NetScope
A Chrome DevTools-style network monitor for your whole Mac.
$19.99 one-time
Learn moreMac Network Monitoring & Privacy: See What Your Apps Send
Practical ways to see, understand and control the network traffic of every app on your Mac.
Built-in tools compared
| Tool | Shows | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Activity Monitor › Network | Bytes sent and received per process | No hosts, no history after restart |
nettop | Live connections and throughput per process | Terminal only, hard to read |
lsof -i | Open sockets and remote addresses | Snapshot, no traffic content |
tcpdump | Raw packets | No app names, needs expertise |
| NetScope | Every HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, QUIC, TCP and UDP connection with app, host, timing | Cannot decrypt HTTPS bodies (shows host via SNI) |
What HTTPS hides and what it does not
HTTPS encrypts the URL path, headers and body, so nobody on the network can read them. The server name is still visible in the TLS handshake (SNI) unless the site uses Encrypted Client Hello, and DNS lookups are visible unless you use encrypted DNS. That is why a monitor can tell you that an app talked to api.example.com even though it cannot read what was sent.
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Mac network & privacy guides
Clear answers to common Mac questions about sound, networking and automation.
NetScopeHow to See Which Apps Are Using the Internet on MacThree ways to find out which apps on your Mac connect to the internet, which servers they talk to and how much data they use.Read guide NetScopeHow to Monitor HTTP Requests From Any App on Mac (Not Just the Browser)Browser DevTools only show one tab. Here is how to see HTTP and HTTPS requests from every app on your Mac — desktop apps, CLI tools and background services.Read guide Frequently asked questions
Can I see which app is using my internet on Mac?
Yes. Activity Monitor's Network tab shows data per process, and NetScope shows every connection with the app, host and timing in real time.
Does the macOS firewall block outgoing connections?
No. The built-in firewall only controls incoming connections. Blocking an app from going online needs a third-party outbound firewall.
Can a network monitor read my HTTPS traffic?
Not without installing a trusted certificate to intercept it. NetScope does not do that; it shows the host name, timing and size of HTTPS connections, and full content only for plain HTTP.
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