Observed arrival · 2026-09-17
HostBar — Did you leave that override on?
A macOS menu bar app for temporary /etc/hosts overrides, expiry reminders, drift detection, and DNS-resolution diagnosis.
○Open
⊠Login
$Paid
†Ads
✦Pretty
●Pro
◎Niche
◉Human
⚑Risk
ƒJS
Field notes
HostBar keeps hostname overrides in profiles, writes them into a marked /etc/hosts block, and removes them when their expiry arrives, including after the Mac wakes from sleep. Its diagnostic panel compares the hosts-file line with macOS resolver behavior, VPN split-DNS scopes, individual DNS servers, and /etc/resolver files. The page states that profiles are plain JSON in Application Support and that the helper limits itself to the marked block plus an mDNSResponder refresh.
Observed signals
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Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
○OpenPublic substance visible
$PaidCommerce or pricing visible
✦PrettyNotable craft visible
●ProPolished or operationally mature
◎NicheUnusually specific use
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