HasBrain FaceUnlock Alternatives for Mac

Quick answer: If you use the FaceUnlock menu bar app by HasBrain and want something else, pick by the gap you hit. Hey Mac adds app locking and a notch animation. Glance offers a notch UI and lets you choose a camera per display. FaceGate locks individual apps only. Apple Watch Auto Unlock and Touch ID avoid third-party face models entirely. On an Intel Mac (see FaceUnlock issue #7), note that Hey Mac is Apple silicon only and Glance needs macOS 15 or later.

Disclosure: This page is published by the developer of Hey Mac, one of the alternatives below. We haven't lab-tested any of these apps. Every claim about FaceUnlock comes from its own README, release notes, GitHub issues and the developer's launch thread, listed in the sources.

"FaceUnlock" is also a generic phrase, so to be clear: this page is about FaceUnlock by HasBrain, the free, open-source macOS app that recognizes your face at the lock screen and types your Mac password for you. It isn't about Android or Windows face unlock.

What HasBrain's FaceUnlock does well

Know what you'd give up. Per its README, FaceUnlock encrypts your Mac password and face embeddings with AES-GCM under a Touch ID-gated Keychain key, lets you tune the match threshold (default 0.70) and store up to 35 captures for different lighting, and requests no network access. Since v1.1.0 (July 18, 2026) it's a universal binary; the README says Intel works, but slower.

Why people look for a FaceUnlock alternative

These are the pain points that show up in FaceUnlock's own repo and launch thread.

1. Install and launch problems on newer macOS

FaceUnlock isn't notarized. The developer says notarization depends on funding a $99 Apple Developer membership, and until then you may need an xattr Terminal command to open the app. The v1.1.0 release notes say v1.0.0 was signed with a provisioning profile that expired after seven days, so macOS blocked it and Keychain errors followed. v1.1.0 fixed the signing.

Reports continue after that fix. Open issue #2 says the app won't open on macOS Tahoe 26.3.1. In the Reddit launch thread, users on macOS 26.5 and 27 betas re-signed the app to launch it, then hit "A required entitlement isn't present" Keychain errors; the developer said a paid developer account is the permanent fix.

2. Camera choice and Intel reliability

The README says FaceUnlock uses your default camera. Issue #5 asks for a way to pick a camera when several are connected. A second user there says that in clamshell mode with a USB-C Logitech Brio, the external camera wasn't detected. Issue #7 reports that the app won't start on a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro running Sequoia. Both issues were still open when we checked.

3. Face model licensing

FaceUnlock has MIT app code; its InsightFace/ArcFace face model (w600k_r50, per its README) is licensed for non-commercial use only. InsightFace's README says its trained models are for non-commercial research only. The license restricts commercial use.

4. It only covers the lock screen

FaceUnlock is a lock-screen unlocker. It doesn't lock individual apps, and its README describes a menu bar agent with no notch UI. Issue #8 also asks for proximity or Wi-Fi conditions and an alert when the Mac unlocks, which FaceUnlock doesn't document today.

FaceUnlock vs alternatives: the differences that matter

Facts checked October 12, 2026, from each app's README or site. The full comparison of face unlock apps for Mac covers price, release dates and security in more depth.

The best FaceUnlock alternatives, by need

You want app lock too: Hey Mac

Hey Mac is free and MIT-licensed. Beyond lock-screen face unlock, it locks chosen apps like Messages or Notes behind a blur until you verify with your face, Touch ID or password. A notch "island" animation shows scan status, floating at the top on Macs without a notch. Recognition runs on-device via Core ML.

What Hey Mac doesn't solve: it isn't notarized either (first launch needs Privacy & Security > Open Anyway), and it needs Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later. Hey Mac hasn't published how it stores credentials for lock-screen unlock, whether external webcams work, or which face model it uses. So if licensing is your reason for leaving FaceUnlock, Hey Mac can't yet give you a documented answer.

