Reviewed July 28, 2026 · RunOrigin
How RunOrigin explains a Mac background item
Ownership is a graded conclusion built from path, signature, bundle, and developer evidence—not a name guess.
Direct answer
RunOrigin reads the launch item’s plist and executable path, then compares path containment, signature identifiers, bundle ID prefixes, and Team ID. Strong signals can identify an owner; weak signals remain labeled as uncertain or unknown.
Multiple signals beat one label
A launchd label alone is not proof of ownership. RunOrigin keeps the underlying identity evidence available for review.
Snapshots explain change
Versioned local snapshots distinguish additions, removals, moves, and content changes between scans.
Read-only keeps discovery honest
The current milestone does not pause or delete anything while attribution accuracy and recovery behavior are still being validated.