Troubleshooting

EasyKVM hasn't been through Apple's notarization process yet, so macOS blocks it on first open until you confirm you trust it. Since macOS Sequoia, right-click → Open no longer skips this, so use System Settings instead.

How to open it (one time per version, ~15 seconds):

• Open EasyKVM.app. It will be blocked.
• Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to "EasyKVM was blocked to protect your Mac".
• Click Open Anyway, then confirm with your password or Touch ID.

If instead macOS says the app "is damaged and can't be opened", open Terminal and run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/EasyKVM.app (adjust the path if EasyKVM isn't in Applications), then open it normally.

Updates installed through Sparkle (the in-app updater) are EdDSA-signature-verified by EasyKVM itself, so future versions don't re-prompt either.

Same root cause as the Mac prompt: EasyKVM isn't code-signed with an EV certificate yet. Windows SmartScreen treats any unknown publisher as suspicious until enough downloads build reputation.

How to bypass (one time):

• Click More info on the blue SmartScreen dialog (it's small text underneath the warning).
• The dialog expands and reveals a Run anyway button.
• Click Run anyway. Windows remembers and won't prompt again for this version.

Code-signing for Windows is on the roadmap.

The only place we publish builds is the public easykvm-releases repo, which the download page links to. Don't trust any other source.

Each release zip is also referenced from your account page after purchase: same URL, same files. If a third-party site offers an EasyKVM download, treat it as untrusted.

Both machines must be on the same LAN. Wi-Fi works but a wired connection on at least one side gives the snappiest mouse feel.

• Check both machines are connected to the same router (same SSID for Wi-Fi).
• Some corporate / hotel Wi-Fi networks block peer-to-peer traffic. Try a personal hotspot to confirm.
• Firewall: on Windows, allow EasyKVM through Windows Defender Firewall when prompted on first launch.

Codes expire 5 minutes after generation. Click Generate new code on the host machine and try again.

On the first pair, EasyKVM pins the peer's TLS certificate (trust-on-first-use). If you wipe the host's settings or reinstall, a new cert is generated and the joiner sees a new fingerprint.

If you trust the new cert (e.g. you just reinstalled), accept the new fingerprint once and pairing continues. If you didn't expect a change, something's intercepting your LAN traffic. Investigate before accepting.

Monitor switching uses DDC/CI, a small VESA protocol the OS uses to talk to your monitor over the existing video cable. Almost all monitors made after ~2015 support it, but a few don't.

• If your monitor has on-screen-menu buttons on the front, it almost certainly supports DDC/CI.
• If your monitor is connected through a USB-C dock, the DDC/CI signal sometimes gets eaten by the dock. Try a direct DisplayPort/HDMI cable to confirm.
• Some monitors have DDC/CI turned off by default in their menu. Look for a "DDC/CI" or "Smart Control" option in the monitor's on-screen menu and enable it.

Supported. Run EasyKVM on the Mac, press Create connection, and the other computer joins with the 6-digit code shown. Keyboard, mouse, audio and clipboard all work in both directions.

With a Mac host and a Windows joiner, monitor input switching (DDC/CI) still swaps the monitor automatically.

Not automatically, for now. Two Macs share keyboard, mouse, audio and clipboard, and you press the monitor's input button to switch the screen. The Mac app does send the DDC/CI input switch itself when it is the computer on screen in a Mac + PC pair; what it can't do yet is run the switch on its own when both computers are Macs.

This is a small audience in practice. The automatic monitor switch works with a Mac and a PC sharing one monitor, or two Windows PCs. If you're trying to share peripherals between two Macs only, macOS's built-in Universal Control covers that case without any extra software.

macOS requires Accessibility permission to inject keyboard and mouse events. EasyKVM prompts on first mirror. Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

If the prompt doesn't appear, or you previously denied, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, find EasyKVM, toggle it on. You may need to quit and relaunch the app once.

macOS sometimes "forgets" Accessibility permission after an app update: the new build's signing hash differs from the granted version, so the OS treats it as a new app. EasyKVM detects this and shows a Reset button in the app's Accessibility section.

