archived tag, so your list only shows what you're working on now.
  • You can pin the goals and graphs you care about to the dashboard, so it stays a quick glance instead of a long list.
  • Quiet Hours can now apply to the days you choose (weekdays, weekends, or a custom set), with quick presets and simple time controls.
  • The on-screen alert card is easier to read over your live view and always appears in the top-right corner.
  • Smoother, steadier panels: the dashboard and alerts no longer flicker when they refresh.
  • Faster launch: the window opens right away instead of waiting for the camera to start.

Past goals, alert sounds, and a calmer window

Goals now have a finish line, alerts can make a sound, and the app's dialogs and pop-ups behave like one tidy window.

v1.1.1
  • Goals that reach their end date now resolve to Met or Missed and move into a new Past goals section, so your dashboard only shows what you're working on now. A new setting can archive ended goals automatically.
  • Alerts can now play your system's alert sound: the same sound and volume you've chosen in your computer's settings. It's on by default and easy to turn off in Settings → Alerts.
  • Dialogs now open inside the app window instead of as separate floating windows, so the app no longer shows up twice in Mission Control or the app switcher.
  • Notices wait their turn: update prompts and reminders no longer pile on top of a dialog you're already reading.
  • On a laptop, the app gives a one-time heads-up that camera awareness uses more power on battery, with a don't-show-again option.
  • If the app ever crashes, the next launch offers (once) to send the error report. Nothing is sent unless you choose to send it.
  • The live view is much lighter on your processor.
  • Picture-in-Picture polish, and closing it now fully quits the app.

Launch polish and new ScreenGuardian identity

A larger release that brings the new ScreenGuardian identity, clearer account flows, better notification-focused use, and stronger release/security foundations.

v1.1.0

New identity, smoother accounts, and stronger foundations

  • A new ScreenGuardian look: the SG mark now appears across the app, website, installer, and browser tabs.
  • Clearer account, sign-in, and sign-up pages, with smoother recovery when you open the sign-in link from the app.
  • Notification mode is now a more deliberate alerts-only mode: the live view stays available while stats, charts, goals, and history pause.
  • Plainer language and clearer links throughout the Help menu and support pages.
  • Feedback and crash reports now make it clear exactly what gets sent, and nothing is sent unless you choose to.
Launch readiness

Terms, privacy, and licensing

  • You're now asked to accept the Terms and Privacy Policy the first time you open the app.
  • Added third-party software notices and clearer licensing details.

Update and startup hotfixes

A set of releases focused on making updates clearer, startup calmer, and reports more reliable.

v1.0.18

Notification mode and Mac theme fix

  • Notification mode keeps the live view on while pausing your stats and history.
  • Changing between dark, light, and system themes is much lighter on Mac.
  • Crash reports are clearly opt-in and never include camera frames, screenshots, posture history, habit history, microphone data, typed content, or raw local files.
  • Repeated app launches bring the existing window forward instead of competing for the camera.
v1.0.17

Notification mode and theme polish

  • Notification mode keeps the live view available while your stats and history pause.
  • Changing themes is lighter-weight and no longer freezes on Mac.
  • Signing in from the app can reopen or copy the browser link if the first tab was missed.
  • Face-touch cues better recognize broad cheek, chin, nose, and forehead contact.
v1.0.16

Theme visibility fix

  • Top-bar controls now stay visible when switching between dark, light, and system themes.
  • Custom accent colors are checked for readability before they're applied.
v1.0.15

More reliable update checks

  • Update checks on Mac are more reliable before the app is fully signed.
  • Update progress is more reliable.
  • Repeated launches now bring the existing app window forward instead of opening another copy.
  • Camera startup on Mac waits longer before showing a warning.
  • The Help menu is easier to scan in dark mode.
v1.0.14

Clearer update progress

  • Update downloads now show live progress more reliably while the installer is being fetched.
  • Updates now install through the built-in updater instead of sending you back to manual installer steps.
  • Adds the first Notification mode foundation for private background alerts.
  • Improves face-touch sensitivity for cheek, chin, nose, and forehead resting poses.
v1.0.13

Cleaner downloads and app controls

  • Download cards now stay on the current release after account verification.
  • The Help menu is easier to scan and keyboard-focus.
  • Hand-to-face cues better recognize real face-touch contact.
v1.0.12

