Argus. SignalsBoardLimitsInstall GitHub Download

Know what changed.
From the notch.

Argus watches the network you're on and what your Mac exposes to it, and says one plain sentence when something changes. The rest of the time it is silent.

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1.5.0 · 690 KB · free, open source · macOS 14+ · no account, no telemetry
The black shape above is the app, drawn at the size it really is on a 14-inch MacBook. Open this page full-width on one and it is 1:1. It cycles through alerts Argus actually sends, the status board, and the optional stats strip.

What it says,
and when.

Six moments from an ordinary week. Each is one card, in the notch, with what to do about it. Amber needs a decision. Green is for your information. Nothing repeats, and networks you mark as home stay quiet.

Sixteen more it watches for

    Click the notch.
    Everything, on one board.

    Twenty-six checks with the value behind each one, so "Firewall" is never just a green dot, it's "On", and "Apps open to the network" names the process and the port.

    Amber means decide

    Something needs a choice from you: stealth mode off, a dev server reachable by the whole café. Each row names the setting to change.

    Green means known

    Not "safe", known. FileVault on, no custom root certificates, no one connected. The board is a statement of fact, not a grade.

    The shield keeps score

    The menu bar shield carries an amber dot while anything needs attention, and nothing otherwise. It is the only thing Argus shows when it has nothing to say.

    A strip,
    when you want one.

    Turn on Always-on stats in the menu and the notch keeps a thin readout of processor load, memory, network throughput and Wi-Fi signal. It yields to alerts and comes back when they close. Off by default.

    0.2%of one core at idle, measured over an hour with every signal running.
    58 MBflat. State is pruned on every save, so memory does not climb.
    0 callsArgus never contacts a server, including ours. There is no ours.
    0 entitlementsNothing privileged. No Full Disk Access, no kernel extension.

    What Argus
    cannot do.

    It is awareness, not protection. A security tool that oversells itself is worse than none, so this list is on the front page.

      Beside the tools
      you already run.

      Argus is built to sit next to a firewall and a settings auditor, not to replace either.

      ArgusPareto SecurityObjective-SeeLittle Snitch
      Settings checklist26 checks, with values30+, one-click fixes——
      Network change narrationYes———
      Router impersonation, HTTPS interceptionYes———
      Exposure judged by network trustYes—Lists sockets—
      New persistence itemsYes—BlockBlock—
      Camera and microphone useYes—OverSight—
      Keystroke taps, remote sessionsYes———
      Outbound firewall——LuLuYes
      Names the app behind camera use——Yes—
      Where you see itThe notchMenu barWindowsDialogs
      PriceFree, open sourceFree, open sourceFree, open sourcePaid, closed

      Four steps,
      one of them annoying.

      Notarizing an app needs a paid Apple account this project does not have, so macOS blocks the first launch and you clear it yourself. The checksum and the whole source are published so you never take the download on trust.

      1. Download, unzip, drag Argus into Applications.
      2. Clear the download flag on this one app:
        xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Argus.app
        Or open it once, then System Settings › Privacy & Security › Open Anyway. The old Control-click → Open shortcut stopped working in macOS 15.
      3. Open Argus. A shield appears in the menu bar. Nothing else happens until something changes.
      4. On your own Wi-Fi, choose Mark this network as Home so Argus announces devices that join it.

      Build it yourself
      in ten seconds.

      Eight Swift files, no dependencies, no package manager. Everything Argus reads comes from public macOS tools you can run yourself.

      shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/Argus.zip
# compare against the checksum on the release page

git clone https://github.com/Saidileepkumarmukkamala/argus
cd argus/app && ./build.sh && open Argus.app

      route · ifconfig · arp · scutil · lsof · launchctl · fdesetup · socketfilterfw · spctl · csrutil · sysadminctl · profiles · security · systemextensionsctl · defaults

      Writing.

      Notes on Mac security and what the notch is good for. Useful whether or not you install anything.

      The best free macOS notch apps Guide How to tell if a public Wi-Fi network is watching you Guide Free Mac security tools, and what each one actually does Guide The Mac security settings that actually matter Checklist

      Free, and
      staying free.

      There is no pro version, no licence key and no upsell three screens in. Everything on this page is everything there is.

      Buy me a coffeeOne-off, no account needed. It pays for a second Mac to test on.
      Buy me a coffee