Shoulder Guard sensitivity: from 1 to 5 viewers
Not every situation requires the same level of screen privacy. Sometimes you need maximum protection because you're working alone with sensitive data. Other times, you're in a team meeting and your colleagues need to see your screen. Shield lets you choose exactly when Shoulder Guard triggers, from 1 extra viewer up to 5.
How it works
Shoulder Guard detects how many people are looking at your screen. By default, it blurs the screen when it detects anyone other than you. But you can adjust this threshold in the settings.
The setting controls how many additional viewers (besides you) Shield allows before blurring the screen. You can set it anywhere from 1 to 5:
| Setting | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 viewer | Screen blurs as soon as one other person looks at it | Working alone with sensitive data, public spaces, coffee shops |
| 2 viewers | One person can look at your screen without triggering blur. Blurs at 2+ | Working with one colleague, pair programming, one-on-one meetings |
| 3 viewers | Up to 2 people can look without triggering blur. Blurs at 3+ | Small team discussions, reviewing work together |
| 4 viewers | Up to 3 people can look. Blurs at 4+ | Team meetings, collaborative sessions |
| 5 viewers | Up to 4 people can look. Blurs at 5+ | Presentations, group reviews, larger team meetings |
Using Shield without Away Lock
Shield has two main features: Away Lock (locks the screen when you leave) and Shoulder Guard (blurs the screen when someone else looks). These are independent. You can use both, or you can use just one.
If you want Shoulder Guard without Away Lock, you can disable Away Lock in the settings. Your screen will never lock when you step away, but it will still blur when too many people are looking. This can be useful in environments where you share your workspace and don't want the screen locking every time you stand up, but you still want protection against unauthorized viewing.
The reverse also works. You can use Away Lock without Shoulder Guard if all you need is automatic locking when you leave your desk.
Mix and match
Both enabled full protection. Screen locks when you leave, blurs when someone looks. This is the default.
Shoulder Guard only screen stays unlocked when you leave, but blurs when unauthorized viewers are detected. Useful for shared desks or environments where you trust the people around you but want protection from random glances.
Away Lock only screen locks when you leave, but doesn't blur while you're working. Useful if you work in a private office but want protection when you step out.
When to adjust the sensitivity
The right setting depends on your situation, and you can change it anytime. Here are some common scenarios:
Working from a coffee shop or library. Set it to 1. You're alone, anyone looking at your screen is someone who shouldn't be. Maximum protection.
Pair programming or working with a colleague. Set it to 2. Your colleague can see your screen without triggering blur, but if a third person walks over, the screen blurs.
Team standup or small meeting. Set it to 3 or 4. Your team can see your screen while you share something, but if someone outside the group looks over, blur kicks in.
Presentation to a group. Set it to 5 or temporarily disable Shoulder Guard. Everyone in the room needs to see your screen. You can re-enable or lower the threshold when the presentation is over.
Changing the setting
The viewer threshold is in Shield's settings. You can change it in seconds. Some users adjust it multiple times a day depending on what they're doing. Others set it once and leave it.
There's no right or wrong setting. It depends on your work environment, your habits, and how sensitive the information on your screen is at any given moment.
A practical example
You're an account manager. In the morning, you work alone on client proposals (setting: 1). At 10am, you have a meeting with your project lead to review the numbers (setting: 2). After lunch, you present progress to the team (setting: 4). In the afternoon, you're back to solo work at your desk (setting: 1). Same laptop, same app, different protection levels throughout the day.
Why up to 5?
We chose 5 as the maximum because beyond that, you're typically in a presentation or conference setting where screen privacy doesn't apply. If 6 or more people need to see your screen, you're projecting it on a wall or sharing it on a video call. Shoulder Guard isn't designed for that scenario.
For meetings with more than 5 people, you can temporarily disable Shoulder Guard from the settings and re-enable it when the meeting is over.
Summary
Shoulder Guard is not all-or-nothing. You control exactly how many people can view your screen before blur activates. From strict privacy (1 viewer) to team-friendly (5 viewers), you adapt Shield to your situation in seconds. Combined with the option to use Shoulder Guard independently from Away Lock, you get a flexible tool that fits any work environment.