Mac guides
Step-by-step fixes for your Mac, with Terminal commands you can copy. You don't need our apps to follow them.
Drippy2 min readBlock an app from the internet on a Mac
The macOS firewall only blocks incoming connections. How to stop an app from going online with Screen Time, pf in Terminal, or a firewall app like Drippy.
- Drippy1 min read
Stop apps from using your hotspot
Keep updates, cloud sync and backups off your phone's hotspot. Low Data Mode, then per-network firewall rules that block apps only on metered networks.
- Drippy1 min read
Block websites and ad domains on a Mac
Block websites on a Mac with Screen Time, the hosts file, or blocklists in a firewall. Which methods work in every browser and every app.
- Drippy1 min read
Does the Mac firewall block outgoing connections?
The built-in macOS firewall filters incoming connections only. What it does, how to turn it on, and how to control outgoing connections.
- Drippy1 min read
How to check data usage on a Mac
See how much internet data your Mac uses with Activity Monitor and nettop, why they reset, and how to keep daily and monthly history by app.
- Drippy1 min read
See which apps are using your internet
Find which apps and background processes are using your Mac's internet right now and over time, with Activity Monitor, nettop, lsof and Drippy.
- Drippy1 min read
Show your internet speed in the menu bar
macOS has no built-in network speed meter in the menu bar. How to test your speed with the built-in networkQuality command and keep live speeds in the menu bar.
- Drippy1 min read
Save data when your Mac is tethered
Turn on Low Data Mode, pause iCloud and updates, and watch usage so tethering your Mac to a phone doesn't blow through your data plan.
- Drippy1 min read
Monitor network traffic from Terminal
Built-in Terminal commands to watch live bandwidth, see traffic per app and per connection, and list open network connections on macOS.
- Drippy1 min read
Find your IP address on a Mac
Find your Mac's local IP in System Settings or Terminal and your public IP with one command, and know when it changes.
- Drippy2 min read
Mac Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting
Work out whether drops come from your Mac, your Wi-Fi or your provider with ping, Wireless Diagnostics and outage logging, then fix the common causes.
- Drippy1 min read
Why is my Mac using so much data?
macOS updates, iCloud Photos, App Store downloads, cloud sync and backups are the usual reasons a Mac burns through data. How to spot and stop each one.
Batch File Renamer1 min readRename photos by the date they were taken
Rename iPhone and camera photos to the date they were taken, like 2026-09-27 Beach 0412.jpg, using EXIF data. Step-by-step on Mac.
- Batch File Renamer1 min read
Rename files with regular expressions
Batch rename files on Mac with regular expressions and capture groups. See every match live before renaming, with undo. Examples included.
- Batch File Renamer1 min read
Rename music files from their tags
Rename music files from their ID3 tags, like 03 Artist - Title.mp3. Use artist, album, track number and year to clean up a music folder on Mac.
- Batch File Renamer1 min read
Rename files from a spreadsheet
Rename many files from a spreadsheet of old and new names on Mac. Export a CSV, preview every match, then apply, with undo.
- Batch File Renamer1 min read
Change file extensions in bulk
Change, lowercase or remove the extension on many files at once on Mac, or fix extensions from each file's real type. Free with Batch File Renamer Lite.
- Batch File Renamer1 min read
Number files sequentially
Add sequential numbers to many files on Mac with padding, a start number, step and custom sort order. Preview first, undo anytime. Free in Lite.