Guide
A Mac menu bar app for AI coding agents: what to look for
More developers now run Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or Antigravity side by side, and a small set of tools has appeared to watch them. Whatever you choose, these are the questions worth asking. Below, each one is answered for Herdbell, including where it falls short.
The checklist
| Question to ask | Herdbell |
|---|---|
| Does it cover every agent I use? | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Antigravity |
| Can it answer, or only notify? | Allow or deny and reply for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor; for Antigravity it shows requests and replies, and you approve in Antigravity |
| Is it private? | Everything stays on your Mac. No account, and it never calls an AI model |
| Is it light? | A native Mac app, about 1% of a CPU core when idle in our testing |
| Can I undo it? | It backs up each agent's settings first, and disconnecting removes only its own hooks |
| Is it keyboard-first? | A shortcut opens it at your cursor; Return allows, D denies |
| What does it cost? | One payment, lifetime updates, 7-day money-back guarantee |
Where Herdbell has limits
- It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- Antigravity approvals happen in Antigravity, not in Herdbell.
- Cursor and Antigravity chats cannot be stopped from outside, so there is no Stop button for them.
- It can only answer what an agent asks it through its hooks.
Related ideas
Whatever tool you pick, the safest setup keeps permission prompts on and makes answering them fast. See the safety checklist.
Common questions
Is Herdbell an AI assistant?
No. It does not write code or call an AI model. It watches your agents and lets you answer them from anywhere.
Does it work on Windows or Linux?
No. Herdbell is a Mac app and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.