GlanceCam 4.6 with Minimalistic GlanceGrids and more

GlanceCam 4.6 is out now, and this update (the 43rd free one since launch in 2018) is packed with features and improvements!

I’ve kept busy, and the release notes include all the details. Here I’ll go over what’s new quickly.

This update includes one of the most requested features: GlanceGrids now support the Minimalistic user interface style. GlanceCam Pro’s “Minimalistic” UI option (in Settings > Appearance) hides the titlebar and window controls, leaving just the camera feed on screen; it’s been available for single camera windows for a years and Users love it. Now it works with GlanceGrids too: move your mouse into the grid window and the titlebar and controls appear; move it out and they hide again, leaving just your camera image unobstructed. It works seamlessly with full-screen mode, InstaZoom, Roll-Up, window snapping, and dynamic resizing.

Custom window size is another addition I’m really pleased with: you can now save your preferred window dimensions (Window > Save custom size) and quickly apply them to any camera window or GlanceGrid with Cmd-4. It’s one of those small things that makes your daily setup so much smoother.

A few more things I want to call out:

  • Smarter settings reloads: saving Settings no longer reloads every camera when it doesn’t need to; only the cameras you actually edited get refreshed.

  • GlanceGrid audio button: grid tiles now show a dedicated audio button in the bottom right corner, so you no longer have to rely on the contextual menu.

  • Shorter Cycle mode intervals: the minimum interval has been reduced from 10 to 5 seconds (recommended only for cameras on the local network).

  • Prevent screensaver: a new option in Settings > Behavior lets you prevent the screensaver and display sleep while GlanceCam is running. My recommendation is to leave it off for the scary (valid!) reasons explained in the alert when you try to enable it, but it’s there if you need it and understand the risks.

  • StoreKit 2 under the hood: this is a big change that keeps offline installations of GlanceCam Pro on Tahoe more reliably unlocked. One consequence is that GlanceCam now requires macOS 10.15 Catalina.

  • A long list of GlanceGrid reliability improvements and bug fixes: better tile positioning, more consistent resizing, fixes for Roll-Up and InstaZoom edge cases, and more.

As you can tell, a lot of this release was shaped by your feedback and suggestions. I want to thank Keith, Mark, James, Rob, Martijn, Nicholas, Suzanne, Darren, Edo, Craig, Geraint, Jay and Eric for their feature requests, detailed reports and patience. That’s what I love about working on GlanceCam: it’s a conversation between me and the people who use the app every day.

Speaking of what’s next: with 4.6 out the door, my focus for the coming months will be on GlanceCam for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. I’ve been working on this new separate app for a long time now, and it’s shaping up really nicely. I can’t wait to get a great 1.0 on the App Store later this year.

Of course, GlanceCam for Mac isn’t going anywhere and will keep getting better! I already have a packed list of things I want to add in 4.7, and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to put out a quick update with a few niceties before getting back full time on the new app… so much to do, so little time!

If you haven’t already, download GlanceCam 4.6 and, if you have a moment, a 5-star review would mean the world to me. Pro upgrades and tips are also very appreciated and keep development going. And please, tell a friend who might find GlanceCam useful!

As always, if you have suggestions or need assistance, I’m here for you.