Fix install and runtime issues

Diagnose and fix common NetFluss problems including install errors, jumping menu bar layouts, external IP issues, cluttered Top Apps, adapter behavior, Fritz!Box bandwidth, and stuck popover buttons.

App will not open or shows a Gatekeeper or damaged app warning

Gatekeeper sometimes blocks apps downloaded from the internet, or reports that the app is damaged, even when the download is valid.

NetFluss is notarized and signed with a Developer ID. Gatekeeper should allow it to run once macOS recognizes it as an installed application.

Move NetFluss to Applications

Drag NetFluss.app into your /Applications folder if it is not already there.
Launch NetFluss from /Applications or Spotlight instead of running it from the Downloads folder.

Re-download from the official release

Delete the existing NetFluss.app.
Download the latest zip from the official NetFluss releases page.
Unzip the download and move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications again.

Override the first launch warning

Try to open NetFluss. If macOS shows a warning, open System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Scroll to the security section and look for a message about NetFluss being blocked.
Click Allow Anyway, then launch NetFluss again from /Applications.

If NetFluss still does not open after reinstalling and allowing it in Privacy & Security, capture any exact error text and contact support.

NetFluss runs as a menu bar app. If you do not see the icon, either the app is not running or macOS is hiding the icon.

Confirm NetFluss is running

Open Activity Monitor and search for NetFluss.
If you do not see it, open /Applications/NetFluss.app again.

Reveal hidden menu bar icons

On macOS, some menu bar icons hide behind a chevron or section on the right.
Click any chevron or overflow indicator in the menu bar and look for the NetFluss icon.
Drag the icon out to pin it, if macOS allows reordering.

Quit and relaunch NetFluss

If you see NetFluss in Activity Monitor but not in the menu bar, quit the process from Activity Monitor.
Relaunch /Applications/NetFluss.app and watch for the icon to appear in the menu bar.

If the icon still does not appear, try restarting macOS and launching NetFluss again after the restart.

Preferences window is too large or does not seem resizable

On smaller screens, the NetFluss preferences window can feel too tall to reach the lowest checkboxes or controls.

From version 1.9.2, the preferences window is resizable on smaller screens. You can drag the edges to shrink the window height and reveal controls that were previously off-screen.

Update to NetFluss 1.9.2 or later

Quit NetFluss if it is running.
Download NetFluss 1.9.2 or a later version from the official releases page.
Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
Open Preferences from the NetFluss popover or menu.

Resize the preferences window

Move your pointer to any edge or corner of the preferences window.
Even if macOS does not show a resize cursor because of a macOS and SwiftUI limitation, click and drag the window edge.
Drag the bottom edge upward until all checkboxes and controls fit on your screen.

If the window still does not resize after updating to 1.9.2 or later, confirm you are running the updated app from /Applications and not an older copy from another folder.

A layout bug in older NetFluss versions can cause the menu bar label or popover to shift left and right as the numbers change width, for example when speeds move from 999 KB/s to 1.2 MB/s.

Update to NetFluss 1.9 or later

Quit NetFluss if it is running.
Download NetFluss 1.9 or later from the official releases page.
Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
Watch the menu bar while speeds change to confirm that the icons and popover now stay in a fixed position.

Version 1.9 uses a fixed-width container for the menu bar display so other icons no longer jump when values change.

Top Apps shows no data

Top Apps reads per-connection byte counts from the system using netstat -n -b -v and only shows processes with active TCP or UDP connections. If no app currently has an active connection, the list remains empty.

Users have reported seeing an empty Top Apps view even though the feature is enabled. In these cases, the issue was that no app had active network traffic at that moment, not a missing permission.

On macOS 15, Top Apps requires NetFluss 1.7.1 or later. A bug in earlier NetFluss versions on macOS 15 can prevent Top Apps from showing data even when connections are active.

Generate active network traffic

Open a browser and load a few websites, start a video stream, or download a file.
Keep the traffic running while you view the NetFluss popover.

