A calm checkup for your computer.
Device Rescue looks around your Mac or PC, tells you in plain English what it finds, and never changes anything unless you say so. Use it yourself, or hand a rescue stick to the person you're helping.
Device Rescue only looks — it doesn't fix, delete, or change anything on its own. If it finds something worth fixing, it explains what that means and asks for your okay before doing anything. Nothing happens behind your back.
Older Mac with an Intel processor? Download the Intel version.
Not sure? Apple menu (top-left corner) → About This Mac: “Chip: Apple M…” means the main button is right.
Your computer will show a one-time warning the first time you open it —
here’s exactly what to click.
How it works
Open it up
Launch Device Rescue. It doesn't need an account, a subscription, or an internet connection to get started.
It looks around
It checks things like storage space, background apps, and common security settings — quietly, and without changing anything.
You decide
You'll see a plain-English summary. If something needs fixing, Device Rescue explains it and waits for your go-ahead.
Pick your situation
Device Rescue includes guided walkthroughs for common scenarios. Each one runs the right checks and walks you through what to do — step by step, at your own pace.
Digital Security Reset
You've been hacked, or think you have. This walks you through securing your accounts, checking your device, and recovering — in the right order.
Home Network Intrusion
Someone is on your Wi-Fi who shouldn't be. Find out what they can see, kick them off, and lock things down.
Identity Theft Recovery
Your identity has been stolen. A checklist that survives the next three weeks of phone calls — credit freezes, fraud reports, account recovery.
iPhone Spyware Check
Scan a local iPhone backup for signs of mercenary spyware like Pegasus, using Amnesty International's Mobile Verification Toolkit.
Home for the Holidays
You're visiting family and have one afternoon to leave their laptop in a better state than you found it.
AI Worm Response
Comprehensive scan for AI-led worm compromise, git SSH tampering, and mobile spyware.
The Rescue Stick
A USB drive with Device Rescue ready to run. No install, no internet, no Python. Plug it in, open the drive, and go.
- Works on Mac and Windows — both binaries on every stick
- Includes all 287 checks, 7 guided walkthroughs, and the quick-reference card
- Hand it to someone and they can use it on their own
- Nothing is uploaded — the tool works entirely offline
Perfect for the person in your life who is everyone's tech support, or for anyone who helps others with device security — counselors, IT volunteers, librarians, community organizations.
Estimated price: $29–$39
What's on the stick
RESCUE-STICK/
├── START-HERE.txt
├── macos/
│ └── rescue
├── windows/
│ └── rescue.exe
└── guides/
└── quick-reference.txt
START-HERE.txt walks the person through opening and running
the tool. The quick-reference card is one page you can print.
Free security tools
Device Rescue is one part of a larger set of tools for personal security and digital self-defense. These are all free, run in your browser, and don't collect your data.
Password Health Check
Assess your password practices: manager usage, breach exposure, 2FA audit, recovery keys. Includes an emergency triage flow for active breaches.
Personal Threat Model
Figure out who might target you, what they're after, and what to protect first. Builds a playbook tailored to your situation.
Scam & Phishing Autopsy
Got a suspicious email, text, or call? Dissect the pretext, identify the ask, and learn the verification steps. Builds a household scam defense card.
Ad Tracking Audit
See how much of your data is being used for advertising — across Google, Apple, Facebook, and your apps — and reduce it.
Device Rescue (Web)
The browser version of Device Rescue — walk through a device audit, check for stalkerware, and harden your settings, guided step by step.
Attack Surface Map
Map your personal attack surface: endpoints, services, credentials. For the more technically inclined.
These tools are part of The Multiverse School — a free school for AI, security, and digital self-defense.
What you'll see the first time
New apps that aren't from an app store usually trigger a few security prompts. That's normal — here's exactly what to expect and what to click.
Good to know
- Works on Macs (Apple Silicon and Intel) and on Windows 10 and 11. Linux users can run the command-line version from GitHub.
- The installer is currently unsigned, so macOS and Windows will show a security prompt the first time — see the walkthrough above.
- Nothing is uploaded anywhere. Device Rescue looks at your computer, not the other way around.
- The source code is on GitHub — every check is a plain Python file you can read before you run it.