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How to show your internet speed in the Mac menu bar
macOS can’t show your internet speed in the menu bar by itself. A free app like Byter adds it: live download and upload speed, your data usage on each network, and one-click speed tests.
On Windows, apps like Net Speed Meter show your speed in the taskbar. Mac users want the same thing in the menu bar, to see at a glance when a download starts or the connection drops.
What macOS gives you
Nothing in the menu bar. Activity Monitor’s Network tab has a live graph, but you have to keep it open.
Byter: speed and usage in your menu bar
- Live speed: download and upload, updating as you browse.
- Data usage: how much you’ve used today, per network.
- Speed test: download, upload and ping in one click.
- Slow network alerts: a notification when your speed drops and when it recovers.
Byter is free, has no ads or account, and works on macOS 14 or later (Apple silicon and Intel).
Other options
System monitors like iStat Menus (paid) and Stats (free, open source) can also show network speed, alongside CPU and memory. Choose Byter if you mainly care about data usage and speed; see the comparison.
Questions
Is there a Net Speed Meter for Mac?
Not the Windows app itself, but Byter shows live download and upload speed in the Mac menu bar, for free.
How do I see my internet speed on a Mac?
Use Byter for a live reading in the menu bar, or run networkQuality in Terminal for a one-off test.