Your first look around VaultDog

Install and open the beta

Download VaultDog for Apple silicon and macOS 15 or newer. Open the DMG, drag VaultDog to Applications, then launch it. The beta is signed and notarized for macOS.

Let the first scan finish

VaultDog scans the standard Applications folders and builds passports locally. It saves a scan to compare with later checks. Use Check now to scan again.

macOS may request Automation access for Login Items and Local Network access for local-device views. If you decline, some findings may be unavailable; an unavailable result does not mean nothing exists.

Choose an app you know

Use Find an app in Applications. Read the Access, Startup, Network, and Storage summaries, then open a tab for details. A finding gives you something to inspect; it is not a safe-or-malicious score.

Follow one finding

• Storage: review the app and its discovered files, then reveal a location in Finder. Totals are marked as partial when folders cannot be measured. Keep app data separate from rebuildable cache.
• Startup: open the Startup tab or Startup Monitor. Configured, loaded, running, and scheduled describe different states.
• Access: choose View permissions, then Open Settings for a category. Find the app in macOS to check its current permission.
• Network: use the app normally and review the destinations VaultDog observes. Filter by app, destination, country, or network zone; pause the feed to read it. No observations yet does not prove that an app never connects.

Choose optional Privacy controls

Open Privacy and follow the macOS approval steps to enable the network filter. For each supported signed app, choose Allow everything, Block internet, Block local network, or Block both. You can also add destination rules and temporary rules. These controls apply to new outgoing connections; existing connections may continue until the app reconnects.

Keep a useful finding

Return after using your Mac to review changes and the rolling 30-day network history. For local devices, Discover devices checks only the current private IPv4 /24; your router may show devices the Mac cannot see.

If you choose to uninstall, review the selected files before confirming a move to Trash. You can use VaultDog without removing anything.