Do these once, on the laptop that will watch. Leave it plugged in with the lid open — the screen turning itself off is fine. Easiest: install the Halo desktop app — it checks all of these and fixes the power ones with one button. The buttons below open the right page (click Open if your browser asks).
Windows
- Let Halo wake the laptop
Press the Windows key and type “Edit power plan” → Change advanced power settings → Sleep → Allow wake timers
Plugged in: Enable (On battery: Enable too, if shown)
If it does fall asleep, Halo wakes it every 5 minutes to pick up an Arm from your phone.
The Halo desktop app does this with one click
- Never sleep on power
Settings → System → Power & battery → Screen and sleep (or “Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts”)
“When plugged in, put my device to sleep after”: Never. The screen can still turn off.
A sleeping laptop cannot be armed, and sees and hears nothing.
- Closing the lid does nothing
Press the Windows key and type “Change what closing the lid does” → When I close the lid
Plugged in: Do nothing → Save changes
A safety net if someone shuts it. Keep the lid open anyway — a shut lid blinds the camera.
The Halo desktop app does this with one click
- Allow the camera and microphone
Settings → Privacy & security → Camera → Let desktop apps access your camera
On — then the same under Privacy & security → Microphone
Without these, Look and Listen from your phone are refused.
- Come back after Windows updates
Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options
“Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update”: On
Halo starts when you are signed in. This stops an overnight update leaving it at the login screen.
- Sound on, loud enough
Volume in the taskbar
At least half way, not muted, no headphones plugged in
It says out loud when it is recording; if it cannot hear itself, Look is refused.
Mac
- Never sleep on power
System Settings → Battery → Options…
“Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off”: On, and “Wake for network access”: Always
A sleeping Mac cannot be armed, and sees and hears nothing.
- Allow the camera and microphone
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera
Halo Sentinel: On — then the same under Microphone
Without these, Look and Listen from your phone are refused.
- Lid open, plugged in
A Mac always sleeps when its lid is shut, whatever Halo does
Keep it open and on charge; the screen turning off is fine.
A work laptop may not allow some of these (your IT department controls sleep and wake timers). A spare personal laptop is far more reliable.