Click Reset, follow the prompts (this runs tccutil reset Accessibility for EasyKVM), then re-grant in System Settings. Should take ~30 seconds.

This means a modifier key got "stuck", usually Option on Mac. Happens occasionally when the swap hotkey is released slightly out-of-order across the network.

Quick fix: press and release each of Ctrl, Alt/Option, Cmd, Shift once. That tells the OS to clear stuck-modifier state.

EasyKVM auto-flushes modifiers on every mirror state transition, so the issue usually self-corrects within ~100ms. If it persists, send a screenshot and we'll dig in.

Caps Lock on macOS doesn't respond to normal key-injection. It requires a special IOKit path that EasyKVM uses. If Caps Lock seems stuck, press it twice quickly to nudge the OS state.

Default is Ctrl+Alt+C (Windows) / ⌃+⌥+C (Mac). It immediately disables Mirror peripherals and returns keyboard/mouse control to your local machine, useful if anything ever feels stuck.

You can rebind it in Settings → Emergency Hotkey.

Audio forwarding is a v1 feature that needs OS-level capture permission.

• Mac → PC: uses ScreenCaptureKit, requires Screen Recording permission. First time you turn on audio, macOS prompts. Grant it.
• PC → Mac: uses WASAPI loopback on Windows. No permission needed but the audio is routed to the same playback device the rest of your system uses. Make sure that device isn't muted on the receiving side.

If audio crackles or doesn't start, toggle it off in Settings → Audio and back on. If that doesn't help, mention the audio behavior when emailing support.

When enabled, EasyKVM mutes your Mac's system audio whenever the PC is actively viewing it. That way the Mac's speakers stay silent and all sound comes through your PC's headset / speakers: the "EasyKVM is my audio device" experience without installing a virtual audio driver.

Only effective when you've also turned on audio forwarding.

Three possible causes, in order of likelihood:

• Typo in the email or key. They have to match what's on the license server. Re-copy from your license-key email.
• License already on another machine. One license = one host. Use Change host on your account page first, then activate the new machine.
• Refunded. Refunded licenses can't be re-activated. Email support if this is wrong.

Sign in to your account, click Change host… on the license card. You'll get a confirmation email. Clicking the link releases the current host, and the next machine you activate becomes the new host.

Host change is rate-limited to once every 30 days to prevent abuse.

The license activation needs internet on first activation. If your machine was offline when you saved, the app couldn't reach the license server.

• Make sure you're connected to the internet.
• Reopen Settings → License, click Save again. The app retries the activation.
• If you keep seeing "Trial expired", check your firewall isn't blocking outbound HTTPS to api.easykvm.app.

License tokens are signed for 30 days and verified offline. We auto-renew every ~7 days when online, so you'd need to be offline for 30+ days continuously to hit this.

If you legitimately need long offline windows, get back online and the app renews silently in the background within a few minutes.

Three days is enough to verify the basics work on your hardware (DDC/CI compatibility, pairing, keyboard mirror). If you need longer because of a specific edge case, email support@avendavi.com and we'll grant an extension. Beta means we're flexible.

Also: the 14-day refund means you can buy, test for two weeks, and get a full refund if it doesn't work for you.

Yes. Avendavi is the parent company behind EasyKVM, so credit-card statements show the charge as AVENDAVI. Not a fraud charge.

14 days, no questions asked. That's the EU consumer-law right of withdrawal and we honor it everywhere. Email support@avendavi.com with the email you used at purchase and we'll process within a business day.

Check spam. Emails from noreply@easykvm.app sometimes land there on first contact. If still nothing after 10 min:

• Sign in to your account with the purchase email. You can see the key from there.
• If the account page says "not signed in" and the magic-link email also doesn't arrive, email support@avendavi.com from the purchase email.