Release Notes

Beta Notes

What changed, in plain English. Technical details stay below.

2.12.17

Latest

New

  • Added local monthly Activity History reports and reminders for both Direct and Setapp editions, with impact totals, active days, trends, top apps, and follow-up suggestions.
  • Added discoverable macOS Shortcuts actions for quitting apps and running app shortcuts.

Improved

  • Reduced idle CPU and energy use with event-driven, adaptive monitoring, coalesced refreshes, and a low-frequency rescue scan; Dock apps without windows stay responsive during confirmation and wake on meaningful changes.
  • Improved Activity History with a unified layout, consistent icons and labels, one filter menu, local reminders, clearer protection-block explanations, and better narrow-window support.
  • Improved Helper installation, migration, updates, readiness checks, compatibility, diagnostics, and safe fallback behavior for Direct builds.
  • Improved automatic-quit idle tracking, countdown and color thresholds, installer cleanup, iCloud settings merging, localization, and menu/HUD presentation.

Fixed

  • Fixed stuck or inaccurate auto-quit countdowns, missed transfer protection, and stale Activity History results.
  • Fixed Direct Helper installation and update failures caused by legacy registrations, root-owned artifacts, stale service state, and transient readiness errors.
  • Fixed Sparkle update downloads, beta packaging launch failures, installer auto-ejection, protection counts incorrectly staying at zero, and WindowServer placeholder windows preventing safe cleanup.

2.11.19

One fix in this release: Aion no longer crashes at launch when macOS reports duplicate running app identities.

Fixed

  • Fixed a startup crash that could occur when macOS reported multiple running instances with the same app identifier.

2.11.18

The big changes are easier Activity History, more accurate protection for active work, and lower idle CPU and energy use.

New

  • Added smarter Activity History with weekly summaries, interactive filters, compact records, and clearer final results.
  • Added more accurate protection for downloads, uploads, audio, video, camera, microphone, and local AI workflows.
  • Added Memory Pressure controls and smart protection suggestions for supported apps.

Improved

  • Reduced idle CPU and energy use with adaptive monitoring that pauses unnecessary work when no protected or eligible apps are active.
  • Improved Helper installation, updates, compatibility, and diagnostics, with safe fallback protection when Helper is unavailable.
  • Refined the menu bar panel, protection badges, HUD, Activity History layout, and localized Settings sidebar across all supported languages.
  • Improved iCloud settings merging and reduced unnecessary local and cloud writes.

Fixed

  • Fixed automatic-quit countdowns getting stuck and apps failing to close when protection scans overlapped.
  • Fixed missed transfer protection in apps such as Gopeed and intermittent media status badges in Chrome and other foreground apps.
  • Fixed duplicate or missing Activity History results after force quit, along with several menu panel rendering and localization issues.

2.10.21

Improved

  • Polished app animations and physical feedback across the main interaction flows.
  • Added interactive scale feedback to the Onboarding buttons.
  • Improved MarqueeText scrolling and expand/collapse transitions.

Fixed

  • Fixed the tooltip entrance animation using the wrong easing direction, which made the interaction feel delayed.

2.10.20

Improved

  • Auto-quit failure notifications are now actionable: clicking a notification opens Activity History filtered to apps that did not close.
  • Repeated auto-quit failure notifications for the same app are now briefly suppressed, reducing notification spam from background helper processes.
  • When an app is eligible for force quit, the notification can show a guarded Force Quit action that re-checks the target before acting.
  • Auto-quit failure notifications now wait until the retry flow is exhausted, instead of appearing after an early failed attempt that may succeed moments later.
  • The auto-quit failure wording is now clearer for apps that remain running in the background: Aion says the quit did not finish instead of implying the response was blocked.

Fixed

  • Fixed misleading notifications for apps such as IntelliJ IDEA where an early quit attempt could report failure even though a later retry closed the app.

2.10.18

Improved

  • Whitelist protection is now applied consistently to the Dock-app-with-no-windows cleanup path.

Fixed

  • Fixed an issue where an app in Whitelist could still be auto-quit after its last standard window disappeared if the separate windowless Dock app cleanup option was enabled.

2.10.7

Improved

  • Long-running window, Space, and display tracking now releases private SkyLight copy results promptly, keeping memory use steadier during extended sessions.
  • Window rules and Dock-windowless auto-quit now coalesce overlapping refresh work and rely on lighter snapshots first, reducing repeated Accessibility and WindowServer churn.
  • Installer cleanup now reacts sooner after drag-install flows and retries more reliably when the app is still running from the mounted image or the first eject attempt fails.

