MacGaze Alternative for Mac: What to Use Instead

Short answer: If you're on macOS 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia, MacGaze won't install, so look at Hey Mac or FaceUnlock (both macOS 14+), or Glance (15+). On macOS 13, Notchy is the one to try. On an Intel Mac with macOS 14 or later, FaceUnlock (slower on Intel, per its README) and Notchy work, plus Glance on 15+. If you want open source, pick Hey Mac, Glance or FaceUnlock (app code). If you also want to lock individual apps, Hey Mac does both jobs, and FaceGate locks apps only.

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. MacGaze facts come from its own website, release notes and terms, checked on October 12, 2026.

What MacGaze does well

MacGaze is a paid, closed-source menu bar app that does one job: it recognizes you through the Mac's built-in camera at the lock screen, then types your saved login password for you. It's unusually candid about its limits. Its specifications section, titled "including the unflattering ones," says a printed photo won't get in but "a good video of you on a phone screen might," and calls itself "convenience, not security."

It has thoughtful touches too. Since version 1.1.6 (September 4, 2026) you can hold up an open hand to cancel an unlock attempt. A "Forget my face" button deletes your faceprints and saved password. Unlocking works offline; the app only goes online for licensing and update checks. The MacGaze release notes list 1.2.2, dated September 13, 2026, as the current version.

So if you have a MacBook on macOS 26 and only want lock-screen unlock, MacGaze may be the right pick. The reasons to switch are about who it leaves out.

Reasons MacGaze may not fit you

1. It requires macOS 26 and a built-in camera

MacGaze lists its requirements as "an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 26 or later, with a built-in camera." It also says it doesn't use Continuity Camera. That rules out:

• Anyone still on macOS 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia.
• Every Intel Mac.
• Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro owners using an external webcam.
• MacBooks used closed on a desk with an external display.

2. You can't buy it yet

The pricing section lists A$14.99 for one Mac and A$24.99 for a three-Mac family license, but both are marked "Coming soon." The site says buying "isn't switched on yet while the payment provider is being sorted out." Its terms say that when the 14-day trial ends, face unlock stops working until a license is activated. The 1.1.0 release ties the trial to a fingerprint of your Mac, so reinstalling doesn't restart it.

3. Every update needs a Gatekeeper approval

MacGaze's install guide says the app "has not yet been notarised by Apple." The release notes add that each update needs the "one-time-per-version trip through System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway." Several free alternatives aren't notarized either, but it's an extra step on every update.

4. It only does the lock screen

MacGaze describes itself as doing "one thing." It can't lock individual apps such as Messages or Notes.

5. Closed source, with a warning about macOS changes

MacGaze's code isn't public. Its terms say it isn't liable for "changes to macOS that break MacGaze, including changes affecting the undocumented system interfaces it relies on." The terms also tell you not to use it on a work machine covered by an employer's security policy.

MacGaze alternatives by situation

Requirements for the other apps come from their own docs, summarized in our full comparison of face unlock apps for Mac.

If you're on Sonoma or Sequoia: Hey Mac, FaceUnlock or Glance

Hey Mac runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple silicon (M1 or later). It's free, MIT-licensed and works with the Mac's built-in camera. Versus MacGaze: it's free to install today, open source, and adds App Lock. Like MacGaze, it isn't notarized yet, so the first launch needs Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. It also isn't Face ID-grade, since a webcam has no depth sensor. Hey Mac hasn't published yet whether external webcams work, or how it stores credentials for lock-screen unlock.

FaceUnlock is free, with MIT app code; its InsightFace/ArcFace face model is licensed for non-commercial use only. It runs on macOS 14 or later, and its README says Intel works (slower). It uses the default camera (built-in, external or Continuity Camera, per its README) but has no camera picker, and an open issue (#5) reports it not switching to a USB webcam in clamshell mode, so test it before relying on it with a desktop Mac.

Glance is free and MIT-licensed, needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later, and supports multiple enrolled identities.

If you're on macOS 13: Notchy

Notchy's Face Unlock runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later on Intel or Apple silicon, and it's the only option here for macOS 13. On an Intel Mac with macOS 14 or later, FaceUnlock also works (and Glance on 15+). It also works with an external webcam in clamshell mode. It's free but closed source, and face unlock is one feature inside a larger notch app.

If you want app lock too: Hey Mac or FaceGate

This is where the alternatives differ most from MacGaze. Hey Mac's App Lock blurs any app you choose (Messages, Notes, Mail, WhatsApp) until you verify with your face, Touch ID or password. You can relock on every launch, after 5 to 15 minutes, or when you switch away. Quitting a protected app needs your face too. FaceGate is a free app locker that doesn't unlock the lock screen. For non-face options, see how to lock apps on Mac.

If you'd rather skip the camera

Apple's own Auto Unlock with Apple Watch needs no third-party app. BLEUnlock is a free, MIT-licensed menu bar app that locks and unlocks by the Bluetooth proximity of your iPhone, Apple Watch or another BLE device, and its README lists macOS 10.13 or later. Near Lock does the same with an iPhone app; it's free to try, with background mode in a paid Pro version. Proximity unlock also locks the Mac when you walk away, which face unlock doesn't. But it will unlock for whoever sits down while your phone is nearby.

Who should stay with MacGaze

Stay with MacGaze if you have a MacBook on macOS 26, only need lock-screen unlock, and value its detailed, plain-English documentation of what it can and can't do. The hand-to-cancel gesture and the 30-day refund promise (once purchasing opens) are also points in its favor. No alternative is meaningfully more secure: every option here uses a 2D webcam, and none matches iPhone Face ID (see Face ID for Mac).

MacGaze questions

Can I run MacGaze on macOS Sonoma or Sequoia?

No. MacGaze requires macOS 26 or later. On macOS 14, look at Hey Mac or FaceUnlock. On macOS 15, Glance also works.

Can I buy MacGaze right now?

Not as of October 12, 2026. The site lists A$14.99 but says purchasing isn't switched on yet, and only the 14-day trial is available.

Does MacGaze work with an external webcam or Continuity Camera?

Its site says it needs a built-in camera and doesn't use Continuity Camera. Notchy and FaceGate document external webcam support. FaceUnlock uses the default camera (built-in, external or Continuity Camera, per its README) but has no camera picker, and an open issue (#5) reports it not switching to a USB webcam in clamshell mode.

Is there a free, open-source app like MacGaze?

Yes: Hey Mac and Glance are free and MIT-licensed. FaceUnlock is free with MIT app code, but its InsightFace/ArcFace face model is licensed for non-commercial use only. Hey Mac also adds app locking.

More options: all alternatives.

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. MacGaze homepage, specifications and pricing: macgaze.com. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
2. MacGaze release notes: macgaze.com/releases (versions 1.0 to 1.2.2). Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
3. MacGaze install guide: macgaze.com/install. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
4. MacGaze Terms of Service (last updated Aug 28, 2026): macgaze.com/terms. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
5. FaceUnlock README: github.com/HasBrain/FaceUnlock. Glance README: github.com/jonnyoo/glance. FaceGate README: github.com/dweep-desai/FaceGate-Mac. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
6. Notchy Face Unlock page: notchy.dev/mac-face-unlock/. Mac ID: macid.net. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
7. BLEUnlock README: github.com/ts1/BLEUnlock. Near Lock: nearlock.me. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.
8. Apple Support. Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch.
9. Hey Mac. heymacapp.com and GitHub: iharshitmaurya/HeyMac. Accessed Oct 12, 2026.