Confirm Top Apps is enabled

Open the NetFluss popover and go to its preferences or settings.
Ensure the Top Apps feature is turned on.

Reopen the NetFluss popover

Close the popover if it is open, then click the NetFluss menu bar icon again.
Check whether apps with active TCP or UDP connections now appear in the Top Apps list.

If Top Apps stays empty even while streaming or downloading data, note your macOS version and share details via the GitHub issue tracker, referencing the existing discussion in issue 7.

Top Apps is cluttered with background processes

Background services such as mDNSResponder or other system daemons can appear in Top Apps when they use bandwidth, which can push your actual apps off the list.

Hide noisy background apps from Top Apps

Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Top Apps.
In Apps to Hide, find and select the background processes you do not want to see.
Remember that this list shows processes that used bandwidth in the last 60 seconds, so recently active apps appear here.
Return to the popover and confirm that the hidden apps no longer take up slots in the Top Apps list, leaving more room for the apps you care about.

Hiding background apps does not affect their network activity; it only cleans up the Top Apps view.

Wi‑Fi SSID or band is missing

Wi‑Fi SSID and band information come from CoreWLAN, which on macOS can require Location Services access to expose SSID details.

If you deny Location Services access when macOS first prompts for it, NetFluss cannot show SSID or band details until you re-enable access in System Settings.

Look for the Location Services prompt

The first time NetFluss tries to read Wi‑Fi SSID details, macOS may show a Location Services dialog.
When prompted, grant access so NetFluss can display SSID and band information.

Re-enable access in System Settings

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
Find NetFluss in the app list and enable Location Services for it.
Restart NetFluss and check the Wi‑Fi SSID and band fields again.

If the SSID or band are still blank after granting Location Services access, verify that your Mac is connected to Wi‑Fi and not using Ethernet only.

External IP is missing or shows the wrong IP version

External IP issues usually fall into two categories: the IP address is blank, or the address shows IPv6 when you want to see IPv4 instead.

Update to NetFluss 1.9 or later for reliable External IP

Quit NetFluss if it is running.
Download NetFluss 1.9 or later from the official releases page.
Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
Check the External IP section in the popover to confirm that an address now appears consistently. NetFluss 1.9 uses ipwho.is with an api.ipify.org fallback for improved reliability.

Choose IPv4 or IPv6 in Appearance preferences

Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Appearance.
Find the External IP setting and choose whether to display your external IPv4 or IPv6 address.
On dual-stack networks, NetFluss 1.9.1 and later default to IPv4, but you can switch to IPv6 if you prefer.
Return to the popover and verify that the External IP now shows the IP version you selected.

If the External IP field is still blank after updating and checking preferences, test your internet connection in a browser and try again later in case the lookup services are temporarily unavailable.

Too many adapters and scrolling behavior

VPN clients and other tools often create many virtual network adapters. NetFluss lets you rename, reorder, and hide adapters, and caps the visible list so the popover remains usable.

From version 1.7, the adapter list in the popover scrolls when more than six interfaces are active. The list shows up to six adapter cards at once, and you can scroll to see the rest. IP addresses and Top Apps stay visible below the list.

Rename and reorder important adapters

Use NetFluss preferences to rename adapters that matter to you and move them near the top of the list.
Keep in mind that some VPN tools create new interfaces each time they connect, so names might not stay attached to the same underlying device, as reported in issue 6.

Hide inactive or other adapters

In preferences, enable options to hide inactive adapters.
Use any available setting to hide other or virtual adapters that you do not need to see.

Scroll through the adapter list

When more than six interfaces are active, move your mouse over the adapter section in the popover.
Scroll to view additional adapters while keeping IP addresses and Top Apps visible.

If adapter clutter remains a problem with heavy VPN usage, consider limiting which VPN tools run at the same time so they create fewer simultaneous virtual interfaces.

