Keypause is a tiny Mac menu bar app that freezes your keyboard while you clean it

Keypause is a minimalist new utility for Mac users who are tired of chaos every time they wipe their keyboard. The menu bar app does one thing: it temporarily disables all keyboard input with a single click, then restores it just as easily when you’re done. The developer says they built it after repeatedly triggering random shortcuts and closing windows while cleaning the keys.

Keypause currently supports Apple silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. Once installed, it lives in the menu bar; toggling the lock doesn’t require any extra setup or permissions beyond the initial install, so it stays out of the way until you need it. Power users could previously approximate this behavior with tools like the Raycast launcher and custom extensions, but Keypause offers the same benefit as a dedicated, open‑source app with no additional bloat. That “single‑purpose, small and safe” profile is helping it spread through productivity and indie‑Mac communities as a handy quality‑of‑life upgrade.