How can we help?

How do I install iKnowMyMac?#

Download the disk image, open it, drag iKnowMyMac into your Applications folder, then open it from Applications.

1. Get the download from the page you see right after buying, or from Get your download link with the license key from your purchase email. The download is about 4 MB.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
3. Drag iKnowMyMac onto the Applications folder in the window that appears.
4. Eject the disk image, then open iKnowMyMac from your Applications folder.

iKnowMyMac is signed with our Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so macOS opens it after its usual check for apps downloaded from the internet.

What happens the first time I open it?#

A short setup: a few welcome screens, a choice of how the menu bar item looks, optional alerts, the optional helper, and then your license key.

Every step that involves a permission is optional and only asks when you press its button. You can change all of these choices later in Settings.

Does it run on Intel Macs?#

No. iKnowMyMac needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

Why isn't iKnowMyMac on the Mac App Store?#

The App Store sandbox stops apps from reading other processes, which is the heart of what iKnowMyMac does. So we sell it directly, signed and notarized.

How do I activate iKnowMyMac?#

Paste the license key from your purchase email into the activation screen and choose Activate this Mac.

Your key is emailed by Dodo Payments, who handle our checkout. Copying and pasting is easiest; spaces and line breaks picked up from the email are removed for you. Until a key is activated, the app shows a live preview with simulated figures behind the activation screen.

To activate later, or with a different key, open Settings→ then License.

What does activation send?#

Your license key and your Mac's name. Nothing about the apps you run or how you use your Mac leaves it.

The license server replies with a random instance ID for this Mac. iKnowMyMac keeps the key and that ID in your Keychain, and later checks send only the key and the instance ID. The Mac's name is the one set in System Settings→ then General→ then Sharing; it helps you recognise your Macs if you ever move a license.

The app checks the license when it opens and then every 7 days. If it can't reach the server, everything keeps working for 30 days. Every request the app makes is listed on the privacy page.

My key isn't accepted. What now?#

The message under the key field says why. Most often the key was copied incompletely, or it's already active on all the Macs it covers.

• “That key wasn't recognised.” Copy the key again from your purchase email and paste it.
• “This key is already active on all the Macs it covers.” Free a seat by moving the license off another Mac, then try again.
• “This key has been deactivated.” This usually follows a refund. If you didn't ask for one, write to support@iknowmymac.com.
• “You appear to be offline.” Activation needs a moment online. Connect and try again.

I bought a license for several Macs. How do I use it?#

Activate the same key on each Mac. A key for 5 Macs can be active on 5 Macs at once.

I can't find my license key.#

Search your email for the receipt from Dodo Payments; the key is in it. If you still can't find it, write to us from the email address you used to buy.

Why does iKnowMyMac ask to send notifications?#

For alerts about misbehaving apps and the weekly digest. macOS asks only when you choose Allow notifications during setup.

If you skip it or say no, monitoring works exactly the same; you just won't get alerts. You can change your mind in System Settings→ then Notifications→ then iKnowMyMac, and choose which alerts fire in iKnowMyMac Settings→ then Alerts.

Does it need Full Disk Access, the microphone or anything else?#

No. iKnowMyMac doesn't ask for Full Disk Access, Accessibility, screen recording, the microphone, audio or location.

The only other approval is for the optional helper, and for Open at login if you turn it on; both appear in macOS's Login Items settings.

What can the helper do?#

It answers four read-only questions, and only for iKnowMyMac.

• Read CPU, memory and disk use of system processes that apps can't read on their own.
• Take a powermetrics snapshot for per-process energy.
• Read the sleep and wake log (pmset).
• Read your SSD's health (SMART) data.

What can't the helper do?#

It can't take commands, change anything or use the network.

• It can't quit, change, move or delete anything, and it can't run commands for you or for any other app.
• It can't open your files or documents.
• It can't use the network, so it can't send anything anywhere.
• It doesn't keep running: it quits a few seconds after iKnowMyMac stops asking it questions.

How do I install and approve the helper?#

Choose Install helper during setup, or Install… in Settings → Helper, then allow iKnowMyMac in System Settings → General → Login Items.

