Safeguard Desktop 3.2.2 runs on macOS 12 or later. Open the roughly 115 MB .dmg, drag Safeguard into Applications, and launch it. Choose the Apple Silicon or Intel build to match your Mac. The page states the macOS builds are signed and notarized.
Which build do you have
Click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. A Mac with an M-series chip shows "Chip" followed by an Apple name, such as M1 or M3. An older Mac shows "Processor" followed by an Intel name. The download page itself points you to About This Mac for this choice.
Picking the wrong one is not dangerous, but you may see slower performance or a launch error, so it is worth the ten seconds.
Install steps
- Download the
.dmgfor your chip from the download page. - Check the SHA-256 checksum (below).
- Double-click the
.dmgto mount it. - Drag the Safeguard icon onto the Applications folder.
- Eject the disk image, then open Safeguard from Applications.
The first launch of any app downloaded from the internet triggers a macOS check. Because the page says the builds are signed and notarized, you should not need to override anything. If macOS blocks the app anyway, stop and recheck where the file came from instead of approving it.
Verify the download
The download page lists a SHA-256 checksum for each build and links to a SHA256SUMS file. In Terminal:
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/Safeguard-3.2.2.dmg
The file name on your disk may differ, so use the real name. Compare the printed value with the page. A mismatch means a corrupted or altered file, so delete it and fetch it again.
Keep it current and know where you stand
Make a note of the version shown in the app. Teams that mix Apple Silicon and Intel Macs often end up with two builds in circulation, which makes support harder. Pick one shared download location and record the version number in your onboarding notes.
For a broader view of choosing a desktop tool, see Safeguard Desktop, web app or CLI: which should you use.
What to do first
Sign in and ask something simple, such as which of your scanned projects has the most components. The page describes the app as a place to query every CVE, component, project and control you have scanned in plain English, so a first question confirms that your data is visible.
Where Safeguard fits
Safeguard Desktop sits beside the CLI, IDE extensions and mobile apps. If you only want a quick look at a manifest, the free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan runs without an account.
Quick check
Which macOS version does Safeguard Desktop need?
The download page lists macOS 12 or later.
Do I need to bypass Gatekeeper to open it?
The page says the macOS builds are signed and notarized, so no override should be needed. If macOS blocks it, recheck the file source and checksum.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
