1
Bypass macOS Security Warning
macOS SetupWhy this happens
The app is in beta and distributed outside the Mac App Store. Apple's Gatekeeper will block it with a "Not Opened" warning. This is expected — the app is signed with a valid Apple Developer certificate but not yet notarized for public distribution.
Do not click "Move to Bin." This would delete the application. Always click Done to dismiss the warning first.
SCREENSHOT 1 — Security warning dialog appears after double-clicking the app
The "Not Opened" warning from Apple Gatekeeper. Click the ? button in the top-right of the dialog.
- Double-click to open the appIn Finder → Downloads, double-click screenpipe-monitor. A security dialog will appear saying "Not Opened."
- Click the ? (Help) buttonIn the top-right corner of the warning dialog, click the question mark icon. This opens the Mac User Guide in Safari.
SCREENSHOT 2 — Mac User Guide opens with the blue link to Privacy & Security
Click the blue "Open Privacy & Security settings for me" link shown in the Mac User Guide.
- Click "Open Privacy & Security settings for me"In the Mac User Guide page that opens, click the blue link. This takes you directly to System Settings → Privacy & Security.
SCREENSHOT 3 — Privacy & Security with "Open Anyway" button visible
Scroll to the Security section. You'll see "screenpipe-monitor was blocked to protect your Mac." Click Open Anyway.
SCREENSHOT 4 — Close-up of the Open Anyway button
Click Open Anyway, then enter your Mac login password when prompted. The app will launch.
- Scroll to Security section & click "Open Anyway"Under the Security heading, click Open Anyway next to the blocked app notice.
- Authenticate with your Mac login passwordEnter your password or use Touch ID. The app will now launch successfully.
The "Open Anyway" button disappears after about 1 hour. If you don't see it, try opening the app again from Finder to re-trigger the block, then return to Privacy & Security.
2
First Launch — Enter Backend Credentials
ConfigurationWhat you'll see
On first launch, the app shows a setup screen asking for the Backend URL and your personal API Key (generated per employee from the admin dashboard).
// Test Employee Credentials
Backend URLhttps://tracker.repeatme.us/
API Keycm_92886664c876f8526500f10f8583e1089e89d42278bdf0716681103fd7cc73ec
In production, each employee gets a unique API key generated from the admin dashboard using Gen Key. Never share your API key.
- Paste the Backend URLCopy the URL above and paste it into the Backend URL field. Ensure no extra spaces.
- Paste your API KeyPaste your assigned API key. This links your device activity to your employee profile on the server.
- Confirm and proceedTap the confirmation button. The app will validate your credentials before proceeding.
3
Grant Required Permissions
macOS PermissionsWhy permissions are needed
The monitoring agent needs access to capture screenshots and record screen activity. macOS will prompt for each permission separately. You must allow all of them for the app to function correctly.
Screenshots
Required to capture periodic screen frames sent to the server for activity analysis.
Screen Recording
Required by macOS for any app that reads screen content.
Microphone (if prompted)
May be required depending on your Screenpipe build configuration.
Network Access
Required to upload captured frames and activity data to the backend server.
- Allow each permission prompt as they appearClick Allow or OK for each macOS permission dialog.
- Manually verify in System Settings if neededGo to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording and confirm screenpipe-monitor is toggled ON.
4
Sign In or Create an Account
AuthenticationScreenpipe Account
After credentials are accepted and permissions granted, you'll be prompted to log in to Screenpipe. Use your work email and a password. If you don't have an account, sign up directly from this screen.
- Enter your email and passwordUse your work email address. For new accounts, use Sign Up and set a secure password.
- Complete loginOnce authenticated, the Screenpipe engine starts automatically. You're fully set up.
5
How Screen Recording Works
Agent BehaviourAutomatic monitoring
Once logged in, the agent starts capturing screen frames and activity data automatically. No manual start needed. Monitoring continues in the background as long as the app is running.
- Monitoring starts immediately after loginThe agent captures periodic screenshots, categorises activity (app usage, active window titles, time on task), and sends them to the server.
