Scan folders, not tabs
Point GitStatusBar at folders such as ~/Documents or ~/Projects.
It finds local repositories and keeps the menu grouped around the
places you actually work.
Native macOS menu bar app
GitStatusBar
Scan your local git repositories and see branch, clean, dirty, ahead, and behind status from the menu bar.
Fast checks, no background polling
Refresh when you ask. Idle CPU stays at zero.
Built for many repos
Scan one or more folders and compare clean, dirty, ahead, and behind counts.
Native Mac controls
Open repos in Finder, Terminal, editors, or their hosted remote pages.
Manual by design
No background polling, no surprise network work.
GitStatusBar checks your repositories when you ask it to. Local refresh updates working-tree status, and remote fetch only happens from the explicit Refresh + fetch action. That keeps idle CPU at zero and avoids hidden git traffic while you are working.
Why it exists
One place for the git repos you keep forgetting to check.
Readable repository state
See clean, modified, untracked, ahead, behind, stash, and no-remote
signals without reading raw git status output for every project.
Manual refresh by design
The app does not poll in the background. Refresh local status with
⌘R, or fetch remotes only when you choose ⇧⌘R.
Native macOS utility
GitStatusBar is a small AppKit menu bar app with no Dock icon, no browser runtime, and no account sign-in.
Install
Download the app, or use Homebrew.
The release build is ad-hoc signed. On first launch, right-click the app in Finder and choose Open.
Homebrew cask
brew install --cask rogue-socket/tap/gitstatusbar
Latest release
github.com/rogue-socket/gitstatus/releases/latest
Privacy
Local repo status stays on your Mac.
No account
GitStatusBar does not require login, sync, or a hosted service.
No app telemetry
The app does not send repository names, branches, paths, or status data anywhere.
No automatic fetch
Network git operations only happen when you explicitly choose Refresh + fetch.
FAQ
Before you install
Does GitStatusBar run git fetch automatically?
No. Local refresh is manual, and network fetches only happen when you choose Refresh + fetch.
Does GitStatusBar run in the background?
It lives in the macOS menu bar, but it does not continuously poll repositories in the background.
Does it support multiple folders?
Yes. Add folders such as ~/Documents or ~/Projects, and GitStatusBar scans the repositories inside them.
Why does macOS warn on first launch?
The release is ad-hoc signed. Right-click the app in Finder and choose Open once to allow it.
Does it send repository data anywhere?
No. GitStatusBar scans local repositories on your Mac and has no account, sync service, or telemetry.
How is this different from a full git client?
GitStatusBar is not a replacement for your editor, terminal, or GitHub Desktop. It is a lightweight overview for many local repositories.
Can I build it from source?
Yes. The source is available on GitHub, and the app can be built with Swift Package Manager.