How to show internet speed in the Mac menu bar
Is the download moving? See your speed live, and test the connection without opening a website.
macOS has a speed test in Terminal and network numbers in Activity Monitor, but nothing in the menu bar. MacFixes shows live speed there, with your addresses and a speed test one click away.
Free in MacFixes.
What macOS gives you
Activity Monitor’s Network tab shows data sent and received, and System Settings → Network → Details shows your local IP address. macOS also includes a speed test, but only as a Terminal command: networkQuality. None of it lives in the menu bar.
How MacFixes fixes it
- 1Turn on the fixOpen MacFixes Settings → Everyday and turn on “Network in the menu bar” (or type its name into Search for a fix).
- 2Watch the speedDownload and upload speed show in the menu bar — or download only, or just an icon.
- 3Click for moreSee your addresses, how much you’ve moved, and run a speed test. You can give the speed test a shortcut.
Permissions, and turning it off
To stop using it, open MacFixes Settings → Everyday and use the switch on the “Network in the menu bar” row.
Questions
Which speed test does it use?
Apple’s own, the networkQuality tool built into macOS, which tests against Apple’s servers. It moves a few hundred MB, so skip it on a metered connection.
Why doesn’t it show my Wi-Fi network’s name?
macOS only shares the network name with apps that have Location access, and MacFixes doesn’t ask for your location to show it.
Does it send anything anywhere?
Only when you ask. Looking up your public IP address uses ipify.org, and a speed test uses macOS’s own networkQuality tool, which tests against Apple’s servers.
More fixes macOS doesn’t give you
One of 47 fixes and 10 apps in MacFixes. Every fix · Every app · Something else your Mac won’t do? Request it.
Show internet speed in the Mac menu bar with MacFixes
MacFixes has 47 fixes for things macOS gets wrong or leaves out. Add only the ones you want. This one is free. macOS 14 Sonoma or later.