An independent lab for Apple privacy and security

Everything here follows the same rules, in the software and in the write-ups:

• Observe before changing. Tools default to read-only. Anything that changes a Mac or a device is a separate, labeled, confirmed action.
• Separate observation from interpretation. Reports distinguish what an artifact directly shows from what it might mean, and say what a result does not establish.
• Keep evidence verifiable. Outputs are hashed, screenshots are sanitized, and the original artifacts are published next to the analysis whenever that’s safe.
• Stay local. No accounts, telemetry, or cloud uploads. Your data stays on your machine.
• Be honest about limits. Every project documents its scope and the protections it does not bypass.

These tools are for inspecting systems you own or are authorized to examine: your own Mac, your own iPhone, or a device you have written permission to test. They do not jailbreak devices, bypass passcodes, defeat code signing, or break Apple’s security boundaries, and they shouldn’t be used to access anyone else’s data.

Research findings are published to help people understand and defend their own devices. Where an investigation touches a third party’s infrastructure, it reports what was observed and avoids speculation about intent.

hideouts is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple Inc. Apple, macOS, iOS, iPhone, iPad, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc. Findings about Apple software describe specific builds and may not hold for others.

All projects are open source. Issues, reproducible bug reports, and focused pull requests are welcome; the contribution guide lists where to go for each project. For security problems, please follow the disclosure process instead of opening a public issue.