Fixed

  • Fixed several slow memory-growth paths that could push Aion far above its normal idle footprint during long sessions with repeated HUD, Space, fullscreen, or window-rule checks.
  • Fixed a regression where some generic download tools such as Gopeed could miss Pro download or upload protection when left on the global default threshold.
  • Fixed dock-windowless auto-quit edge cases where apps could be misclassified because stale or incomplete window checks won over a more accurate signal.
  • Fixed installer cleanup getting stuck after installation when the first detach failed or the app was still running from the mounted disk image.

2.10.0

New

  • Activity History: Added a dedicated view in Settings so you can review what Aion changed, why an app stayed open, and whether each close flow ultimately succeeded or failed.
  • AI App Protection (Pro): Local AI workflows can now temporarily keep an app out of automatic cleanup while it is still being used.

Improved

  • Focus Filters: Aion now appears more reliably in macOS Focus settings with localized labels, and built-in modes such as Work keep more stable identities across updates.
  • Menu Bar & Window HUD: Visible-state refresh work is lighter and smoother, reducing unnecessary CPU while menus, HUDs, or Settings stay open.
  • Installer Cleanup: Mounted Aion DMGs are now detected and cleaned up more proactively during installation and startup.
  • Auto-Quit: Windowless Dock app handling and busy-app detection are more accurate, reducing accidental closes while apps are still active.

Fixed

  • Settings Recovery: If saved settings become unreadable after an update, Aion now restores the latest valid local backup before falling back to defaults.
  • App Rules: Fixed Window Auto-Close strategy menus showing blank content when an older stored rule no longer matched the app's supported strategies.
  • Focus Filters: Fixed a regression where selecting a built-in mode such as Work could fall back to Do Not Disturb after the system reloaded the filter selection.
  • Auto-Quit UI: Restored short-lived auto-quit state propagation so the interface can still reflect quick quit flows correctly.

2.9.10

Improved

  • Installer Cleanup: Optimized cleanup timing to reduce mounted installer volumes being ejected too early after installation.

Fixed

  • Auto-Quit: Fixed regular apps being misdetected as windowless when window state was briefly missed.
  • Installer Cleanup: Fixed leftover auto-eject tasks not being cancelled after a disk image was already unmounted.

2.9.3

Fixed

  • Window List HUD: Fixed a remaining Microsoft Edge duplicate row caused by generic app-name titles being treated as real window titles.

2.9.1

New

  • Auto-Quit: Added a dedicated rule to close Dock apps after their last standard window disappears, with its own exclusion list.
  • Startup Cleanup: Aion now detects installed copies on launch and proactively cleans mounted Aion DMGs, including multiple matching mounted volumes.

Improved

  • Window List HUD: Improved browser window deduplication to keep real titled windows while dropping generic fallback rows.
  • Settings: Reused the native add-app menu for Dock auto-close exclusions and made Finder a default exclusion entry instead of a hardcoded special case.
  • Installer Cleanup: DMG detach work continues in the background to reduce UI stalls during eject.
  • Installer Cleanup: Improved disk image install detection by retrying cleanup checks after /Applications changes and directly validating freshly copied apps.

Fixed

  • Helper Tool: Fixed version status regressions that could leave Helper shown as versionless or in an error-like state.
  • Auto-Quit: Fixed Dock windowless auto-close not triggering because process monitoring was not fully started in the background service path.
  • Terminal: Fixed false window detection caused by stale CGWindowList entries after closing all Terminal windows by preferring Accessibility window state when available.
  • Smart Volume: Fixed a case where dragging a newly installed app out of a DMG into Applications would not trigger automatic eject reliably.

2.8.22

Improved

  • Menu bar onboarding is clearer, helping you find Aion faster.
  • First‑run guidance is smoother with more friendly prompts.
  • Stability and polish improvements.

2.8.21

Improved

  • Window Automation: Enhanced browser private/incognito window detection with multi-language support (Edge InPrivate, Safari Private).
  • Window Automation: Optimized window closing stability for Edge browser with fallback mechanisms.
  • Window Automation: Strengthened Finder window path validation to prevent accidental closures.

Fixed

  • Settings: Fixed an issue where application rules settings might be lost after upgrading versions.
  • Settings: Resolved a bug where restoring from a local backup would silently fail and revert.
  • Build: Fixed Xcode project configuration after code refactoring.
  • Window Automation: Fixed Edge browser window closing reliability issues.