You want a notch UI and camera choice: Glance

Glance is free with MIT app code, shows its scan animation in the notch, and lets you pick a different camera for the built-in display and an external monitor. That directly addresses FaceUnlock issue #5. It lists Intel support, but needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Glance's README credits InsightFace for its ArcFace model, so switching to Glance doesn't remove the model-licensing question.

You only want to lock apps: FaceGate

If what you actually want is to stop people opening Messages or Photos, FaceGate is an app locker, not a lock-screen unlocker. It supports external webcams and Touch ID or password fallback. See also how to lock apps on Mac for options that don't use a camera.

You want to avoid third-party face models: Apple Watch or Touch ID

Apple's built-in Auto Unlock with Apple Watch and Touch ID involve no third-party model and no stored-password app. They're also the stronger security choice, since a Mac webcam can't do what Face ID's TrueDepth camera does.

You want unlock tied to your phone or watch: BLEUnlock

FaceUnlock issue #8 asks for unlock to depend on your phone or watch being nearby. BLEUnlock does that instead of face recognition: per its README, this free, MIT-licensed menu bar app unlocks when a chosen Bluetooth LE device (iPhone, Apple Watch or similar) is near and locks when it moves away. Note that it is not a "no stored password" option: like FaceUnlock, it stores your login password in the Keychain. It runs on macOS 10.13 or later.

Other options: Notchy runs on macOS 13 and Intel, and Mac ID is paid but notarized according to its vendor. Browse every option on the alternatives index.

Who should stay with FaceUnlock

Stay if it launches cleanly on your macOS version, you use it on a personal Mac, and you only need lock-screen unlock. Its published security model and universal binary are genuine strengths. For background on why no webcam app equals Face ID, read can you get Face ID on a Mac.

FAQ

Why won't FaceUnlock open on my Mac?

It isn't notarized, so Gatekeeper may block it. The README suggests running xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/FaceUnlock.app. If you're still on v1.0.0, update to v1.1.0, which fixed an expired signing profile. Users on macOS 26.5 and 27 betas have also reported Keychain entitlement errors that the developer says need a paid developer account to fix.

Can I use FaceUnlock at work?

FaceUnlock has MIT app code, but per its README its InsightFace/ArcFace face model is licensed for non-commercial use only. The license restricts commercial use. Switching apps may not avoid this: Glance's README credits the same InsightFace ArcFace model, and Hey Mac hasn't published which face model it uses.

Does FaceUnlock work with an external webcam?

The README says it uses the default camera, which can be built-in, external or Continuity Camera. There's no camera picker yet, and one user reports a USB webcam wasn't detected in clamshell mode (issue #5).

Is there a FaceUnlock alternative that also locks apps?

Yes. Hey Mac does lock-screen unlock and app locking in one app. FaceGate locks apps but doesn't unlock the lock screen.

About the author

Harshit Maurya is the developer of Hey Mac, an open-source face unlock and app lock app for macOS written in Swift and Core ML. Source code and build notes are on GitHub.

Sources

1. HasBrain. FaceUnlock README github.com/HasBrain/FaceUnlock and releases github.com/HasBrain/FaceUnlock/releases (v1.0.0 and v1.1.0, July 18, 2026). Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
2. FaceUnlock GitHub issues #1, #2, #5, #7 and #8: github.com/HasBrain/FaceUnlock/issues. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
3. FaceUnlock launch thread, r/MacOSApps: reddit.com/r/MacOSApps/comments/1uw8a5v/i_built_faceunlock_face_recognition_autounlock/. July 2026.
4. InsightFace README, License section. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
5. Hey Mac. heymacapp.com and GitHub: iharshitmaurya/HeyMac. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
6. Glance README: github.com/jonnyoo/glance. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
7. FaceGate README: github.com/dweep-desai/FaceGate-Mac. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
8. BLEUnlock README: github.com/ts1/BLEUnlock. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
9. Apple Support. Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch, Use Touch ID on Mac and About Face ID advanced technology. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.