1. In iKnowMyMac, open Settings→ then Helper and choose Install… (or choose Install helper during setup).
2. macOS asks for your approval. Open System Settings→ then General→ then Login Items (called Login Items & Extensions on newer macOS) and turn on iKnowMyMac. The app has an Open Login Items button that takes you there.
3. Back in iKnowMyMac, system processes appear on the next refresh.

How do I remove the helper?#

Open Settings → Helper in iKnowMyMac and choose Uninstall…. System processes are hidden again; everything else keeps working.

You can also turn it off in System Settings→ then General→ then Login Items. If you plan to delete the app, remove the helper first (see Uninstall).

How do I move my license to a new Mac?#

On the old Mac, open Settings → License → Move License to Another Mac…, confirm, then activate the same key on the new Mac.

1. On the old Mac, open iKnowMyMac Settings→ then License.
2. Choose Move License to Another Mac…, then Deactivate This Mac. This frees one of your license's seats.
3. On the new Mac, install iKnowMyMac and paste the same key.

Your history on the old Mac isn't deleted; that copy of iKnowMyMac returns to the activation screen.

My old Mac is gone, wiped or broken. How do I free its seat?#

Write to support@iknowmymac.com from the email address you bought with, and we'll free the seat for you.

Include your license key or order number, and the name of the Mac to free if you know it. Once the seat is free, activate on your new Mac as usual. This also applies if you reinstalled macOS without deactivating first.

How does iKnowMyMac update?#

Through Sparkle, the standard Mac update framework. With automatic checks on, the app checks once a day and offers each new version.

The switch is in Settings→ then General→ then Updates, next to Check for Updates… for a check right now. Updates are signed, and iKnowMyMac verifies the signature before installing. The update check sends nothing about your Mac.

Updates are free. See what changed in the changelog.

How do I get a refund?#

Within 14 days of buying, write to support@iknowmymac.com from the email address you bought with. You don't need to give a reason.

Dodo Payments, our Merchant of Record, returns the money to the way you paid. When the refund goes through, the key is deactivated and the app becomes read-only at its next license check (see License inactive). Your data on your Mac is never deleted.

The details are in the refund policy. If you posted about iKnowMyMac, you may be able to get money back through the post-for-refund program.

What does “License inactive” mean?#

The license server reports the key as no longer active, usually after a refund or a chargeback. iKnowMyMac switches to read-only mode.

Nothing is ever deleted. To restore everything, choose Reactivate… in the banner and enter an active key.

What does “License needs a check” mean?#

iKnowMyMac couldn't reach the license server for more than 30 days. Connect to the internet and choose Validate now.

Monitoring keeps working meanwhile; actions and alerts are paused until one check succeeds.

My license shows as inactive, but I didn't ask for a refund.#

Write to support@iknowmymac.com with your order email and we'll sort it out.

How do I uninstall iKnowMyMac completely?#

Remove the helper in Settings first, quit the app, then drag it from Applications to the Trash. Optionally delete its data folder.

1. If you installed the helper: Settings→ then Helper→ then Uninstall….
2. If you might use your license on another Mac: Settings→ then License→ then Move License to Another Mac… to free the seat.
3. Quit iKnowMyMac (⌘ Q).
4. Drag iKnowMyMac from your Applications folder to the Trash.
5. Optional: delete ~/Library/Application Support/iKnowMyMac, which holds your 30-day history database and battery health samples.

To remove every trace, you can also delete ~/Library/Preferences/com.gs.iknowmymac.plist (your settings) and the iKnowMyMac license item in Keychain Access. If you turned on Open at login, check that it's gone from System Settings→ then General→ then Login Items.

What do I need to run iKnowMyMac?#

A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

• About 4 MB to download. History takes about 94 MB for 30 days of 80 apps on our test Mac.
• An internet connection to activate, for the weekly license check and for updates. Monitoring itself works offline.
• CPU and GPU temperatures and fan speeds are validated on M1 Pro; on other chips the app shows the thermal state.
• On macOS 26 and later, an on-device Apple model phrases the diagnosis summary. On macOS 15, the same diagnosis is shown without it.

How do I reach you?#

Email support@iknowmymac.com. We read every message.

It helps to include your Mac model, your macOS version, the iKnowMyMac version (in the About window) and what you expected to happen. For license questions, write from the email address you bought with. Please never send us passwords.