Support

I forgot my master password or PIN — how do I get back in?

Enter your recovery code instead (shown once during setup — Settings → General & Security → Authentication). It works just like your password to unlock a protected app or open SafeLaunch itself. Once you're in, set a new password or PIN from that same Authentication screen. If Touch ID is available on your Mac, you can also simply keep unlocking with Touch ID — it isn't tied to your password at all.

I don't have my recovery code either — what now?

If you set up security questions during onboarding, the "Forgot Password or PIN?" screen has a link to answer them instead. Answering all 3 correctly lets you set a brand new master password on the spot — nothing is lost, your protected apps stay exactly as they were.

I lost my recovery code and forgot my security question answers — is there any way back in?

If Touch ID is available on your Mac, yes — Touch ID doesn't depend on your password, so it keeps working normally. If Touch ID isn't available, or you've triggered the "Account Locked" screen from too many failed attempts (which deliberately disables Touch ID as an anti-brute-force measure), then by design there is no way back in. Not through the app, not through us. The same way FileVault or your iPhone's passcode has no soft reset — a security app with a backdoor for "forgot everything" isn't actually security.

This is not a hypothetical risk — take it seriously at setup, not after:

• Save your recovery code now. Write it down, put it in a password manager, print it — anywhere except "I'll remember it." If you're reading this FAQ because you're already locked out, it's too late for this one.
• Choose security question answers you will actually remember in five years, not clever ones, not ones you'll second-guess. If you can't be 100% sure you'll recall the exact answer, don't use it.

There is no recovery path beyond Touch ID, your recovery code, and your security questions. If all three are unavailable, your protected apps are unreachable by design.

Why does SafeLaunch have no Dock icon?

SafeLaunch is designed as a menu bar utility. Look for the shield icon in your menu bar — every setting and control lives there and in the window it opens.

Does locking an app close it or lose my work?

No. SafeLaunch only hides a protected app behind the lock screen — it never quits it. Unlocking restores it exactly as you left it, with every window and unsaved change intact.

How do I instantly lock everything?

Press Cmd+Option+L from anywhere on your Mac, or choose "Lock All" from the SafeLaunch menu bar icon. Every protected app is hidden and re-locked immediately.

Can someone just quit SafeLaunch to get around it?

No — quitting SafeLaunch itself requires authentication once a master password is set, so protection can't be switched off behind your back. (System logout, restart, and shutdown are never blocked.)

What can I use to pause protection temporarily?

The menu bar menu has a "Pause Protection" option for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or until you manually resume. While paused, no automatic locking happens (idle, sleep, screensaver); pressing Cmd+Option+L or "Lock All" still works immediately and resumes protection.

What macOS version does SafeLaunch need?

macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Something isn't working as expected

Email support@safelaunchapp.com with what you were doing, what you expected, and what happened instead — screenshots help a lot. We aim to reply within a couple of business days.