Getting Started
WiFi Scout runs entirely in your menu bar — there is no main window to open. After launching the app, look for the colored dot in the top-right corner of your screen next to the clock.
- Green dot — your connection is healthy
- Yellow dot — latency is elevated
- Red dot — high latency or packet loss detected
Click the dot to open the dashboard showing your public IP, ISP, latency, packet loss, and full Wi-Fi details.
Granting Location Permission
WiFi Scout asks for Location permission on first launch. This is required by macOS to read the BSSID (the unique identifier) of your Wi-Fi access point. Without it, SSID and BSSID will show as "—".
- When the permission prompt appears, click Allow
- If you missed it, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services
- Find WiFi Scout in the list and set it to While Using
Your location is never recorded or transmitted. The permission is used solely to identify your Wi-Fi access point.
Understanding the Ping History
Click the menu bar dot, then hover over Last 10 Pings to see a graph and timestamped history of recent measurements. Each row shows:
Exporting Your Data
All measurements are stored in a private SQLite database on your Mac. To export:
- Click the menu bar dot
- Click Export Data…
- Your full measurement history is copied to the clipboard as a tab-separated file
- Paste into Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets for analysis
The export includes timestamp, latency, SSID, BSSID, RSSI, channel, band, channel width, public IP, and ISP for every recorded measurement.
Resetting the Database
To delete all recorded measurements, click the menu bar dot and choose Reset DB…. You will be asked to confirm before any data is deleted. This action cannot be undone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the app need Location permission?
Apple requires Location permission to access the BSSID of a Wi-Fi access point on macOS. This is a privacy protection built into the OS — the same restriction applies to all apps. WiFi Scout uses this only to read your access point identifier and never records or transmits your location.
Where is my data stored?
All data is stored locally in a SQLite database inside the app's sandbox container at:
~/Library/Containers/com.acd.netstatbar/Data/Library/Application Support/NetStatBar/measurements.db
How is latency measured?
WiFi Scout measures the time to complete a TCP connection to Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 server. This is an accurate real-world latency measurement to a nearby, well-connected server. A measurement is recorded once per second.
What does it mean when the BSSID changes?
Each physical access point has a unique BSSID. When the BSSID in the ping history changes, your Mac has roamed — it switched from one access point to another. This is normal in mesh networks, but if it happens frequently or coincides with latency spikes, it may indicate poor Wi-Fi coverage in that area.
Why does my SSID or BSSID show "—"?
Location permission has not been granted. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services and enable WiFi Scout.
The dot disappeared from my menu bar
macOS can hide menu bar items when space is limited. Try closing other menu bar apps, or hold ⌘ and drag the dot to reposition it.