For Mac · Menu bar utility
Your macOS shortcut.Actually working.
SwitchGuard checks that your keyboard layout switch really happened — and retries instantly when macOS misses it.
macOS 13+ · No sign-up · No cloud
The problem
Sometimes your shortcut just… doesn’t.
You press ⌘Space. macOS receives it. The layout should change — but sometimes it silently doesn’t, and you only notice after you’ve typed a sentence in the wrong language.
You press the shortcut
macOS quietly ignores it
SwitchGuard makes sure it always does.
It watches the real system state after every shortcut press. If the layout didn’t change, it retries — automatically, in milliseconds.
How it works
Three steps, no thinking required.
SwitchGuard sits quietly in your menu bar and steps in only when macOS needs a nudge.
- 01
Press your shortcut
The same one you already use — nothing to relearn, no new muscle memory.
- 02
SwitchGuard verifies
It checks the actual input source state, not just that the key was pressed.
- 03
Retries if needed
If macOS missed it, SwitchGuard tries again — up to 5 times, configurable by you.
Features
Small utility. Does one thing properly.
Lives in your menu bar
No dock icon, no windows getting in your way. Toggle it on or off in one click.
Uses your own shortcut
Keep Command+Space or record any combination you like — SwitchGuard adapts to you.
Configurable retries
Choose how many times SwitchGuard tries again, from 1 to 5 attempts.
Transparent logs
Every switch attempt is logged locally, so you can see exactly what happened and when.
Barely there
No background polling loops, no wasted CPU cycles — built to be invisible until needed.
Nothing leaves your Mac
No analytics, no network calls, no account. SwitchGuard simply isn’t connected to anything.
Privacy
It watches for a switch. Not for you.
SwitchGuard needs Accessibility access to detect your shortcut and read the current input source — that’s the same permission any keyboard utility on macOS requires.
No keystroke logging
SwitchGuard only recognizes your configured shortcut. It does not read, store, or transmit anything you type.
No network access
The app makes zero network requests. There’s nothing to intercept, because nothing is ever sent.
Local logs only
Switch history stays in a local file on your Mac, purely for your own troubleshooting.
Get SwitchGuard
Free. No strings attached.
SwitchGuard is free to use, for as long as you need it. If it saves you a few retyped words a day, consider fueling further development.
Support the project
SwitchGuard is built and maintained by an independent developer. Donations aren’t required — they just help keep it going.
Donate crypto
FAQ
Good to know
Why does SwitchGuard need Accessibility access?
macOS only allows apps to detect global keyboard shortcuts and read the current input source through the Accessibility API. This is the same requirement as apps like Bartender, Rectangle, or any hotkey-based utility.
Which languages does it work with?
SwitchGuard works with whatever input sources you already have enabled in System Settings — it isn’t limited to a specific language pair.
Does SwitchGuard auto-detect the wrong language and fix already-typed text?
No — that’s a different category of tool. SwitchGuard doesn’t read or correct text. It only makes sure your shortcut press reliably switches the layout in the first place.
Will it slow down my Mac?
No. SwitchGuard is event-driven — it does nothing until you press your shortcut, so there’s no continuous polling or battery drain.
Which macOS versions are supported?
macOS 13 Ventura and later.