Smoother updates

  • Updates are more automatic after the first install.
  • Download and install steps now show clearer progress.
  • Update and sign-in prompts no longer stack on top of each other.
v1.0.11

Smoother app updates

  • Updates now feel more consistent across Mac and Windows.
  • Download progress now looks and feels more like the rest of ScreenGuardian.
  • Mac updates are better prepared for automatic updates after the first install.
v1.0.10

Better reports and quieter startup

  • Feedback reports now finish reliably and can be saved locally if the network fails.
  • Optional crash reports include privacy-scoped details that help diagnose issues.
  • Buttons, selected states, and in-app alerts are more readable and consistent.

More accurate posture detection

A big accuracy pass on posture and hand-to-face detection: fewer false alarms, and reminders that fit how you actually sit.

v1.0.9
  • Posture detection adapts to how you sit and where your camera is, so it works whether you sit close to the camera or further back.
  • Posture reminders have more grace: a stretch or leaning in to read no longer counts as bad posture; only a sustained slouch does.
  • Turning to look at something or shifting your whole body is no longer flagged; head posture is judged against your shoulders.
  • Hand-to-face detection is more conservative, so a hand gesturing near your face no longer triggers a false alert.
  • In-app alerts now match the app's light or dark theme and are colour-coded by the type of reminder.
  • A head tilt is now reported as “level your head” instead of the incorrect “turn your head back”.

Goals and account polish

This release cleans up the Goals editor, custom date ranges, and the account center.

v1.0.8
  • Goals now use cleaner controls for time frames, date ranges, units, and actions.
  • Custom date ranges are easier to set up and edit.
  • Account is organized into clearer sections for access, downloads, devices, and security.
  • Password changes and resets now use safer confirmation steps.

Account and release readiness

A small fix release tightened account device management, app identity, and release checks.

v1.0.6
  • Combines membership and billing into one Plan section in Account.
  • Adds linked-device management for desktop installs.
  • Restores the packaged app and window icons for Mac and Windows.

Stability pass

Several same-day updates improved Windows camera behavior, app updates, account access, and startup smoothness.

v1.0.5

Better external webcam handling on Windows

  • Improves external webcam compatibility on Windows.
  • Keeps camera startup and calibration smoother.
v1.0.4

Quieter Windows updates

  • Makes Windows updates feel less like reinstalling the app.
  • Keeps the update experience more consistent when a backup update path is needed.
v1.0.3

Smoother video and automatic access refresh

  • Improves live preview performance on macOS and Windows.
  • Checks for updates after startup settles instead of competing with camera startup.
  • Refreshes account access in the background for signed-in accounts.
v1.0.2

Faster camera recovery

  • Keeps camera recovery smoother when starting the app, calibrating, or returning to the main view.
  • Reduces the long blank-video wait some Windows testers saw with external webcams.
v1.0.1

Cleaner setup

  • Improves Windows camera startup and calibration recovery.
  • Uses native tray notifications instead of extra popup windows.
  • Keeps downloads available through the official release page.
  • Improves setup guidance so future builds are easier to ship cleanly.

Accounts for early access

Early access now stays connected to your ScreenGuardian account, so your invite and future plan status can follow you across installs.

Account access
  • Added ScreenGuardian accounts for early-access members.
  • Invite codes can be redeemed once and stay attached to the signed-in account.
  • Download buttons now guide members through access before installation.
  • Added clearer first-run guidance for macOS and Windows.

A clearer preview of the app

The homepage now gives a better look at ScreenGuardian before download, with the real desktop app shown inside the product reveal.

Product tour
  • Updated the hero animation to show the actual ScreenGuardian interface.
  • Added a guided walkthrough for posture, distance, breaks, and habit awareness.
  • Improved the page flow from the product reveal into the feature walkthrough.
  • Refined navigation and account pages for a more polished experience.

Posture, distance, and desk habit feedback

ScreenGuardian helps catch small desk habits while you work, without turning posture awareness into a distraction.

Desktop app
  • Posture feedback highlights aligned and needs-attention states.
  • Screen distance checks help you notice when you are leaning too close.
  • 20-20-20 break timing keeps eye resets visible during longer sessions.
  • Optional hand-to-face alerts help catch repetitive habits privately on your machine.