Install Help & Support

Your Mac saw the app came from the internet and blocked it. CleanMode isn't actually damaged — macOS just hasn't been told to trust apps from outside the App Store.

Fix

1. Drag CleanMode.app into your Applications folder if you haven't already.
2. Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Return).
3. Copy and paste this line, then press Return:

   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/CleanMode.app

4. Open CleanMode again. It will launch normally.

If you kept CleanMode in your Downloads folder, replace /Applications/CleanMode.app with the actual path (for example ~/Downloads/CleanMode.app).

macOS wants you to confirm you trust an app from outside the App Store. This is a one-time click.

Fix

1. In Finder, find CleanMode in your Applications folder.
2. Right-click (or hold Control and click) the app, then choose Open.
3. In the dialog that appears, click Open again.

If "Open" is missing or greyed out, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway next to the CleanMode notice.

Older macOS versions show this wording for the same reason as above.

Fix

1. In Finder, find CleanMode in your Applications folder.
2. Right-click the app and choose Open.
3. Click Open in the confirmation dialog.

The download may have been interrupted or corrupted (for example, transferred through a chat app that stripped the file).

Fix

1. Delete the .dmg file.
2. Download CleanMode again directly from cleanmode.app using Safari or Chrome.
3. Double-click the new .dmg.

To block keys and trackpad input, macOS needs your permission. This is for your safety — macOS doesn't let any app listen to your inputs without your OK.

Fix

1. Open System Settings (the gear icon).
2. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
3. Click Accessibility.
4. Find CleanMode in the list and turn the switch on.
5. If prompted, enter your Mac password.
6. Quit and reopen CleanMode.

If CleanMode still doesn't block some inputs, also enable it under Input Monitoring in the same Privacy & Security panel.

After you enter your license key, CleanMode saves it to your Mac's Keychain so it doesn't sit on disk in plain text. The first time it reads the key back, macOS asks you to confirm. This is one click, once.

Fix

1. When the prompt appears, click Always Allow.
2. You won't be asked again for this version of CleanMode.

If you click "Allow" instead, macOS will ask again next launch. "Deny" leaves you unactivated — open the activation panel again and re-enter your key to retry.

CleanMode keeps your Mac awake while it's locked, so it won't sleep on its own mid-cleaning. If you deliberately close the lid (or pick Sleep from the Apple menu), CleanMode notices and exits cleanly before the Mac suspends.

What to expect

1. Open the lid (or wake the Mac).
2. Sign back in if you have a login password set.
3. You'll be on the CleanMode home screen, ready to start a fresh session.

SmartScreen warns about apps it doesn't recognize. Since CleanMode is distributed from our site instead of the Microsoft Store, it hasn't built up a SmartScreen reputation yet.

Fix

1. In the blue warning dialog, click the small More info link.
2. A new button appears. Click Run anyway.
3. CleanMode will install. You only need to do this once.

Some antivirus tools flag newly released unsigned apps automatically until enough users have run them safely. CleanMode does not collect or transmit your data — see our privacy policy.

Fix

1. Open your antivirus or Windows Security.
2. Find the quarantined file labeled CleanMode.
3. Choose Allow or Restore.
4. Run the installer again.

If you'd rather not whitelist it, email us at support@cleanmode.app and we'll refund your purchase.

What's happening: on most modern laptops, the F1–F12 keys default to special actions — volume, brightness, mic mute, and so on — instead of standard function keys.

Why CleanMode can't block them: those special actions are handled by your keyboard's firmware before Windows ever sees the keypress. CleanMode runs at the OS level, so any key the firmware handles itself never reaches us.

The fix — Fn Lock: turning on Fn Lock flips the F-row to send standard F1–F12 codes. Those reach the OS like any normal key, and CleanMode blocks them along with everything else.

How to enable Fn Lock

1. Look for a small lock icon on your Esc key (or somewhere on the F-row).
2. Press Fn + Esc. On most laptops this toggles Fn Lock; the lock indicator lights up when it's on.
3. Open CleanMode and press Enter Clean Mode. F-row keys are now blocked.

Brand-specific notes

• ThinkPad / Lenovo: Fn + Esc.
• Dell: Fn + Esc on most models. If that doesn't work, reboot into BIOS and set Function Key Behavior to Function key.
• HP: Fn + Esc, or in BIOS set Action Keys Mode to Disabled.
• ASUS: Fn + Esc on most models.
• Other: some keyboards use Fn + Caps Lock or a dedicated Fn Lock key. Your laptop's manual is the source of truth.

You can toggle Fn Lock any time — even while CleanMode is running. Fn + Esc is handled by the keyboard firmware, not as a normal keystroke, so CleanMode doesn't block it.

Two Windows shortcuts deliberately stay active during clean mode:

• Win + L — locks the workstation
• Ctrl + Alt + Del — opens the security screen

These are kernel-level shortcuts that no app can intercept; Windows reserves them so you always have a way out of any running app. CleanMode follows that — it doesn't try to override security primitives the OS guarantees.

