Protections that hold on the Mac.

The computer is where a lot of the looking actually happens. A filter that only covers the phone leaves a door open on the desk.

What it does.

Two things, and they work on different parts of the machine. Bramble filters the network, so anything on this Mac that opens a connection is covered — not just the browser. And it reads the page as Safari loads it, so pictures and video get judged here, by content, rather than by a domain on a list.

Chrome and Brave get the in-page filter too, once you connect them.

Your shield is still set on your phone.

Night curfew, app blocks, website limits, how strict the image filter runs — all of it follows you here from the iPhone app. You cannot loosen any of it from this Mac, and you cannot open a timed window here. That stays where you set it, on purpose. A second frictionless place to loosen is not protection.

Installing it.

1. Get it from the Mac App Store.

   Open the listing and press Get. It installs into Applications by itself, and the App Store keeps it up to date.

2. Open it and connect it to your account.

   Sign in with your email and Bramble sends you a code. Or pair it from your phone: Bramble → the gear → My Screens, under Protection → Pair a screen, then type the code this Mac shows you. Pairing, step by step.

3. Say Allow twice.

   macOS asks before any app may filter the network, and Bramble has two filters. Both prompts open System Settings. Nothing is covered until both say allowed.

4. Turn on the Bramble extension in Safari.

   Safari → Settings → Extensions. This is the half that reads the page rather than the address, and no app can switch it on for you.

After that it stays out of your way. It sits in the menu bar and tells you there — in a word, not a colour — when something is not covered.

What it will not do.

The honest version, before you need it rather than after.

• You can turn it off, and that is the point. You are the admin of your own Mac. Bramble here is built to be loud, not unbreakable — taking it down is a decision someone sees, not a lock you have to pick.
• Other browsers get addresses only. Firefox, Arc and the rest are covered at the network level, but Bramble cannot see the pictures inside them. The Protection page will tell you which ones are on this Mac.
• Files already on this Mac are not scanned. Bramble never reads your local files and never takes a screenshot of your screen. That door stays open on purpose. It is covered by the people who know you, not by software.
• Your Keyholder hears coverage, never content. If protection comes down here, and you have a Keyholder, they are told a screen lost coverage. They are never told a site, a search, or anything you looked at — here or anywhere else.

Also available Bramble for Chrome.

Protections that hold in Chrome, Edge, Brave, and ChromeOS — including on a machine Bramble cannot install on.

Honest answers.

What does it cost?

Nothing. Bramble is free, and there is no paid tier waiting behind this. The whole point is reach.

Why does macOS ask me to allow two things?

Because there are two filters, and macOS will not let any app touch the network without you saying so. One covers what your Mac looks up; the other covers the connections themselves. Both prompts are normal, and nothing on this Mac is covered until both are allowed.

Will Bramble watch my screen?

No. Bramble does not capture your screen and does not read the files on your Mac. Your witnesses see what you choose to share, never your screens. How page addresses are handled is in the privacy policy.

Do I need the iPhone app?

Yes. Your account, your people and every shield setting live there, and the Mac reads them. The Mac app is the computer half of the same protection, not a separate product.

Can I remove it?

Yes. It is your Mac and Bramble does not pretend otherwise. What it does instead is tell your Keyholder, if you have one, that this screen lost coverage, never a site or anything you looked at. That is the design, not a gap in it.

Will there be a Windows version?

Not yet. We are not announcing Windows. If you browse in Chrome, Edge, or Brave on that machine, the Chrome extension will hold there. That is the browser, not the whole computer.