Frequently Asked Questions
Where's the app? I don't see it in my Dock.
Network Traffic Monitor is a menu bar app by design — it doesn't appear in the Dock or as a separate window. Look for its icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen, next to Wi-Fi and Control Center.
Can Network Traffic Monitor show me which app is using my bandwidth?
Not currently. Network Traffic Monitor reads the network counters macOS maintains per interface (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN), not per app or process. Per-app attribution needs different system permissions and is something we're evaluating for a future version.
Why did my speed reading briefly show zero?
A fresh baseline is taken whenever Network Traffic Monitor launches, and again after your Mac sleeps, wakes, or your connection resets — so the very first reading after any of those intentionally shows zero rather than a false spike. It recovers within a couple of seconds.
Does Network Traffic Monitor need any special permissions?
No. It only reads the byte counters macOS already tracks for each network interface, so it doesn't require administrator access, packet-capture permission, or any special privacy prompt. It runs inside the standard App Sandbox.
How do I switch between bytes and bits, or change how the menu bar looks?
Open Network Traffic Monitor's popover from the menu bar and go to Settings. From there you can switch the display unit between bytes and bits, choose whether the menu bar shows numbers, a small graph, or both, and turn on Launch at Login.
How do I turn on Launch at Login?
In Network Traffic Monitor's Settings, toggle Launch at Login on. This registers the app with macOS's login items, so it also shows up under System Settings → General → Login Items — you can turn it off from either place.
How do I uninstall Network Traffic Monitor?
Quit the app from its menu bar popover, then drag Network Traffic Monitor.app from your Applications folder to the Trash, same as any other Mac app. If you'd enabled Launch at Login, macOS removes that entry automatically.