KeyboardCleanTool

KeyboardCleanTool temporarily blocks input so you can wipe a Mac keyboard without typing into an open document or triggering shortcuts. It is a small utility from the developer of BetterTouchTool, suited to routine desk cleaning and situations where accidental key presses are inconvenient.

Cleaning controls

Version 8 is a complete rewrite. It locks the keyboard, including modifier keys, media and function keys and the Touch Bar, and can also block trackpad and mouse clicks, movement, scrolling and gestures. It darkens screens to make smudges visible, displays elapsed cleaning time and prevents display sleep while cleaning. You can configure an automatic unlock timer and start cleaning mode when the application launches.

There is deliberately no keyboard shortcut to unlock. The official interface instructs you to press and hold a trackpad or mouse button for three seconds. Understand this recovery method before enabling input blocking, particularly when choosing to lock the pointing devices too. The application prevents input; it does not clean hardware or make liquids safe for a powered computer. Follow your device manufacturer's cleaning instructions.

Installation and compatibility

Download the official ZIP, extract the application and place it in Applications, or use brew install --cask keyboardcleantool. Current version 8 requires macOS 13 or later and supports automatic updates through Sparkle. The official legacy version 7 is offered for macOS 10.11 through macOS 12 and has simpler keyboard and Touch Bar locking; it is a separate older download, not feature-equivalent to version 8.

The Homebrew cask declares no separate formula dependency or named conflict. BetterTouchTool is not a required paid dependency: KeyboardCleanTool is offered as its own free utility, while BetterTouchTool also includes cleaning mode. The checked official product page does not specify exact installer CPU architectures or a detailed macOS permission list. Grant only permissions requested by the installed app for input blocking; a general Full Disk Access or administrator requirement is not asserted here.

Cost, network and data

The publisher offers KeyboardCleanTool as a free application. The checked materials do not provide an open-source repository or a source-code license, so free download should not be interpreted as an MIT or GPL license. No account requirement is described for the cleaning workflow. Downloads and automatic update checks use the network; the input-locking controls operate on your Mac. The public product page does not establish a comprehensive app telemetry or data-retention policy, so no absolute no-data-collection claim is made.

Save ongoing work before starting a cleaning session and verify how to unlock. Blocked keyboard and pointing-device input may temporarily stop you interacting with other apps. This utility is not a password lock, a privacy screen or an alternative to macOS session locking.

The official Sparkle feed records a 2,740,065-byte ZIP for version 8.3; installed size can differ.

Sources: Official product and download, Official release feed, Publisher privacy information.