Clyde For Mac

Laptops are meant to be used in public by design, and that obviously makes them a target for theft. If you’re using your MacBook in a public area and are worried about it being stolen, there are apps that can help.

Clyde is a simple menu bar app that secures your laptop in an innovative way. While active, if anyone tries to close the MacBook’s lid and carry it away, a loud alarm will be sounded, which can only be turned off when you sign back in.

When you need to walk away from your device, toggle the security feature from the menu bar, at which point you will be signed out. Now, it’s very important that you leave the lid open. When you come back, just sign in and keep using your laptop.

However, if anyone tries to close the MacBook’s lid without signing in first, a loud alarm will be triggered, which can only be disabled by opening the lid and logging in. It’s safe to say that it will draw a lot of attention, and any would-be thief will likely just drop the device and make a quick getaway.

Since you’re signed out as soon as you activate Clyde, there will be no risk of triggering the alarm accidentally when you come back. As long as you sign in before closing the lid, the security feature will be disabled.

If your volume is low or even muted, the alarm will still trigger at maximum volume. And if that does happen, you should probably remember to turn the volume back down before playing a video or something.

While it may seem like a fairly basic anti-theft tool, drawing attention to the device is almost certain to deter anyone from making away with your laptop. The app is very simple to use, lightweight, and entirely free.