RepoBar: Keep Your GitHub Repos in Your Menu Bar

If you're like me, you've got a dozen or so GitHub repos you check on daily. Maybe it's your own project that needs a quick PR review, or an open source library you're watching for new releases. Either way, bouncing between browser tabs or refreshing notifications can get old fast.

That's where RepoBar comes in. It's a tiny menu bar app that shows the status of your GitHub repos right in your Mac's menu bar. No browser, no terminal, just a glance.

What It Does

RepoBar lives in your macOS menu bar. After you configure it with a list of repos (either public or private, via a personal access token), it shows you:

• Open pull requests
• Open issues
• Unread notifications
• Recent activity

You can click any item to open it directly in your browser. It pulls data from the GitHub API and updates automatically, so you're always seeing the latest state.

Why It's Cool

It's not just a badge counter. RepoBar actually shows you what needs attention. Instead of a number, you see pull request titles or issue summaries. You can quickly decide if something is worth diving into.

Private repos work too. As long as your token has access, RepoBar can check private repos alongside public ones. That's huge for teams.

Zero configuration headache. Clone the repo, run it, point it at your repos. That's it.

Built with SwiftUI. The codebase is clean, modern, and lightweight. It doesn't hog resources or complicate your workflow.

How to Try It

1. Clone the repo:
   git clone https://github.com/steipete/RepoBar.git

2. Open the Xcode project. Build and run.

3. When the app appears in your menu bar, click it, then click "Settings" to add your repos.

4. For private repos, generate a GitHub personal access token (classic or fine-grained) with repo and notifications scopes. Paste it into RepoBar's settings.

5. Add repo full names (like steipete/RepoBar) and you're set.

That's literally all. No server, no background service, no subscription.

Final Thoughts

RepoBar is one of those tools that solves a small but real pain point. It doesn't try to be a full GitHub client. It doesn't try to replace your notifications. It just sits there and shows you what needs looking at, so you don't have to hunt for it.

If you're a developer who manages multiple repos, especially open source ones, give it a shot. It'll save you a few clicks every day, and those add up.

Follow @githubprojects for more developer tools and open source finds.