VisualCover

VisualCover places a full-screen, always-on-top curtain over every connected monitor while Windows or macOS stays signed in and background programs keep running. A 4–12 digit PIN removes the cover. It is a casual-access barrier — not a security boundary — designed for hiding the desktop from a passerby while leaving automation, downloads, and servers untouched.

Founder and developer — sole engineer. Designed the product, built the Tauri app in Rust and TypeScript, set up GitHub Actions CI for Windows and macOS builds, and released installable binaries on GitHub.

• Tauri — cross-platform desktop framework (Rust backend + TypeScript frontend)
• Rust — native window management, PIN hashing (Argon2id), tray menu, idle detection
• TypeScript / Node.js — frontend UI and configuration screens
• GitHub Actions — CI pipeline that builds the Windows NSIS installer and macOS app on push to main
• NSIS — Windows installer packaging

• Covers all detected monitors with borderless, always-on-top windows
• Configurable clock, date, and solid or gradient background
• PIN stored as an Argon2id hash — the raw PIN is never saved
• Launch at sign-in, cover-after-launch, and optional Windows idle activation
• System tray menu for quick access
• Emergency unlock shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U) — disabled by default
• Background apps (Plex, Python, Chrome, Playwright, scheduled tasks) continue running while covered
• Compatibility mode prevents the cover from stealing focus from automation

VisualCover is designed to leave background automation running while the screen is hidden. Tested with GoodMorningBot — a Windows automation that generates images with Fooocus and sends them via WhatsApp Web using Playwright — confirming that DOM/CDP-based browser automation continues while the cover is active.

• Windows: GitHub Actions builds the NSIS installer on windows-latest, runs all frontend and Rust gates, and uploads as a workflow artifact
• Releases: pushing a version tag (e.g. v0.2.0) triggers the Release workflow, creates a public GitHub Release, and attaches the installer
• macOS: DMG and .app distributed via GitHub Releases for Apple Silicon and Intel
• Versions synchronized across package.json, Cargo.toml, and Tauri config — CI asserts this before releasing

VisualCover explicitly is not a security product. It cannot defend against Task Manager, Ctrl+Alt+Delete, user switching, UAC prompts, elevated software, or process termination. It is a visual curtain intended to hide the desktop from casual passersby — not authentication, encryption, or an endpoint-security tool.

v0.2.0 released on GitHub. Supports 64-bit Windows 11 and macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel). Available as a direct download from GitHub Releases.