How to arm a session
Updated
Arming a session takes a few seconds and no setup.
Before you step away
- Choose the device you’re leaving behind — a Mac, iPad, or iPhone. This becomes the watcher.
- Place it so the camera can see your belongings. A laptop on a café table, a tablet propped against a wall, or a phone leaning on its stand all work. Aim it at what you want watched.
- Keep another device with you to receive alerts, and make sure both are signed in to the same Stealward account. (See Do I need a second device?)
Start the session
Open Stealward on the device you’re leaving and tap start. Stealward begins watching with the camera, microphone, and motion sensors, and shows a calm cover — never the live camera feed — so anyone walking past just sees that the device is monitored.
From this point on, if something moves, if the device is unplugged or goes offline, or if the camera watchdog spots a threat to your belongings, you get an alert on your other device.
When you come back
Return to the watching device and disarm by authenticating — a tap with Touch ID, Face ID, or your passcode. The cover comes down and the session ends. You can review what was recorded afterward from your own devices.
A few tips
- Leave the watching device on power for longer sessions so the battery lasts (see Will it drain my battery?).
- Give the camera a clear, steady view of your belongings.
- You can watch a private live view from your other device at any time during the session.