In practice this isn't a problem for cleaning, because both combinations require deliberate finger placement on multiple specific keys at once — exactly what you can't do while wiping a keyboard with a cloth. They won't fire accidentally.

If you do press Win + L mid-cleaning, CleanMode detects the workstation lock and exits automatically, so you're never stuck. Sign back into Windows and you'll land at the home screen.

Linux needs you to mark the file as executable the first time.

Fix (graphical)

1. Right-click CleanMode.AppImage in your file manager.
2. Choose Properties.
3. Open the Permissions tab.
4. Check Allow executing file as program (or "Is executable").
5. Close the window and double-click the AppImage.

Fix (terminal)

chmod +x CleanMode.AppImage
./CleanMode.AppImage

AppImage needs a library called FUSE 2 to run. Recent Linux versions ship FUSE 3 by default, so FUSE 2 has to be installed once.

Fix on Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libfuse2

Fix on Fedora

sudo dnf install fuse

Fix on Arch / Manjaro

sudo pacman -S fuse2

CleanMode needs a few system libraries that your distribution can install automatically.

Fix

sudo apt install -f ./CleanMode_*.deb

Run this from the folder where you downloaded the .deb. It installs CleanMode along with any libraries it needs.

What's happening: AppStream-aware Software Centers tag any app installed from outside your distribution's official repositories as third-party. CleanMode is distributed directly from cleanmode.app rather than through Ubuntu, Debian, Snap Store, or Flathub — so it gets that label.

Is it safe? Yes. The warning is about the distribution channel (the package isn't signed by the distro), not about the app itself. The .deb you downloaded from cleanmode.app is the same binary we build and release on GitHub for every version.

We plan to submit CleanMode to Snap Store and Flathub so future installs come through trusted channels and the warning goes away. Until then, the warning is expected.

What's happening: "Unrestricted" means the .deb runs as a regular Linux application without a sandbox boundary — the same way every other native .deb on your system runs (Firefox, VS Code, and so on, when installed via apt).

Sandboxed packaging formats like Flatpak and Snap can declare a narrower permissions surface ("Files: home folder only", "Network: no", etc.). Native .debs don't have that mechanism, so they all show as Unrestricted by default.

What CleanMode actually does: reads and writes only its own settings file under your home directory, listens for keyboard and mouse events to power the lock, and draws a fullscreen overlay. It needs root only at install time (apt installs the package); it runs as your normal user thereafter.

What's happening: on most modern laptops, the F1–F12 keys default to special actions — volume, brightness, mic mute, and so on — instead of standard function keys.

Why CleanMode can't block them: those special actions are handled by your keyboard's firmware before Linux ever sees the keypress. CleanMode runs at the OS level, so any key the firmware handles itself never reaches us.

The fix — Fn Lock: turning on Fn Lock flips the F-row to send standard F1–F12 codes. Those reach the OS like any normal key, and CleanMode blocks them along with everything else.

How to enable Fn Lock

Linux laptops vary more than Windows here — the combo and BIOS option depend on your hardware vendor.

Brand-specific notes

• ThinkPad / Lenovo: Fn + Esc toggles Fn Lock. The lock indicator on Esc lights up when it's on.
• Dell: Fn + Esc on most models. If that doesn't work, reboot into BIOS and set Function Key Behavior to Function key.
• HP: usually a BIOS setting — reboot, enter BIOS, and set Action Keys Mode to Disabled.
• ASUS: Fn + Esc on most models.
• Framework: Fn + Esc toggles Fn Lock.
• Other: some keyboards use Fn + Caps Lock, a dedicated Fn Lock key, or a BIOS-only setting. Your laptop's manual is the source of truth.

You can toggle Fn Lock any time — even while CleanMode is running. The combo is handled by the keyboard firmware, not as a normal keystroke, so CleanMode doesn't block it.

On Linux, Ctrl + Alt + F1–F12 switches between virtual terminals (TTYs). This shortcut stays active during clean mode.

Why CleanMode can't block it: the TTY switch is handled by the Linux kernel itself, before any user-space program — including the X11 or Wayland session — gets a chance to see the keypress. CleanMode runs in user space, so any key the kernel handles directly never reaches us.

In practice this isn't a problem for cleaning, because the combination requires deliberate finger placement on three specific keys at once — exactly what you can't do while wiping a keyboard with a cloth. It won't fire accidentally.

If you do switch TTYs mid-cleaning, switch back with Ctrl + Alt + F1 (or F2/F7, depending on your distro) and CleanMode is still running where you left it.

On a Wayland session, Super + arrow can still tile or maximize the window during clean mode. It's a Wayland limitation we can't override from user space.

It doesn't affect cleaning — typing, trackpad, clicks, and every other shortcut stay blocked, and the lock continues until you long-press to exit.

On some Linux setups the fullscreen transition can feel a touch laggy. It's a known limitation on the Linux side and doesn't affect the lock itself — the keyboard and shortcut blocking work exactly the same.