macOS menu bar app

Lock the keyboard.
Enjoy the cat.

Purrlock locks your keyboard with a single click – so your cat can safely stroll across your desk without turning your document into hieroglyphs.

Universal Binary · Apple Silicon & Intel · macOS 13 Ventura or newer

Every cat owner knows the feeling.

You step away for a second to refill your coffee. By the time you're back, your cat has typed a 14-line manifesto into your terminal, added 400 characters of „ppppppppp" to your document and somehow closed three apps. She looks at you as if you were the problem.

Purrlock locks the keyboard before the catwalk begins. The mouse keeps working – you unlock in two seconds, without pressing a single key. Happy cat, intact work.

How it works

Keyboard-safe in 30 seconds.

  1. 1

    Download

    Grab Purrlock as a .dmg and drag it into /Applications – the usual.

  2. 2

    Launch Purrlock

    Start Purrlock. The Keyboard icon icon appears in the top-right of your menu bar.

  3. 3

    Lock the keyboard

    Click the Keyboard icon. Your cat may enter the catwalk.

Installation & security

Outside the App Store – and still safe.

Purrlock is distributed as a signed direct download. The app is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple – meaning Apple has scanned it for malware before it reaches you.

First launch: Gatekeeper warning

Because Purrlock isn't distributed through the Mac App Store, macOS may show a warning on first launch like „App can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer". That's not an error – just a security prompt. Here's how to open it:

  1. Option A: Right-click (or Ctrl-click) Purrlock in /Applications → „Open" → confirm „Open" in the dialog.
  2. Option B: System Settings → Privacy & Security → click „Open Anyway" at the bottom.

You only need to do this once. After that, Purrlock launches like any other app.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't Purrlock in the Mac App Store?

Honest answer: Apple rejected it. To intercept keyboard input globally and cover every screen with an overlay, Purrlock needs mechanisms that aren't compatible with current App Store guidelines. That's why it ships as a signed, notarized direct download – same security check by Apple, just without the store listing.

Is the app safe?

Yes. Purrlock is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple – macOS verifies on every launch that the app is unchanged. It doesn't connect to the internet, doesn't collect data and contains no trackers.

Which macOS version do I need?

macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Purrlock is a native SwiftUI app and runs as a Universal Binary on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs.

What happens to the mouse while Purrlock is active?

The mouse keeps working as usual – clicks, scrolling, movement. Only keyboard input is blocked. That's exactly why you can unlock without touching the keyboard.

How do I unlock without a keyboard?

Just click the Keyboard icon in the menu bar again – done. No key press required.

Does Purrlock cost anything?

The download is free.

Ready to give your cat the catwalk?

Purrlock is small, fast and starts in seconds.

Download Purrlock

macOS 13+ · Universal · approx. 1.8 MB