- Monitoring continues until the app is closedClosing the app stops all data capture. Keep the app running in the background during work hours.
- Data sent to backend in real-timeFrames and activity metadata are uploaded to
https://tracker.repeatme.us/and processed by the AI agent for reporting.
If you close or quit the app, monitoring stops completely. Ensure the app stays running in the background during work hours.
6
Admin Dashboard Overview
DashboardAccess
The Cold Monitor admin dashboard is accessed using the Admin API Key. Admins can view all employee activity, manage team members, assign tasks, and generate reports.
// Dashboard Login
Access viaAdmin API Key (provided separately to administrators)
Date FilterSelect any date to view that day's activity data
SCREENSHOT 5 — Admin Dashboard with employee cards
The main admin dashboard. Each card shows an employee's status, active time, frames, and productive time. Use + Add Employee to add new team members and Load with an admin API key to access.
Employee Cards
View real-time status (Online/Offline), active time, frames captured, and productive time.
Task Management
Assign tasks using + Task. The AI cross-references assigned tasks with actual screen activity to measure task alignment.
Gen Key / Revoke Key
Generate a new API key for an employee or revoke an existing one instantly.
Report & Frames
View individual screen frames or generate a full AI-powered report per employee.
Refresh
Click Refresh to pull the latest data from the server for the selected date.
7
Understanding Reports
AI ReportsWhat the report shows
Clicking View Details or Generate Report on an employee card opens a full AI-generated activity report. Reports are built from captured frames and activity metadata.
SCREENSHOT 6 — Employee detail report with metrics and scores
The employee detail page. Shows Today's Metrics (active time, productive time, deep work, idle), three circular Scores (Productivity, Productive Time, Task Align), Day Summary, and Apps Used sidebar.
- Today's MetricsDisplays Total Active time, Productive Time (% of active), Deep Work (focus ≥15 min), Unproductive, Idle/Gaps, Frames, Categories, and Distraction time.
- ScoresThree circular scores: Productivity (out of 100), Productive Time (%), and Task Align (how closely actual work matched assigned tasks, 0–100).
SCREENSHOT 7 — Day summary with concern flags and recommendations
The Day Summary section. Includes an AI narrative, Concern flags (if off-task), Task Misalignment score, and Recommendations for the employee.
- Day SummaryAI-written narrative of what the employee did — apps used, work start/end times, and whether assigned tasks were addressed.
- Concern / Task Misalignment flagsIf activity doesn't match assigned tasks, a Concern and Task Misalignment (0/100) flag appears with details about what was missing.
- RecommendationsThe AI provides actionable suggestions for improving task alignment and productivity.
SCREENSHOT 8 — Activity timeline, breakdown, screen timeline & off-task work
Bottom of the report: hourly Activity Timeline, category breakdown (admin/communication/browsing %), Screen Timeline thumbnails with timestamps, and the Unrelated/Off-Task Work section.
- Activity Timeline & BreakdownHourly bar chart of categories plus percentage breakdown (admin, communication, browsing) with time spent.
- Screen TimelineThumbnail screenshots at key timestamps, labelled with the active app. Click any to enlarge.
- Unrelated / Off-Task WorkOff-task activity (e.g. personal browsing) is flagged here with a time estimate.
- Apps Used & 7-Day TrendSidebar showing app usage duration plus a 7-day productivity trend bar chart.
8
Beta Notes & Known Limitations
Beta
This is an internal beta. Expect rough edges. Your feedback directly shapes the product.
- macOS security bypass is temporaryOnce the app is notarized by Apple, the Gatekeeper warning will no longer appear. This step will not be needed in the final release.
- Backend is running on a test serverThe backend at
tracker.repeatme.usis a development instance. Data may be cleared periodically during testing. - "Never connected" statusIf an employee card shows "never connected," verify credentials and confirm the app is running with all permissions granted.
- Report generation takes a momentThe AI needs to process all captured frames. "Generate Report" may take 10–30 seconds depending on frame count.
- Share feedbackReport bugs, missing features, or UX issues directly to the development team. This is the best time to shape the product.