# macOS

Get Cntrl Bridge running on your Mac.

## Installation

### Download

Download the Universal DMG from the [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/azaek/cntrl/releases):

**`Cntrl.Bridge_x.x.x_aarch64.dmg`** \- Works on Apple Silicon Macs

**`Cntrl.Bridge_x.x.x_x64.dmg`** \- Works on Intel Macs

### Install

1. Open the DMG file  
2. Drag **Cntrl Bridge** to your **Applications** folder

### Launch

**Important:** After installing, you must manually open Cntrl Bridge for it to start.

1. Open **Applications** folder  
2. Double-click **Cntrl Bridge**  
3. The Cntrl Bridge icon will appear in your menu bar

macOS Security Warning

Since Cntrl Bridge is not notarized with Apple, macOS will block it on first launch with a message like **"Apple could not verify Cntrl Bridge is free of malware"**. This is normal for apps distributed outside the App Store.

To open the app:

1. Try opening **Cntrl Bridge** normally — macOS will block it  
2. Go to **System Settings → Privacy & Security**  
3. Scroll down and click **Open Anyway** next to the Cntrl Bridge message  
4. Click **Open** in the confirmation dialog

You only need to do this once — macOS will remember your choice for future launches.

## Configure Settings

After installation, click the menu bar icon to open the dashboard where you can:

- Change the server port  
- Enable/disable features  
- Configure autostart (toggle "Start on Login")  
- Enable power management options (Shutdown, Restart, Sleep)  
- Open the configuration file location

All settings are saved to `~/Library/Application Support/com.azaek.cntrl-bridge/config.json`

## Verify It's Working

Open your browser and go to:

```
http://localhost:9990/api/status
```

You should see `{"status":"ok"}`.

## macOS Permissions

Certain features require system permissions on macOS. The app will prompt you when these permissions are needed:

Required Permissions

- **Media Control**: When using `/api/media/*` endpoints, macOS will prompt for **Media** **& Apple Music** access permission. Go to **System Settings → Privacy & Security → Media** **& Apple Music** to grant access.  
- **Process Control**: For `/api/processes/focus` and `/api/processes/kill`, you may need to grant **Accessibility** permissions. Go to **System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility** and add Cntrl Bridge to the allowed apps list.

These permissions are only required if you plan to use these specific features.

## macOS Features

- **Menu Bar Integration**: Lives in your menu bar (not the Dock)  
- **Universal Binary**: Optimized for both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs  
- **Tray-Only App**: No Dock icon, stays out of your way  
- **Full Feature Parity**: All features work the same as Windows (except Hibernate, which macOS doesn't support)  
- **Native Performance**: Fast and efficient with minimal resource usage

Hibernate on macOS

macOS does not have a separate hibernate command. Sleep on Mac automatically uses "Safe Sleep" which writes RAM to disk for power loss protection.