2.8.18

Improved

  • Window List HUD: Optimized height calculation to dynamically fit content, eliminating empty space at the bottom.
  • Window List HUD: Relocated the action menu to prevent long window titles from being prematurely truncated.
  • Window List HUD: Relaxed window deduplication logic to allow multiple browser windows with identical geometry to coexist in the list.
  • Window List HUD: Improved window activation accuracy for overlapping windows by incorporating title-based matching in the Accessibility fallback path.
  • Window Recognition: Upgraded to layer-based discovery for system prompts, removing the need for hardcoded whitelists.

Fixed

  • Window List HUD: Fixed an issue where Chromium-based browsers (like Microsoft Edge) with multiple windows of identical geometry would incorrectly merge into a single row in the HUD.

2.8.5

Improved

  • Window Management: Enhanced accessibility window detection with a dynamic AX-based fallback system.

Fixed

  • Core: Restored missing window and space management structures to resolve build stability issues.

2.8.4

Improved

  • HUD Panel & Menu Bar: Completely rebuilt the ellipsis hover menu using native macOS components, eliminating the visual gap and enabling seamless auto-dismissal when the mouse leaves.

2.8.3

New

  • Settings: Added a robust, content-aware local configuration backup system with a dedicated management UI in Advanced settings.

Improved

  • HUD Panel: Removed visual delay when invoking the panel for an instant, native response.

2.8.2

Improved

  • Process Exit: Removed visual effect delay when auto-quitting, resulting in instant process termination.

Fixed

  • HUD Panel: Fixed an issue where clicking the ellipsis menu might cause the HUD to unexpectedly disappear.
  • Window List: Fixed duplicate window entries for Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Chrome) when switching spaces.
  • Settings Window: Resolved an issue where opening Settings or About from the menu bar could cause them to be hidden behind other windows.

2.7.10

New

  • Brand New Window List HUD: Complete redesign with 'Liquid Glass' aesthetics, natively blending with macOS.
  • Advanced Multi-Monitor & Spaces Support: Top-aligned space tabs featuring dynamic and auto-adaptive naming for seamless cross-screen window switching.
  • Follow Mouse Option: Added a new setting to instantly focus target windows across complex layouts.

Improved

  • Privacy & Stealth: Smart detection of Incognito/Private windows in Safari, Chrome, and Edge effectively safeguarding your sessions.
  • Onboarding & Permissions: Refined system permission requests and instructions supporting 11 languages.
  • Settings Restructure: Advanced options consolidated into 'App Rules' for a much cleaner preferences interface.
  • Performance Leap: Heavy background window queries asynchronous processing virtually eliminating UI freezes.
  • Clutter-Free: Enhanced filtering completely strips away zombie processes and useless system windows.

2.7.9

New

  • Window Auto-Close: Automatically close specific windows (e.g. Incognito Tabs) when idle.

Improved

  • Localization: Added full support for Window Auto-Close and Strategy Settings across all 11 languages.
  • UI Refinement: Simplified Strategy Picker visibility and removed redundant toggles.

2.5.19

New

  • Notification Settings: You can now toggle specific notifications for Smart Volume, Process Guard, and System Events.

Improved

  • Auto-Quit Optimizations: Aion now intelligently stops retrying if an app repeatedly fails to quit (Lazy Mode), preventing notification spam.

2.5.18

New

  • Smart Volume: Automatically detect and eject installer disk images (DMGs) after you drag the app to Applications.

2.5.17

Fixed

  • Fixed a critical issue where the quit button and exit animations would become unresponsive after several auto-quit actions.

2.5.16

New

  • Device Management: The device list now automatically refreshes when opened to ensure accurate sync with the server.

Improved

  • Notifications: Failed auto-quit actions now always display a high-priority banner notification.
  • Localization: Updated Helper Tool descriptions and fixed missing translations across multiple languages.

2.5.15

New

  • Device Management: View and manage all activated devices directly in the license settings. Remove devices to free up slots.

Improved

  • License UI: Cleaner, flatter design with direct device list display (no more expand/collapse).

Fixed

  • Fixed a critical issue where license activation would hang if the Helper Tool was damaged or had signature issues.
  • Fixed an outdated API endpoint in the license deactivation flow.

2.5.9

Improved

  • Unified terms for 'Network Guard' and 'Media Guard' across all languages.
  • Renamed 'Automation' to 'Instant Task Mode' for better clarity.
  • Finder Experience: Introduced dedicated permission flow with auto-preset paths (~/Downloads, ~/Desktop).
  • Optimized Window Rules to be Finder-exclusive for guaranteed stability.
  • Browser Support: Extended support to all Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Arc, etc.) for Network Guard capabilities.
  • Full localization support for all permission dialogs.

