So SafeGuard can protect the whole phone, it's set as the phone's administrator. Setup runs from a small tool on your computer — it connects to the phone with a USB cable and sets everything up for you. There's a tool for Windows and one for Mac, and you don't need to install anything beforehand.
Before you start — Installation requires a Windows or macOS computer, a USB cable, and an Android device with no active user accounts (just sign out of accounts temporarily in settings — no factory reset needed).
provision-device.bat
The tool does all the work: it connects to the phone, sets SafeGuard as the phone's administrator, and turns on system protection. There's a tool for Windows (provision-device.bat) and one for Mac (SafeGuard Provisioner) — pick the one for your computer. All you need is a phone with no accounts signed in, a computer, and a USB cable.
On the phone, open Settings → Accounts and temporarily remove all accounts (Google, Samsung, etc.). No factory reset needed — you can sign back in right after setup.
On the phone, turn on Developer options and then USB debugging (Settings → System → Developer options).
From the downloads page, get the SafeGuard app and the setup tool for your computer — provision-device.bat for Windows, or SafeGuard Provisioner for Mac.
Install the SafeGuard app on the phone (allow installing from unknown sources if asked).
Connect the phone to the computer with a USB cable. A pop-up will appear on the phone asking to allow the connection — tap Allow.
Run the setup tool: on Windows, double-click provision-device.bat; on Mac, unzip SafeGuard Provisioner and right-click it → Open. The first time, it downloads the tools it needs on its own — you don't need to install anything.
Wait for it to finish. It sets up SafeGuard and turns on the protection automatically.
When you first open the app, approve the protection (accessibility) permission if asked. Then you can sign back into your Google account.
Important: The phone's administrator can only be set when no accounts are signed in. If the tool shows an error, go back to Settings → Accounts, make sure every account is removed, and run it again.
The first time, the tool downloads the files it needs once and keeps them next to it. After that it reuses the saved copy — fast, and no internet needed.
Mac users: The tool isn't signed, so the first time, right-click it and choose Open (or allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security). If the phone isn't detected, try a different USB cable. Every other step is the same as on Windows.
Troubleshooting: If the tool doesn't detect the phone, make sure USB debugging is on, that you approved the permission pop-up on the phone, and that your cable transfers data (not charge-only).