PingBar

March 26, 2026 · View on GitHub

MIT License macOS Swift

PingBar is a lightweight, modern, non-intrusive, native macOS menu bar app that continuously monitors network latency, packet loss, and DNS settings.

It provides real-time ping statistics, packet loss monitoring, network interface information, and one-click DNS management including dnscrypt-proxy control, all from your menu bar with minimal system resource usage.

Screenshots

PingBar Main Menu

The main menu shows real-time network status with:

  • Current ping time and status
  • Sparkline graph with ping statistics (avg/min/max)
  • Packet loss percentage and collection progress
  • Active network interfaces with IP addresses
  • Current DNS resolver information
  • Quick access to DNS management and preferences

Preferences Window

PingBar Preferences

The preferences window allows you to configure:

  • Ping interval and target host
  • High ping threshold for warnings
  • Passive or active packet loss measurement
  • Packet loss thresholds, window size, and active probe cadence
  • DNS auto-revert behavior for captive portals
  • Launch at login option

Features

  • Live Network Status: Pings a configurable host (default: Google) and shows latency and packet loss together in a single menu bar icon.
  • Packet Loss Monitoring: Measures loss passively from the regular ping stream or actively with configurable burst probes.
  • Historical Ping Graph: Unicode sparkline graph and statistics (avg/min/max) for recent pings.
  • Network Interface Info: Displays active local IP addresses with interface names.
  • DNS Resolver Display: Shows current DNS resolvers for your default interface.
  • DNS Management: Change DNS for your default interface with one click (System Default, Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, 114DNS, dnscrypt-proxy, etc.). Perfect for controlling dnscrypt-proxy usage from the menu bar.
  • Captive Portal Detection: Detects captive portals and can auto-revert DNS to default, restoring your custom DNS after login.
  • Preferences Dialog: Configure ping interval, target host, high ping threshold, packet loss mode, packet loss thresholds, DNS auto-revert, and launch at login.
  • Auto-Start: Optionally launch PingBar at login using a LaunchAgent.
  • Lightweight & Native: Built with Swift, AppKit, and SwiftPM. No Python or Electron, no bloat. Minimal memory footprint.

Installation

Install PingBar using a tap that exposes Casks/pingbar.rb:

brew tap jedisct1/pingbar https://github.com/jedisct1/pingbar
brew install --cask jedisct1/pingbar/pingbar
open /Applications/PingBar.app

Download

Download the latest release from the Releases page. Pre-built binaries are available for both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Build from Source

Requirements

  • macOS 12.0+ (Monterey) recommended
  • Xcode 14+ or Swift 6.1+
  • Command line tools: swift, codesign (for signing)

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/jedisct1/pingbar.git
cd pingbar
make bundle
make install

See INSTALL.md for detailed installation instructions.

Uninstall

Homebrew Installation

brew uninstall --cask pingbar

Manual Installation

To completely remove PingBar from your system:

  1. Quit PingBar: Click the menu bar icon → "Quit PingBar"
  2. Remove the app: Drag PingBar.app to Trash (usually in /Applications/ or wherever you placed it)
  3. Remove launch agent (if enabled): 
    rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.pingbar.app.plist
  4. Remove preferences (optional): 
    defaults delete com.pingbar.app

That's it! PingBar stores minimal data and leaves no background processes running.

Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jedisct1/pingbar.git
cd pingbar

# Build debug version
swift build

# Build release version
swift build -c release

# Run tests
swift test

# Create app bundle
./bundle_pingbar_app.sh

Usage

Getting Started

  1. Launch PingBar: Double-click PingBar.app or run from the command line
  2. Menu Bar Icon: Look for the ring icon in your menu bar. The center shows latency; the ring shows packet loss.
  3. Click the Icon: View network status, ping statistics, and current settings
  4. Configure Settings: Select "Preferences…" to customize behavior
  • Network Status: Current ping time and connection status
  • Ping Graph: Visual sparkline showing recent ping history with statistics
  • Packet Loss: Current packet loss percentage, mode, and collection progress
  • Network Interfaces: List of active network interfaces and their IP addresses
  • DNS Servers: Current DNS resolvers for your default interface
  • DNS Management: Quick access to change DNS settings
  • Preferences: Configure all app settings

DNS Management

PingBar provides one-click DNS switching for your default network interface:

  • System Default: Use your network's default DNS
  • Cloudflare (1.1.1.1): Fast, privacy-focused DNS
  • Google (8.8.8.8): Reliable public DNS
  • Quad9 (9.9.9.9): Security-focused DNS with malware blocking
  • 114DNS (114.114.114.114): Popular DNS service in China
  • dnscrypt-proxy (127.0.0.1): Local encrypted DNS proxy - easily toggle dnscrypt-proxy on/off from the menu bar

⚠️ Note: DNS changes require administrator privileges. You'll be prompted for your password.