Fixed

  • Critical Permission: Added Hardened Runtime entitlements to fix automation failures on macOS 15+.
  • UI Layout: Fixed empty space issue in Settings after granting permissions.
  • Resolved various translation inconsistencies.

2.5.0

New

  • Smart Window Rules: Automatically close specific windows (e.g., Incognito Tabs, Downloads folder) while keeping the app running.
  • Strategy Presets: Quickly configure apps with "Browser Mode", "Media Mode", or "Productivity Mode".

Improved

  • UI Redesign: "Capability Blocks" allow you to modularly add or remove features for each app, keeping settings clean.

2.4.0

New

  • Hardware Resource Guards: Real-time detection for Microphone and Camera usage using system-level CoreAudio/CoreMediaIO.
  • Privacy & Security: Deep entitlement fixes and enhanced sandbox compliance.
  • Developer Experience: Standardized logging system for better diagnostics.
  • Deep Clean 2.0: Completely redesigned process management with User-Centric Grouping, Tree/List View, and Advanced Filters.
  • Smart Application Toggle: Clicking an active application in the menu bar now minimizes it, improving workflow efficiency.
  • Scrolling App Names: Added marquee effect for long application names in the menu bar.
  • Localization: Added full support for 9 languages including Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), German, French, etc.

Improved

  • Enhanced system scanning logic to accurately identify process relationships and user identities.
  • Enhanced App Row visual style and strengthened release build verification.

Fixed

  • UI Layout: Fixed an issue where menu bar buttons would shift when usage tips were hidden.
  • Fixed critical build errors and API misuse in monitoring modules.

2.3.5

Improved

  • Enhanced system scanning logic to accurately identify process relationships and user identities.
  • Enhanced App Row visual style and strengthened release build verification.

Fixed

  • UI Layout: Fixed an issue where menu bar buttons would shift when usage tips were hidden.

2.2.2

New

  • Multi-language Tips: Expanded Tips Hot-Update to support 11 languages.

Improved

  • UI Layout: Optimized menu bar footer layout and improved scrolling behavior.

Fixed

  • Fixed an issue where the About button incorrectly opened the General settings tab.

v2.2.0

New

  • iCloud Synchronization: Keep your preferences, rules, and focus modes in sync across all your Macs.
  • Official 11-Language Support: Full localization for English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, German, French, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Italian.

Improved

  • Resource Loading: Optimized asset bundle structure for faster and more reliable loading of icons and translated strings.

Fixed

  • Fixed an issue where some tips and focus icons were missing in certain build environments.

v2.1.0

New

  • Advanced Process Detection: Distinguish between different Browser Profiles (Chrome/Edge/Firefox).
  • Project-Aware Automation: Recognizes identical apps handling different projects (VS Code, Xcode, Unity, Godot).
  • Smart Resource Aggregation: Automatically sums CPU and Memory usage for de-duplicated app instances when advanced mode is off.

Improved

  • App Activation: Clicking merged app entries now activates all related instances and restores minimized windows.
  • Immediate Feedback: UI now instantly reflects toggle changes by clearing variant caches.

Fixed

  • Resolved type conflicts with CoreMedia when handling process lists.

v2.0.0

New

  • The Reborn Update: Completely redesigned for macOS 15 release.
  • Instant Task Mode: "Use & Go" automation for utility apps.
  • Global Localization: Now supports 11 languages including Chinese, Japanese, and German.

Improved

  • Visuals: All-new macOS native aesthetic with dark mode support.
  • Performance: Memory usage reduced by 60%, startup time 2x faster.
  • Smart Guard: Enhanced precision for audio and download detection.

v1.9.5

New

  • Advanced Media Detection: Implemented multi-signal detection (MediaRemote + Audio Hardware) for precise playback status.
  • Pro Features: Added License Management and exclusive Pro capabilities.
  • Focus Mode Integration: Added AppIntents for system-level Focus Mode synchronization.

Improved

  • Icon Library: Expanded to 120+ top SF Symbols for scene customization.
  • Onboarding: Polished welcome experience with refined copy and transitions.

Fixed

  • Resolved robust ProcessMonitor refresh and fallback logic.
  • Fixed empty menu bar app list issues.

v1.9.0

New

  • Scrolling App Names: Added marquee effect for long application names in the menu bar.
  • Checklist Manager: Introduced internal tool for tracking launch readiness.

Improved

  • Architecture: Moved SystemObserver to AionCore for better modularity.

v1.8.0

New

  • Scene Strategy: Introduced configurable scenes (Whitelist/Blacklist logic) for different workflows.