Safeguard Desktop is in early access, so treat it as beta. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it does not replace the web app. It wraps it, and adds a few things a browser tab cannot do.
What it is
An Electron app around the Safeguard web app. Four things stand out.
- Persistent sign-in. You sign in once and stay signed in.
- A built-in browser panel that Safeguard's agent can drive.
- An optional link to a local CLI runner. The This computer setting connects the app to a runner on your machine.
- Device posture reporting, only if you allow it. Nothing is reported unless you opt in.
It also registers safeguard:// deep links. The documentation lists links such as safeguard://scan, safeguard://terminal, safeguard://mcp, safeguard://tasks, safeguard://files and safeguard://settings, which bring the app to the front on that tab.
How to use it
- Download the build for your system from safeguard.sh/download. On macOS the builds are signed and notarized. The docs note that Windows builds are not yet code-signed, so SmartScreen may warn, and they publish a checksum file so you can verify the download.
- Open the app and sign in as you would in a browser.
- Open the local panel with Ctrl+Shift+S, or Cmd+Shift+S on macOS.
- Grant access to a project folder through the operating system's file picker. The app can only read folders you grant.
- If you want local scanning, turn on This computer so the app uses a CLI runner on your machine.
Try a deep link from a shell:
open "safeguard://scan" # macOS
xdg-open "safeguard://scan" # Linux
What stays under your control
Folder access is granted per folder and checked on every file operation. The app only navigates within safeguard.sh domains and opens external links in your default browser. Terminal commands in the panel run from a fixed allowlist of binaries. A tenant admin can switch off the desktop client entirely.
Try it yourself
Install the app, grant it one test folder, and open safeguard://scan. Then check Settings and confirm that device posture reporting is off unless you chose to turn it on.
Quick check
What is the status of Safeguard Desktop today?
Early access, beta.
