How to Set Up Hey Mac: Install, Permissions & Face Unlock

To set up Hey Mac, install the official app, choose Lock Screen, App Lock, or both, and complete the steps for the features you selected. Face recognition needs camera access and enrollment. Lock Screen unlocking also needs Accessibility access and your saved Mac login password.

This guide explains those choices before you grant access, then covers testing, updates, and removal. You do not need to enable Lock Screen unlocking just to protect selected apps.

Before you install: compatibility and trust

Hey Mac requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Face recognition needs a working camera. Check Apple menu → About This Mac if you are unsure of your chip or macOS version. Touch ID requires compatible hardware.

Hey Mac is free and open source. Its face recognition uses a regular camera rather than the depth-sensing system in iPhone Face ID. It is a convenience feature; keep a strong Mac password and use Touch ID or your password when that better meets your needs. Read the Face ID for Mac guide for the hardware distinction.

Release v1.0.4 is not notarized by Apple. Check the official release notes for the version you download; a future release may change that status. Download from Hey Mac’s official links, and do not treat any macOS warning as something to dismiss automatically.

1. Download and install Hey Mac

Install with the DMG

Download the official Hey Mac DMG. It is hosted on the project’s GitHub releases.
Open the downloaded disk image.
Drag Hey Mac into Applications.
Open Hey Mac from Applications.

Use the installed copy in Applications rather than running a second copy from the mounted disk image. This also makes it easier to identify the app when reviewing permissions.

Install with Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, the alternative installation command is:

brew install --cask iharshitmaurya/tap/heymac

Choose one installation method. Both are ways to install the same app; Homebrew does not turn an unnotarized release into an Apple-notarized one.

2. Understand a macOS opening warning

For an unidentified-developer or unnotarized-app warning, first check where you obtained the app and whether you trust that release. Apple’s guide to opening apps safely explains the distinction between these warnings and alerts about harmful software.

If you have verified the official download and decide to allow this app:

Try opening Hey Mac, then open System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Find the blocked-app message and click Open Anyway.
Review the confirmation and approve opening that app if you still intend to proceed.

This makes an exception for the app. Do not disable Gatekeeper globally. If macOS says the download contains malware or will damage your computer, stop and investigate instead of using this walkthrough as a bypass. On a managed work Mac, an administrator may control whether you can approve it.

3. Choose Lock Screen, App Lock, or both

The setup wizard starts with Choose features. Decide what you want Hey Mac to do:

Setup follows the features you select
Option	Purpose	Additional setup
Lock Screen	Recognize you when waking your Mac.	Accessibility access and saving your Mac login password.
App Lock	Place a verification shield over selected apps.	Choose the apps and their relock policies.
Lock Screen and App Lock	Use both features.	Complete both sets of steps.

The face-setup path includes camera permission, enrollment, and a recognition test. Choosing App Lock alone skips the Lock Screen Accessibility and saved-password steps. Your Mac password remains the credential for macOS; Hey Mac does not replace it.

4. Allow camera access and enroll your face

At Allow Camera Access, use Allow Camera and respond to the macOS prompt. If you previously denied access, review System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and enable Hey Mac, then return to setup.

Apple explains how to review and revoke this permission in camera access settings. Granting access permits camera use; it does not mean an app has passed an independent security review.

At Set Up Face Recognition, face the camera in even lighting.
Click Start Enrolling and follow the on-screen prompts.
At Test Face Recognition, click Test Now.
If the test does not match, adjust lighting and try again, or use Re-enroll.

Hey Mac processes recognition on your Mac and stores encrypted face data rather than saved face photos. Read the privacy policy before enrolling. A successful setup test confirms recognition in that moment; it is not a guarantee of spoof resistance or future recognition in every environment.

5. Finish Lock Screen setup, if selected

After recognizing you, Lock Screen unlocking enters your saved Mac login password. This is why its setup asks for both Accessibility access and that password. If you do not want that behavior, choose App Lock alone.

At Allow Accessibility Access, open System Settings and review Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Enable Hey Mac only if you intend to grant it this control. Apple’s Accessibility permission guide explains the scope of this access.

At Finish Lock Screen Setup, enter and confirm your Mac login password in Hey Mac, then use Save Password and Continue. The app stores the saved password encrypted on this Mac. Never paste it into a support message, public issue, or this website.

If you later change your Mac login password, update the saved password in Hey Mac’s Lock Screen settings. Keep manual login available, including after a restart; do not rely on camera recognition as your only way into the computer.

6. Choose protected apps and check the result

If you selected App Lock, choose the applications you want to protect during setup. Afterward, open Settings → App Lock, enable Protect selected apps, and use Add App… to manage the list.

Choose a relock policy for each app. Switching-away relocking asks again when you return; timed allowances keep access available for the selected interval. Review full-display versus app-window coverage too. Window-only coverage can briefly expose content when windows open or move.

Check the configuration with non-sensitive content: open a protected app, switch away, return after its relock condition, and try your intended verification method. Then check again after closing the app and after sleep and wake. Confirm that the shield’s Touch ID or Mac-password option works for you.

App Lock covers the application view; it does not encrypt that app’s files or hide notification previews automatically. Follow the specific guides for Messages, WhatsApp, or Photos for the separate privacy settings to check.

If setup is not working

For a symptom-by-symptom diagnosis after setup, use Hey Mac face unlock troubleshooting. It separates camera and matching issues from lock-screen password entry and App Lock relocking.

No camera permission: return to Camera settings, confirm access for the installed app, and retry setup.
Recognition does not match: improve lighting, make sure your face is visible, and rerun the enrollment test.
Recognition succeeds but the Mac stays locked: review Accessibility access and the saved password in Lock Screen settings.
An app stays open after verification: check its relock allowance; a timed policy intentionally leaves an access window.
A permission is controlled by your organization: ask the administrator rather than attempting to bypass management settings.

If you need help, use the community and support links. Include your Hey Mac version, macOS version, and the feature involved. Keep passwords, face images, conversations, and other private material out of public reports.

Updates, face-data removal, and uninstalling

In Settings → About, use Check for Updates… when available. The Check for updates automatically option controls automatic checks; an update check is separate from face recognition. Review release notes before installing a new version.

To remove enrollment, use Settings → Your Face → Remove Face Data… and complete the confirmation. Revoking camera permission alone does not delete stored enrollment.

To remove the app and its local setup data, use Settings → About → Uninstall…. The built-in action removes face data, the saved password, settings, and registered background services, and attempts to move the app to Trash. If it cannot move the app, follow the prompt to finish in Finder. Authentication may be required when quit protection is active.

Questions about Hey Mac setup

Does App Lock need my saved login password?

App Lock-only setup skips saving a password for Lock Screen unlocking. If you choose the Mac-password option on the App Lock shield, authenticate when prompted; that is separate from saving a password so Hey Mac can enter it at the lock screen.

Do I need to grant every macOS permission?

No. Review the permissions required for your selected feature. The setup described here asks for camera access for face recognition and Accessibility for Lock Screen password entry; it is not a reason to grant unrelated permissions.

Can I keep using my password and Touch ID?

Yes. Keep the Mac’s native login methods available. Hey Mac adds a convenience layer and does not turn the regular camera into Apple Face ID.

About the author and sources

Harshit Maurya develops Hey Mac. Reviewed October 25, 2026 for v1.0.4. The steps describe the app’s documented setup and settings, with Apple documentation for macOS controls. No fresh-install screenshots or independent security certification are claimed.