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 has no Dock icon by design — it’s menu-bar-only.

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 use PoRaBar offline?

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