TripMode 3 is a redesigned, re-thought data saver for macOS Big Sur

By Oliver Haslam
published

Tripmode 3 Hero
Tripmode 3 Hero (Image credit: Alix)

What you need to know

  • TripMode 3 is available for download now.
  • The updated app required macOS Big Sur.
  • The new update includes a new traffic monitor, privacy insights, and more.

Apple might not be ready for macOS Big Sur just yet but TripMode 3 most certainly is. The newly updated TripMode requires macOS Big Sur to run but it's already available today, ready and waiting for the big day.

While the macOS Big Sur requirement is the first thing you notice about TripMode 3, there's a lot going on here beyond that. TripMode wants to make sure people have complete control over the data their Macs use when, as the name suggests, they're on a trip. If anyone's watched as Dropbox syncs a multi-gigabyte file while they're tethered to cellular data and watched their data disappear, they'll know why TripMode can be so helpful! Stopping apps from accessing the internet can come in so handy sometimes.

There are four main new features that arrive as part of TripMode 3, according to the press release put out by developer Alix.

  • The new Live Monitor allows TripMode 3 users to oversee the traffic of all apps in real time, making it easy to identify excessive or unexpected data transfers. The TripMode 3 window can be detached from the menu bar and moved around, to keep it on top at all times.
  • The all-new app inspector adds privacy insights, by revealing any data transfer activity from or to 3rd party servers, helping users block apps that interact with suspicious domains.
  • Historical reports, available when TripMode is turned off, allows users to instantly check how much data was used in total and per app in the past.
  • Advanced users can now also allow all newly detected apps to access the Internet, making TripMode 3 much more flexible for users who just need to block a few apps, and allow all the rest.
  • TripMode 3 is fully taking advantage of the speed, efficiency and design of Apple's newest Big Sur capabilities, including Network Extensions, SwiftUI. It has a revised design, powering TripMode's popular Profiles, Traffic limits, Scheduler, Hotspot auto-detection, and more.

Tripmode 3 Menu Bar

Tripmode 3 Menu Bar (Image credit: Alix)

That's all more than enough to pique my interest and I work from home all the time! If, when the world returns to some semblance of normal, you spend your time on the road, this app is for you.

You can download TripMode 3 now with a 7-day free trial available. after that it'll set you back a reasonable $15. Setapp subscribers can download it as part of their subscription, too.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.