Shipped v3.0.2 of FinderLock — my Mac file encryption app. Here's what I learned about data safety the hard way
Hey IH 👋
I'm Abdelhak, solo dev building FinderLock — a native macOS app that lets you lock any file or folder with AES-256 encryption and Touch ID.
Just shipped v3.0.2 and wanted to share what's been happening since launch.
Quick context: FinderLock wraps macOS native encrypted disk images in a clean UI. You right-click a file, lock it, unlock with Touch ID or password. No cloud accounts, no subscriptions, everything local.
What I shipped in the last 3 releases:
v3.0.2 (latest) — Data safety & crash recovery:
Files no longer become inaccessible if iCloud renames them during sync
App recovers gracefully from crashes mid-unlock (no more stuck files)
Protected items list gets backed up automatically to prevent data loss
Double-click unlock works even after files are moved or renamed
v3.0.1 — UX fixes from real user feedback:
Fixed double-prompting for master password
Auto-lock timer now works correctly when app window is closed
Added inline error messages instead of silent failures
v3.0 — Major release:
New pricing: Free (3 items), Personal ($49), Pro ($99), Lifetime ($149)
Double-click to unlock directly from Finder
Lock on Close: auto re-locks when no app is using the file
Lock icon badges on protected files in Finder
Faster batch operations with fewer Touch ID prompts
Lessons learned:
iCloud will rename your files without asking. If your app stores references to file paths, iCloud sync can silently break everything. I had to build a whole reconciliation system to handle this.
Crash recovery is table stakes for encryption apps. If someone's file is mid-decrypt and the app crashes, you better have a recovery path or you've just destroyed their data. This kept me up at night until I built proper atomic operations.
Pricing is hard. Started with a different structure, iterated based on what users actually wanted. One-time payment with tiered features seems to resonate best for a utility app like this.
Numbers (being transparent):
Launched September 2025
Currently running a launch sale (ends May 30)
Getting steady signups from the landing page
Most popular plan: Pro ($99)
What's next:
BundleHunt partnership for distribution
More Finder integration features
Considering a Setapp listing
Would love feedback from other indie devs — especially on pricing for one-time-purchase Mac apps. Is $49/$99/$149 reasonable for a security tool?
This is a strong utility because the trust layer is very clear: local-only encryption, Touch ID, no cloud account, no subscription, and crash recovery around locked files. For a security app, that recovery story may be even more important than the encryption claim itself because users are not only afraid of someone accessing files, they are afraid of losing access to their own files.
I’d probably position FinderLock less as “lock files from Finder” and more as “safe local file protection for Mac users who do not want cloud vaults.” That gives the pricing more weight too, because $49 to $149 feels easier to justify when the product is framed around file safety and recovery, not just convenience.
One thing I’d watch is the name. FinderLock is clear, but it sounds very tied to a Finder feature. If this grows into a serious Mac privacy/security suite, Vroth.com would carry a harder, more security-grade brand than a descriptive utility name.
The iCloud rename gotcha is brutal, it's exactly the class of bug you can't reproduce in your own dev environment because your filesystem doesn't reorganise things under you. I'm about to launch a finance app and your point about atomic operations during decrypt has me re-auditing my own write paths, because the recovery story is the same shape whether it's a key or a transaction. On pricing, are buyers really anchoring on Pro because it sits as the obvious middle option, or are they actually hitting features that gate above Personal? Did you start with a single flat price, and if so what pushed you to three tiers?