AirBuddy 2
Better integration of AirPods and Beats with macOS $9.99; upgrade from 2019 purchase $4.99; upgrade from 2020 purchase is free From Guilherme Rambo, v2.airbuddy.app Needs macOS 10.14.6 or later
Apple’s wireless earphones and Beats– branded headphones contain hardware that enables, among other things, their easy discovery and management from your iPhone or iPad. Their integration with macOS, on the other hand, is a little more basic — and that’s where AirBuddy 2 comes in. A lightweight app that runs mostly from your Menu Bar, it provides a much more comprehensive way to monitor your Apple peripherals from your desktop than Apple currently allows.
The headline feature is the ability to show the status of your AirPods, AirPods Pro or Beats headphones when they’re near your Mac. Once paired using the quick setup procedure, the charging status of the case and earphones both appear in the status window, which can be set to be large or small, when you open the case near your Mac. This proximity setting can be disabled.
You can also change the “listening mode” for AirPods using the status bar menu, a custom key command that you can set up, or a swipe on the trackpad for AirPods Pro. So it
may be that when you connect them to your Mac you want them to default to “meeting” mode, with the microphone on and Transparency mode on; or “music” mode, with the mic off and noise cancelling enabled.
But there’s more. iPhones and iPads can also be registered by physically connecting them once, and they will appear in the status menu, as will any Apple Watch connected to your iPhone. Other Macs running AirBuddy 2 can also show their battery status in your menu, and Magic Mice, Keyboards and Trackpads can be transferred to said other Macs with one click. Lastly, Smart Stats can give you a breakdown of your AirPod usage. AirBuddy 2 is a clever, slick and affordable way to better integrate your Apple peripherals with your Mac. It’s a shame this is only possible with Apple gear and not other wireless headphones, but most don’t have the hardware required to enable this level of communication. AirPods Pro users will find their recent hardware offers the highest level of integration, but there’s plenty for users of other Apple gear too. Don’t be surprised if Apple buys or perhaps copies it for a future version of macOS.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Better integration of your Apple earphones with your Mac, plus some bonus features. HOLLIN JONES