Fritz!Box bandwidth data is missing or not updating

Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring shows the total WAN download and upload rates from your Fritz!Box router directly in the NetFluss popover.

NetFluss queries Fritz!Box bandwidth via the official TR-064 API. Fritz!Box does not require authentication for this specific bandwidth data, so NetFluss does not need your router password for the feature to work.

Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring is experimental in NetFluss 1.10. Expect some rough edges and share feedback or bug reports so the feature can improve.

Enable Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring in preferences

Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Fritz!Box Bandwidth.
Turn on the Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring option if it is disabled.
Return to the popover and wait a few seconds to see if Fritz!Box download and upload rates start appearing.

Confirm the Fritz!Box router address

In Preferences → Fritz!Box Bandwidth, check the router address field.
Use fritz.box if you use the default Fritz!Box hostname, or enter your router's IP address if you changed it.
Save the preferences and watch the NetFluss popover to see whether the Fritz!Box bandwidth values begin updating.

Verify Fritz!Box is reachable from your Mac

Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as the Fritz!Box (typically the home Wi‑Fi or LAN).
Open a browser and try loading http://fritz.box or your configured router address to confirm the router responds.
If the router page does not load, fix the network or address issue first and then check the Fritz!Box bandwidth section in NetFluss again.

If Fritz!Box bandwidth still shows no data or does not refresh after confirming preferences and connectivity, note your NetFluss version, Fritz!Box model, and router firmware version and share feedback via the GitHub issue tracker.

UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring is missing or will not connect

UniFi and OpenWrt monitoring in NetFluss 1.11 rely on reaching your local controller or router, using valid credentials, and reading stored credentials from Apple Keychain.

NetFluss stores UniFi and OpenWrt credentials in Apple Keychain so macOS can encrypt them and control access. NetFluss uses these credentials locally on your Mac and does not send them to any external service.

Confirm the controller or router is reachable

Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as your UniFi controller or OpenWrt router.
Open a browser and try loading the UniFi controller URL or the OpenWrt LuCI web interface using the same host and port you configured in NetFluss.
If the page does not load, fix the network or address issue first, then return to NetFluss and check the UniFi or OpenWrt section again.

Re-enter UniFi or OpenWrt credentials in NetFluss

Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences for UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring.
Carefully re-enter the hostname, username, password, and any required port or protocol fields.
Save the preferences and wait a few seconds to see whether NetFluss begins showing UniFi or OpenWrt metrics.

Allow Apple Keychain access when prompted

If macOS shows a dialog asking whether NetFluss may access a Keychain item related to UniFi or OpenWrt, choose to allow access.
Select the option that allows NetFluss to access this item every time to avoid repeated prompts.
After allowing access, watch the NetFluss popover to confirm that UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring updates.

Reset stored credentials in Apple Keychain

Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac and search for entries whose names mention NetFluss and UniFi or OpenWrt.
Delete the specific NetFluss UniFi or OpenWrt Keychain item, leaving other unrelated items intact.
Return to NetFluss preferences for UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring, re-enter your credentials, and save again so NetFluss can create a fresh Keychain entry.

If UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring still does not connect after these steps, note your NetFluss version, UniFi or OpenWrt firmware version, and any error text shown in NetFluss, then share details via the GitHub issue tracker.

Older versions of NetFluss had a bug where, after opening and closing the About window, footer buttons in the popover could stop responding.

This bug was fixed in version 1.5 by changing window activation behavior. If you see unresponsive buttons, you are likely on an older build and should update.

Update NetFluss to the latest version

Quit NetFluss if it is running.
Download the most recent release zip from the official NetFluss releases page.
Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.

Test the popover after updating

Click the NetFluss menu bar icon to open the popover.
Open the About or Preferences window, close it, and then try the footer buttons again.
Confirm that the buttons respond as expected.

If the popover still ignores clicks after updating, restart macOS and test again. If the issue persists, include your NetFluss version and macOS version when you contact support.

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