NetCheck

About

NetCheck is a lightweight macOS menu bar app that tells you whether your internet is actually working — not just whether your Wi-Fi is connected. Your Mac's Wi-Fi indicator only checks the local network. If your router is up but the ISP is down, or you're behind a captive portal, it still shows full bars. NetCheck closes that gap. It runs a periodic HTTP probe to a real endpoint and verifies the response — something a captive portal can't fake. If the primary probe fails, it falls back to a secondary check. The result shows up as a single dot in your menu bar: green means you have real internet, grey means you don't. When it's grey, a network path diagram shows exactly where the problem is — your Mac, your router, or your ISP. Open the popover and you get a live response time meter, your ISP identified automatically, a VPN indicator when you're connected through one, and the last verified timestamp. You can set how often NetCheck checks — anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes. When your connection drops or comes back, you get a notification instantly. It launches at login so it's always there. No dock icon. No Cmd+Tab entry. No account. No ads. No data collected. Just a dot that tells you the truth about your internet. NetCheck is free. NetCheck Pro ($9.99, one-time, no subscription) adds Network History with a 0-100 reliability score, custom probe endpoints for monitoring any URL, CSV export, a built-in speed test with optional automatic scheduling, iPhone outage alerts, and Shortcuts integration for automating checks. Built with SwiftUI, zero third-party dependencies, fully sandboxed, and available on the Mac App Store. Watch the demo: youtu.be/xFlBAON9iA8

Problem & solution

Who it's for

Mac users who work from home, use AI tools, or need reliable internet for calls and remote work.

• Why Your Mac's Wi-Fi Bars Lie — And How NetCheck Fixes It

  macOS shows full Wi-Fi signal even when your internet is actually down. NetCheck is a free menu bar app that confirms real connectivity with a lightweight probe — so you always know the truth.

  NxGn Tools·Jun 18, 2026

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