AirBuddy

Introducing AirBuddy

AirBuddy brings the same AirPods experience you have on iOS to the Mac. With AirBuddy, you can open up your AirPods case next to your Mac and see the status right away, just like it is on your iPhone or iPad. A simple click and you're connected and playing your Mac's audio to AirPods. Oh, it also makes sure the audio input of your Mac is NOT switched to the AirPods so you can get the best possible quality.

With the Batteries Notification Center widget, you can also see the battery status for your Mac, including how much battery time you have left or how long it'll take to finish charging (if it's charging). The widget also shows the battery status for your AirPods, their charging case, other W1 headsets like Beats headphones and your iOS devices.

FAQ

What's the minimum version of macOS I need to run AirBuddy?

AirBuddy runs on macOS Mojave (10.14) or later.

Are there any system requirements?

Yes. Your Mac must support Bluetooth LE. Generally speaking, if Handoff, Apple Watch unlock and similar features work on your Mac, it means it supports BLE. Your account on macOS must also be logged in to the same iCloud account as the iOS device which was used to pair the headset.

Can it show the battery status for other devices such as iPhones and iPads?

Yes. Keep in mind your mobile devices must have been connected to your Mac at least once and the Mac must be "trusted" on the device. After that initial pairing, the devices can communicate over wi-fi. You can also enable wi-fi syncing with iTunes just to make sure your iPhone or iPad can communicate with the Mac wirelessly.

What about Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, Apple TV remote and other devices?

Those are not currently supported.

What about peripherals like the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse?

Those are not currently supported.

What about non-Apple devices?

AirBuddy only works with Apple and Beats products. There are no plans of supporting accessories from other manufacturers.

How do I get updates?

The app checks for updates automatically and shows you an alert when they're available.

Do I need a Gumroad account to purchase/update the app?

You don't. You can purchase without creating an account and the app updates itself automatically over-the-air.

I opened my AirPods case near my Mac and the status window didn't show up. Why?

The first thing you should check is if you have the status window enabled in your settings. To edit your settings, just launch AirBuddy. Other than that, the app uses several heuristics to determine whether to show the status window, including the distance of the device to your Mac, whether the device is currently in use by another device (like playing music from your iPhone), etc. If the device is showing up in the Notification Center widget, it means AirBuddy has seen it and decided not to show the status window because it didn't think it was appropriate.

Is there a free trial?

No, but if you purchase the app and don't like it or it doesn't work the way you expected it to, just ask for a refund and I'll be happy to do so.

Where can I get support?

Unfortunately, I can't provide support for this app. This is a side project I made for myself and decided to offer to others at a very low price, which is more like a donation for people who like the stuff I do. If you need a refund, e-mail me at rambo[at]9to5mac.com within 7 days of your purchase and I'll immediately refund you. If you have cool ideas and general feedback, you can find me on Twitter (@_inside).