A small Mac utility from ThreeSided Studios

Keep typing.
Your trackpad can wait.

PalmGuardian pauses pointer input for a fraction of a second after every keystroke, stopping accidental clicks and cursor jumps before they reach your apps.

  • macOS 13 and later
  • Apple silicon
  • No account or telemetry
Trackpad ready Start typing below
Then try a stray click Clicks are blocked only during the green window.
0.5 s

This demo uses the same simple rule as the Mac app: a keystroke starts a short guard window.

01Local by design

Typing activity stays on your Mac.

02Out of the way

It lives in the menu bar, not your workflow.

03Yours to tune

Set the recovery window from 0.1 to 2.0 seconds.

How it works

One small boundary between your hands and your cursor.

PalmGuardian watches for the fact that a key was pressed. It does not record which key. During the recovery window, pointer events are discarded. When the window ends, your trackpad responds normally.

  1. Key pressed

    The guard wakes

    Any keystroke starts the configurable recovery window.

  2. While typing

    Pointer input pauses

    Mouse movement, clicks, and scrolling are intercepted temporarily.

  3. Hands lift

    The trackpad returns

    No polling loop and no mode to remember. The window simply expires.

A utility, not a lifestyle

Set it once. Leave it alone.

PalmGuardian is a compact menu bar app. Turn protection on, choose the delay that matches your typing style, and optionally launch it when you sign in.

System
macOS 13 Ventura or later
Processor
Apple silicon
Permissions
Accessibility and Input Monitoring
Data collected
None

Private on purpose

The app notices activity, not content.

PalmGuardian needs system permission because it works before pointer events reach your apps. It detects that a key event occurred, but it does not store the key, build a history, create an account, or send typing data anywhere.

Read the plain-language privacy policy

Questions

The sensible ones.

Why does PalmGuardian need Accessibility access?

macOS requires Accessibility permission for an app to intercept pointer events before another app receives them. PalmGuardian cannot provide its core protection without it.

Does it read what I type?

No. PalmGuardian reacts to the presence of a key-down event. It does not retain the key value, record text, or transmit typing activity.

Will it block an external mouse?

The current release pauses pointer events generally during the recovery window, including mouse movement, clicks, and scrolling. You can disable PalmGuardian instantly from the menu bar.

Can I change how long the trackpad pauses?

Yes. The recovery window is adjustable from 0.1 to 2.0 seconds. The default is 0.5 seconds.

PalmGuardian app icon

Release in progress

A calmer trackpad is nearly here.

The first signed Mac release is being prepared now. PalmGuardian will be free, require no account, and collect no personal data.

Mac release coming soon macOS 13+, Apple silicon