Shoo! vs MakLock: a free tool that stopped shipping
MakLock is free, open source (MIT), and on paper one of the closest things to Shoo! on the market — Touch ID, Apple Watch unlock, zero telemetry. The problem is what's happened since: its last release was March 17, 2026, its last commit was April 16, 2026, and bug reports filed since June haven't been answered.
| Shoo! | MakLock | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $17.99 once | Free, open source (MIT) |
| Maintenance | Actively developed | No release since Mar 2026, no commits since Apr 2026, bug reports unanswered since June |
| Re-lock on app switch | Works — the process isn't running, period | Broken (issue #51) — stays unlocked for the whole session once opened |
| Backup password | PBKDF2 + salt, 210,000 iterations, rate-limited | Stored in Keychain as plain text, compared with ==, no attempt limit |
| Apple Watch trust | Apple's LocalAuthentication framework | Bluetooth proximity guessing — not cryptographic |
| Protectable apps | Any app, including Apple's own, all at once | 12 apps hardcoded as unprotectable (Terminal, Finder, System Settings...); only 1 app at a time |
What stopped working
This isn't a guess about an abandoned project — it's specific, documented behavior in MakLock's own code and issue tracker:
MakLock
- No release since March 2026, no commits since April 2026. Open bug reports from June go unanswered.
- "Lock on app switch" is listed in MakLock's own comparison table — but the setting is never actually read anywhere in the code (tracked in issue #51). Once you've unlocked an app, it stays unlocked for the rest of your session, switching or not.
- The backup password is stored in Keychain as plain text and checked with a simple equality comparison — no hashing, no attempt limit.
- A built-in panic key (Cmd+Opt+Shift+Ctrl+U) and a 60-second overlay timeout are both documented, standing bypasses — anyone at the keyboard can use either.
- Apple Watch "trust" isn't cryptographic. It pairs with the first nearby Bluetooth device with "watch" in its name, and treats any Apple device nearby as proof the watch is on your wrist.
- Twelve apps — including Terminal, Activity Monitor, Finder, and System Settings — are hardcoded as impossible to protect.
- Only one app can be locked at a time.
Shoo!
- Actively developed and supported.
- Actually re-locks when you switch away — there's no "stays unlocked" state, because the process isn't running anymore.
- Backup password is hashed (PBKDF2 + salt, 210,000 iterations) with rate-limited attempts.
- No panic key and no timeout to wait out, because there's no overlay sitting on screen to time out or dismiss.
- Touch ID and Apple Watch confirmation go through Apple's real LocalAuthentication framework — not Bluetooth proximity guessing.
- Any app can be protected, including Apple's own — Mail, Messages, System Settings, Terminal.
- Lock as many apps as you want, all at once, with "Lock everything now."
To be fair to MakLock: zero required system permissions beyond Bluetooth and notifications is a genuinely good idea, and Shoo! follows the same principle. If MakLock's advertised features worked as described, it would be a solid minimalist option. In its current, unmaintained state, several of its headline features simply don't do what the feature table says — worth knowing before you rely on it as your only protection.
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Frequently asked questions
Is MakLock still being maintained?
Not actively as of this writing — its last release was March 17, 2026, its last commit was April 16, 2026, and bug reports filed since June haven’t been answered. Shoo! is actively developed and supported.
Does MakLock’s “lock on app switch” feature actually work?
According to MakLock’s own issue tracker (issue #51), the setting is listed in its comparison table but never actually read in the code — once unlocked, an app stays unlocked for the rest of your session. Shoo! re-locks the moment you switch away, because the process isn’t running anymore.
How is Shoo!’s backup password different from MakLock’s?
MakLock stores its backup password in Keychain as plain text with a simple equality check and no attempt limit. Shoo!’s is hashed with PBKDF2 and a salt (210,000 iterations) with rate-limited attempts.
Can I lock more than one app at a time?
With Shoo!, yes — you can lock as many apps as you want at once, including with a one-click “Lock everything now.” MakLock can only lock one app at a time.