macOS Installation Guide

Note: The program must be installed only on the computer that you want to monitor.

Important: Please take note of your macOS version. CleverControl offers two different versions to ensure compatibility. One version is designed for macOS 10.11 to 10.15, while the other is tailored for macOS 11.0 and above.

• Disable your antivirus if you have any. You should also add the following program folder to the exceptions in your antivirus: /library/clv/clv.app

  Note: You can find prompts on how to add exceptions to your antivirus on its official website.

• Run the installation file and follow the prompts.
  • If you try to open the installer by double-clicking it, you might get the error: “CleverControl Agent for Mac” can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”.
  • If an error occurs, right-click the installer and select “Open” in the menu. Click the "Open" button in response to the system's request.

• Read the Disclaimer and click “Continue” to confirm your understanding.

  

• Enter your admin password when prompted by the system. The admin password is required for the installation.

  

  When the installation is finished, you will see this window:

  

Now you will see the Wizard that will help you set up the program.

• Click the "Sign in" button and enter the email associated with your CleverControl account.

  

  If you entered the account email correctly, you will see the following message:

  

• In the next section, you can change the default hotkeys to open the program. In “Password”, you can set the password to open the program if necessary. If you leave the field empty or re-enter the password incorrectly, it will not be set, and the program will open without the password.

  

• In “Media”, you can set preferences for screenshots, live webcam, and live viewing of the screen.

  

• In “Monitoring control”, you can enable or disable monitoring of visited websites, program activity, clipboard, and keystrokes tracking.

  

  Important note: The program will require additional access privileges for monitoring. You can see how to grant them in “How to enable monitoring”.

• With the last configuration step, you can activate the hidden mode of the program and its automatic launch at the system startup.

  
• Click “Done” to exit the Wizard. The program will start in a few seconds. To open it, press the hotkeys.

CleverControl requires additional permissions to perform monitoring. The program will prompt you to grant these permissions automatically during the setup process.

How to enable monitoring

• Open “System Preferences” and go to “Security and Privacy”.

  

• Go to Accessibility > click on the lock to make changes and enter the administrator password.

  

  Accessibility is required for tracking keystrokes, screenshots, and user statistics.

• Add “CleverControl” to the list of apps that are allowed to control the computer.

  

• Go to “Screen Recording” and allow “CleverControl” there as you did in “Accessibility”.

  

  “Screen Recording” is required for screenshots and live screen viewing.

• To monitor keystrokes, you must allow access to the "Input Monitoring" section. To do so, go to "Input Monitoring" and check "CleverControl".
• Access to a camera and microphone is required for live webcam, video, and sound recording. To grant it, go to “Camera” and “Microphone” and allow “CleverControl”.

• Go to “Location Services” and allow “CleverControl”.

  

  Access to geolocation is required for tracking the location of the computer.

• Navigate to "Automation" and grant access to "CleverControl" as you did in the "Accessibility" settings. Access to "Automation" is essential for tracking internet activity.

Note: For “CleverControl” to appear in the list of the Automation section, you should open your browser.

When the installation is finished, the program will connect to your account automatically, and the computer will appear in your online account in 5-10 minutes.

You can adjust preferences in the program on the target device. The settings are the same as those you applied in the setup wizard when installing the program.

To access program preferences, right-click the program icon or use the hotkeys Opt+Cmd+S (by default).

Here, you can manage screenshot capturing, site blocking, activate the program's hidden mode, and more.

• In the "Log delivery" section, you can change your account if necessary.

  

• In the "Service" section, you can activate the hidden mode of the program by disabling the "Show the icon in the tray" feature.

  

There are a couple of ways to delete the program from the target computer:

• You can uninstall the program through the preferences. To do so, follow the steps below:

  • Open the program on the target computer;
  • Go Preferences -> Service;
  • Click “Uninstall Program”.

• You can uninstall the program via program folders. To do so, follow the steps below:

  • Go to the "Library" folder

  • Delete the "clv" folder.

    Note: The “Library” folder is hidden by default. To find it, you should go into Finder (the desktop screen), click on the “Go” menu, then select “Go to Folder”...

    
  • Navigate to the following directory: Users/Shared, and delete the "clv" folder.

• What should I do if I forget the password to log in to the program on the target device?

  The password for logging into the program is set up during installation. If you have forgotten the password, you should reinstall the program to change it.

• Where should I modify the monitoring settings: remotely in the online account or within the program itself?

  Where you choose to change monitoring settings is entirely up to your convenience. If you initially configured them within the program, you can make changes remotely or directly later. It's important to note that the most recently applied settings will take precedence.

• Can I capture passwords with the program?

  CleverControl captures all keystrokes but does not support logging passwords due to macOS limitations. If passwords are saved in the browser, the program cannot capture them. If passwords are copied from somewhere, they may be recorded in clipboard events.

• To monitor a second user account on your Mac, follow these steps:

  • Log in to the user account;
  • Open the program from the /Library/clv/clv.app;
  • Go to Preferences/Service;
  • Check the "Run automatically at the system startup" checkbox.

  How do I set up monitoring of all users on a computer?