# Birdwatch for Mac

Canonical page: https://macbase.app/apps/birdwatch

> See which Swift builds and test runs are stuck, and why

- Price: $19, after a 14-day free trial
- Requires: macOS 26 Tahoe or later
- Languages: English
- Apple silicon: runs natively
- Notarized by Apple: yes
- Works offline: yes
- Verified on MacBase: yes
- Developer: Coen ten Thije Boonkkamp
- Categories: [Developer Tools](https://macbase.app/categories/developer-tools), [Coding Agents](https://macbase.app/categories/coding-agents), [System Monitoring](https://macbase.app/categories/system-monitoring)

## About

Agents get stuck. When you run several at once, in Xcode, the terminal and AI apps, it is hard to see what is running where, or which build or test run has stalled.

Birdwatch sits in the menu bar and watches the processes agents start: Swift builds, test runs, compilers, SourceKit and LLDB. It groups them by project, flags the stuck ones, says why, and quits them in one click.

It is made for Swift and Xcode work. For a hung test run, Explain names the test and its line. Otherwise Apple's on-device model writes the explanation, marked as AI, or Birdwatch shows the stack sample. Xcode gets a normal quit signal, never a force kill. It can also show which Claude Code or Codex session started a process.

Rules in code decide most of what counts as stuck, and the on-device model helps where rules fall short. Nothing about your code or processes leaves the Mac.

€19 / $19 once, with 12 months of updates. The euro price includes VAT. Free for 14 days, no account. macOS 27.2 or later on Apple silicon. Notarized. Not sandboxed, because it reads and signals other processes. Also on Homebrew: brew install coenttb/tap/birdwatch

## An alternative to

- [Activity Monitor](https://macbase.app/alternatives/activity-monitor): 11 alternatives on MacBase

## Get it

- Download: https://coenttb.com/birdwatch/Birdwatch-1.0.zip
- Website: https://coenttb.com/birdwatch/?ref=macbase

Listed by [Coen ten Thije Boonkkamp](https://macbase.app/@coenttb).

## Similar Developer Tools apps

- [Orbit](https://macbase.app/apps/orbit-2): A local workspace for managing software projects (Free, with paid features, Developer Tools, Apple silicon, macOS 26 Tahoe or later, in English, verified)
- [Vitals](https://macbase.app/apps/vitals): See which app is slowing your Mac ($9, 20% off for MacBase members, System Monitoring, Apple silicon, works offline, macOS 15 Sequoia or later, in English, Spanish, French and 9 more languages, verified)
- [HeartbeatMac](https://macbase.app/apps/heartbeatmac): An Activity Monitor alternative that groups by app ($5, System Monitoring, Apple silicon, works offline, macOS 15 Sequoia or later, verified)
- [SwarmPane](https://macbase.app/apps/swarmpane): Run multiple AI coding agents side by side ($17/mo, Coding Agents, open source, 1 GitHub stars, Apple silicon, macOS 13 Ventura or later, verified)
- [Disk Census](https://macbase.app/apps/mac-disk-cleaner): Find and safely remove files wasting Mac storage ($3.99, Cleanup & Storage, Apple silicon, macOS 12 Monterey or later, in English, verified)
- [Room Service](https://macbase.app/apps/features): Command center for your developer Mac (Free, with paid features, Developer Tools, Apple silicon, macOS 14 Sonoma or later, in English, Spanish, French and 22 more languages, verified)