AirBuddy 3.0 — macOS

No digging through menus — the status is there before you finish settling in.

Check battery status

It groups devices by their relationships, so you see your AirPods as a set rather than separate items. You can pick between a small or large status window, depending on how much detail you want.

Connect and control

From the menu bar or a keyboard shortcut, you can connect your AirPods and switch listening modes without touching your phone. Connection modes let you adjust listening mode, volume, and microphone state in one go. The app also shows what's playing, so you can control playback without leaving your current app.

Move peripherals between Macs

If you use a Magic Mouse, trackpad, or keyboard with more than one Mac, AirBuddy's Magic Handoff moves those peripherals from one machine to another. That saves the usual pairing dance when you switch desks or machines.

Trackpad gesture controls connection and listening modes

The current release brings a few practical changes to how you interact with the app day to day.

Connection and playback controls are more direct now. For AirPods Pro users, a trackpad gesture handles connecting and switching listening modes, which cuts out a couple of clicks.

• Trackpad gesture for AirPods Pro connection and listening mode

Fixing three common setup hiccups

A few things tend to trip people up when they start using AirBuddy 3. Most are easy to fix once you know where to look.

Devices not showing up

If your AirPods or Beats headphones don't appear in the status window, make sure Bluetooth is on and the devices are in pairing mode or already paired with your Mac. AirBuddy relies on the system's Bluetooth stack, so if macOS doesn't see the device, the app won't either. Restarting Bluetooth or re-pairing the device usually sorts it.

Menu bar icon not changing

After switching the icon preference, the menu bar may not update immediately. Quit and relaunch AirBuddy to apply the change. This is a known quirk in the current version.

Magic Handoff not working

Moving a Magic Mouse or keyboard between Macs requires both machines to be on the same network and signed into the same Apple ID. If the handoff doesn't trigger, check that both Macs meet those conditions. Also confirm that AirBuddy is running on both machines — it's easy to forget to launch it on the second Mac.

Requires macOS 14 and runs on Apple silicon or Intel

AirBuddy 3.0-890 requires macOS 14 or later. It runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, so whether you're on an M-series machine or an older Intel model, it will work. The interface is in English.

Installation follows the usual pattern: copy the app to your Applications folder, open it, and follow the included activation steps. There's no need to install additional drivers or kernel extensions — it uses macOS's built-in device frameworks.

Because the app monitors Bluetooth devices and updates the menu bar, it runs as a background process. It won't interfere with other apps, but if you're particular about startup items, you can manage it from your user account settings like any other login item.

• AirBuddy 3 adds battery display, AirPods connection, playback control, and peripheral handoff between Macs.
• New menu bar icon option: choose the app icon, a battery indicator, or no icon.

• macOS 14 or later
• Intel or Apple silicon Mac
• Interface in English