Switch paired devices
See the devices paired to the headphones and connect, disconnect, or switch them from the menu bar.
Free & open source · macOS 14+
Your Bose headphones,
in the menu bar.
Switch the devices connected to your QuietComfort headphones, bring the Mac’s audio online, and check battery, modes, and EQ — without reaching for the phone app.
Apple Silicon & Intel · No account · No cloud
What it does
Multipoint, finally on the Mac.
Bose only offers device management in its phone app. BoseBuddy puts the same controls in your menu bar.
Mac audio on demand
Connect audio brings this Mac online as an audio device without dropping the other connection.
Battery, modes, EQ
Battery and charging state, Quiet / Aware modes, multipoint, and a 3-band EQ where the headphones support it.
Private by design
No account, no cloud, no telemetry. Everything happens between the Mac and the headphones over Bluetooth.
Native menu bar
A tiny status item with the battery percentage. Click it to manage everything; there is no dock icon or window.
Automatic switching
When both audio slots are full, the non-Mac device is dropped by default so the Mac keeps its connection. A chooser is optional.
Screenshots
Small, focused, out of the way.
Install
Two minutes, then it’s in your menu bar.
1
Download the DMG
Grab the latest release. It’s a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel.
2
Drag it to Applications
The build is ad-hoc signed, not notarized. On first launch, right-click BoseBuddy → Open, or use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
3
Connect and open it
Connect the headphones to this Mac from the headphones’ Bluetooth button or the Bose app, then open BoseBuddy. It attaches to that existing connection.
Gatekeeper tip: don’t click “Move to Trash.” If macOS still blocks it, run
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/BoseBuddy.app.
Compatibility
Built for QuietComfort.
Tested on Bose QC Headphones. The same BMAP protocol family drives QC Ultra, QC45, and NC700, so the core features should work.
- ✓ QC Headphones — tested
- ✓ QC Ultra / QC45 / NC700 — expected
- — Immersive Audio / wind block not exposed
- — One Bose headphone at a time
FAQ
Good to know.
Do I need to keep the Mac connected?
Yes. BoseBuddy uses the Mac’s existing Bluetooth connection, so the Mac must be one of the two connected devices. It attaches to that connection and never starts a new one just because you opened it.
Will it work with the QC Ultra?
Core features are expected to work because the QC Ultra uses the same protocol family. Model-specific extras like Immersive Audio aren’t exposed. If it doesn’t connect, the log at ~/Library/Logs/BoseBuddy.log will help.
Why does macOS warn when I open it?
The app is ad-hoc signed, not notarized. There’s no Apple Developer ID behind it. Right-click → Open once, or use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. The source is on GitHub.
Does it collect any data?
No. No networking, accounts, telemetry, or cloud. The only file it writes is a capped local log at ~/Library/Logs/BoseBuddy.log.
Is it free?
Yes, MIT licensed. If it’s useful, there’s an optional tip jar — you can always choose $0 and just download.
Support
Made by one person.
BoseBuddy is free and open source. If it saves you a trip to the phone app, you can buy me a coffee — completely optional.