What is 'Philip Stokes' in Login Items & Extensions

It is probably DetectX.

That is a so called security app that should never be installed on your computer. Also stay away from Cleaners and VPN apps as well. After deleting that app, I would recommend posting the free EtreCheck report to make sure all remnant files have been removed from your computer. The report contains no personal information.

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Steve Burke wrote:

I've just been going through my Login Items & Extensions and have notice something called Philip Stokes.

There are two legitimate ways to distribute Mac apps. One is obviously the Mac App Store. The other is Apple's "Developer ID" system. Developers can try either route. But the Mac App Store has certain technical and policy restrictions that prevent some apps from using it. So if your app doesn't work in the Mac App Store, or Apple doesn't allow the functionality you're trying to provide, then you have to release your app as a "Developer ID" app.

These Developer ID apps will show up in Login Items & Extensions under the registered name of the developer that is distributing them. Individuals can purchase Apple Developer memberships under their own name, or under a corporate name. So, for example, EtreCheckPro shows up under "Etresoft, Inc." but Detect X shows up as "Philip Stokes". In my corporate account, have slightly more capabilities to add additional developers. But otherwise, it's all the same, at least as far as Apple goes.

Philip Stokes was an active member of this forum years ago, under the name "softwater". But he became enamoured by "security" and went off to different things. He's not the only one to do that.

Ive searched for this name on the internet and spotlight but cant find anything.

Any ideas?

The World Wide Web can be a cruel world. Alas, Phil doesn't seem to show up on page one. Here's his personal page. He's a security researcher and blogger for one of the mid-size security companies.

I'm not sure what's going on with the official Detect X website. I won't include a link to that, or to softwater's profile page here. There are a lot of strange casino links on that page, some of them are automatically blocked.

I ran EtreCheck as recommended and seem to have a few issues though. Whats the next coarse of action for me as I have 1 x major issue and a few minors?

That doesn't look too bad. There is heavy usage by web browsers. Sometimes web sites and Javascript can take a substantial amount of CPU, GPU, and energy.

With EtreCheck, the idea is to start with the problem and then use the report to help locate the cause and fix it. Don't go looking for problems or else you risk inventing them where they didn't actually exist to begin with.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

It's not dodgy so much as (in my opinion) sloppy. Sometimes the developers don't make sure that the name shows up there the same way it does on the app. I have this problem with the app for my smart lock, though it doesn't show up with the developer's name, just a different name than the one displayed by the app.

This is tricky. Apple sprang this change on developers a few years ago. It sounds like your smart lock app is actually doing it properly. It's mainly legacy apps composed of disparate pieces that show up only as a developer name like this. Other than not having updated their apps, there's nothing wrong with that. That was the correct way to do it until the Fall of 2022.

My new app shows up in Login Items & Extensions as the app name, not my developer ID name, because it's all wrapped into a bundle and designed to work with Ventura and later.

I've seen several developers get upset to see their names printed like that. And then users get confused because that name doesn't exist anywhere, including on their computer. It's a field inside an encrypted developer ID certificate. It literally may not exist in plain text anywhere on the computer.

Sometimes Apple massages all this data into what they think is a more presentable form for users, but reality may be far more complicated.

etresoft wrote:

This is tricky. Apple sprang this change on developers a few years ago. It sounds like your smart lock app is actually doing it properly. It's mainly legacy apps composed of disparate pieces that show up only as a developer name like this. Other than not having updated their apps, there's nothing wrong with that. That was the correct way to do it until the Fall of 2022.

Next time I'm not going to go cheap on the smart lock, though.

This is the name of a developer of an application that you have allowed into your login items.

Steve Burke wrote:

So any idea what App this could be and how I get rid of it.

Sounds dodgy to me and I don't want it there.

It's not dodgy so much as (in my opinion) sloppy. Sometimes the developers don't make sure that the name shows up there the same way it does on the app. I have this problem with the app for my smart lock, though it doesn't show up with the developer's name, just a different name than the one displayed by the app.

I have these Apps on my MacBook Air and don't have that name so I'm wondering if it's a legacy App?!?

Yes, it could be. If so, you're stuck with it.

Steve Burke wrote:

I've just been going through my Login Items & Extensions and have notice something called Philip Stokes.

Ive searched for this name on the internet and spotlight but cant find anything.

+1 on @Luis Sequeira1's post.

And, btw, I searched for the name and immediately came up with more than half-a-dozen hits for developers.

Just sayin'.

To be honest your report looks pretty good and there are no remnant files left over from the Detect X app, so the problem of not knowing which app is associated has been resolved.. The points I could make are simply my opinions, so don't take this as you did anything wrong or that you have an issue that needs to be fixed.

• I don't like the amount of resources Google Chrome uses and particularly the data harvesting processes it installs to run on your computer even when the app is not used. I do see you have them blocked, but I honestly don't even want those processes on my computer. The ones I am referring to are located at: ~/Library/LaunchAgents, and there are 3 of them. There have been many articles written about those processes including this one here: https://chromeisbad.com/
• The combination of DropBox, OneDrive, and iCloud can be problematic, but I don't see that particular problem with your setup. Many times the services will compete against each other when backups are involved because one will "touch" the files to index/backup, then the other service recognizes that as a change so will update the file on that service using not only drive resources, but also increased network activity. Again, I don't see in your setup where that has had a negative impact on your drive performance or CPU usage so no change is required and for some that is simply the workflow they need.
• I am very suspicious of any VPN due to the data logging and the shear number of breaches on VPN sites that have exposed their users data. The proxy for the VPN Plus app you are using is labeled as FreeVPN and those are the ones most likely logging your data and leaving you more exposed. They are marketed as providing security to your device, but it really is the exact opposite that is the truth.

You have several experts here including the creator of the EtreCheck app that can provide much more information about what you posted. They may agree with me or not and I respect that either way.

EDIT: Mac Jim ID has it covered.

stedman1 wrote:

EDIT: Mac Jim ID has it covered.

Yup, I was too late as well.