Stuck somewhere? Probably here.

How do I install PoRaBar?

Open the Mac App Store, search for “PoRaBar”, click Get. Or use the Download button on the homepage — it goes straight to the Mac App Store listing. Requires macOS 13+.

Where does the icon appear after install?

In your menu bar, top-right of the screen, next to your battery and Wi-Fi icons. PoRaBar is menu-bar-first: it shows a Dock icon only while one of its windows is open, so ⌘-Tab can find it. To keep it menu-bar-only at all times, turn off “Show Dock icon while a window is open” in Settings → General.

The 60-day trial — is it really 60 days?

Yes. The full app, no nags. After the trial, unlock everything with the one-time $2.99 purchase — or earn it free by getting 3 contributions approved. Free updates within the major version.

The demo plays radio — why do I need the Mac app then?

The browser demo is missing things only a native app can do: ICY in-stream metadata (real song titles for live radio), unlimited stations from radio-browser.info (the demo includes 5 popular ones plus search), background playback when your browser is closed, media-key support, system Now Playing integration, and persistent favourites across reloads.

I clicked a station and nothing played.

Some stations only stream over HTTP, and browsers block mixed-content audio (an HTTPS page playing HTTP audio), so they can’t play here. The Mac app has no such restriction.

Does the demo show everything PoRaBar can do?

No — it focuses on radio. The full app adds podcasts, YouTube livestreams and your Audiobookshelf library, plus a companion iPhone app.

Where are my favourites and history stored?

Locally in ~/Library/Application Support/PoRaBar. Nothing is ever uploaded to a PoRaBar server (there isn’t one). See Privacy for the full story.

How do I move my data to another Mac?

Copy that folder to the same path on the new Mac before launching the app for the first time. Or use Migration Assistant — it does this automatically. Favourites also sync across your devices via iCloud.

A radio stream stopped working.

Streams come and go. If a station is dead long-term, swap it out via Discovery — there are 50,000+ alternatives. If you added it by URL, broadcasters sometimes change their stream endpoints.

Can I hide the sections I don’t use?

Yes. In Settings you can hide Radio, Podcasts, YouTube and Audiobookshelf individually, as long as at least one stays on. Hidden sections disappear from the menu bar popover and the macOS main window, and on iPhone and iPad from Library, Discover and CarPlay. “Contribute & share” and “My reports” can be hidden too. Hide everything except Audiobookshelf and PoRaBar becomes a focused Audiobookshelf player.

How do I search my Audiobookshelf library?

On the Mac, use the search field on the Audiobookshelf page. On iPhone, use the search field in the Audiobookshelf browser. Search covers your whole library by title, author, narrator or series, ignoring case and accents, and returns books. The Authors page lists every writer with a photo, bio and their books.

Can I use PoRaBar offline?

Both internet radio and streaming podcasts need the network. Downloaded podcast episodes are available offline once downloaded.