Configuration

Access preferences via the menu bar icon → "Preferences…"

Settings

SettingDescriptionDefault
Ping IntervalHow often to ping the target (seconds)5.0
Target HostURL or IP to pinghttps://www.google.com
High Ping ThresholdLatency threshold for warning state (ms)200
Packet Loss ModeUse the main ping stream (Passive) or active bursts (Active) for loss measurementPassive
Active Probe IntervalHow often active packet loss bursts run (seconds)30.0
Active Burst SizeNumber of HEAD requests per active loss burst5
Packet Loss WindowNumber of recent results kept for packet loss50
Loss Warning ThresholdPacket loss percentage for yellow ring3.0
Loss Bad ThresholdPacket loss percentage for red ring10.0
DNS Auto-RevertRevert DNS to system default when network is unreachablefalse
Restore Custom DNSRestore custom DNS after captive portal loginfalse
Launch at LoginAuto-start PingBar when you log infalse

Status Icons

PingBar now uses a combined icon instead of a single four-state dot:

  • Center fill: latency state
  • Outer ring: packet loss state
ElementStateMeaning
Center fillGreen → Yellow → Orange → RedIncreasing latency severity
Center fillPurpleCaptive portal detected
Center fillDark grayNetwork unavailable
Outer ringGreenPacket loss below warning threshold
Outer ringYellowPacket loss above warning threshold
Outer ringRedPacket loss above bad threshold
Outer ringGrayStill collecting enough packet-loss samples

Packet Loss Modes

  • Passive: Uses only the normal scheduled ping results. This adds no extra traffic.
  • Active: Runs additional HEAD request bursts to the same host for faster packet loss sampling.

Captive portal detections are excluded from packet loss accounting.

Captive Portal Handling

When enabled, PingBar can automatically:

  1. Detect captive portals (hotel/airport WiFi login pages)
  2. Revert your custom DNS to system default to allow portal access
  3. Restore your custom DNS after successful login

This ensures seamless connectivity while preserving your DNS preferences.

Testing

# Run all tests
swift test

# Run specific test
swift test --filter TestName

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

PingBar doesn't appear in menu bar

  • Ensure macOS 12.0+ is installed
  • Check that the app has accessibility permissions if needed
  • Try relaunching the app

DNS changes don't work

  • Verify you have administrator privileges
  • Check that networksetup command line tool is available
  • Ensure your network interface is active

App won't launch

  • Check Console.app for error messages
  • Verify code signing if you built from source
  • Try removing and reinstalling

Performance Tips

  • Use a reliable, fast target host for pinging
  • Set reasonable ping intervals (5-10 seconds recommended)
  • Use Passive packet loss mode if you want zero additional background traffic
  • Use Active mode only when you need faster or denser packet loss sampling; low intervals and high burst sizes can create substantial traffic
  • Enable launch at login for continuous monitoring

Security

PingBar follows security best practices:

  • Minimal Permissions: Only requests necessary system access
  • No Data Collection: All data stays local on your device
  • Open Source: Code is publicly auditable
  • Code Signing: Release builds are signed and notarized

Privacy

PingBar does not:

  • Collect or transmit personal data
  • Track your browsing habits
  • Store sensitive information
  • Connect to external services (except for ping tests)

System Requirements

  • macOS: 12.0 (Monterey) or later
  • Architecture: Intel x64 or Apple Silicon (Universal Binary)
  • Memory: 50MB RAM typical usage
  • Permissions: Administrator access for DNS changes (optional)

License

PingBar is released under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

  • Inspired by classic menu bar network tools like MenuMeters and iStat Menus
  • Uses Apple's AppKit for native UI
  • Built with Swift Package Manager
  • DNS management via networksetup and AppleScript
  • Unicode sparkline graphs for visual ping history

PingBar — Network and DNS monitoring at a glance, right from your Mac menu bar. 🌐