The popular Little Snitch utility for the Mac is out with a new version that includes Touch Bar support on new MacBook Pros, a redesigned Network Monitor, and much more.
Little Snitch is a specialized Mac app for monitoring and controlling which apps connect to the Internet and what data is being sent back and forth. Little Snitch 4 starts with an “overall modernized design of all UI components” and a redesigned Network Monitor with a new map view for seeing connections by location.
Here’s the rundown on the new Network Monitor:
- The new map view in Network Monitor shows realtime information about all current and past network connections and their geographic location. It provides powerful filtering and selection options helping to assess particular connections based on the server’s location.
- It’s now also possible to create and change rules with a single click right from within the Network Monitor. This is especially useful in conjunction with the new Silent Mode. You may run Silent Mode for a while, then later create rules for connections that occurred during that time (those connections are displayed with a blue Allow/Deny button).
- An application’s connections shown in the connection list are now displayed grouped by domain, making it easier to create rules that match an entire domain instead of just a single host. But it’s still possible to drill down to the host-level of each connection.
- The connection information is persisted across restarts of the application (i.e. logout/login or restarting the computer).
- While the Network Monitor window is open, the app has a Dock icon and it’s shown in the Command-Tab app switcher of macOS.
- A new “Since Timestamp” filter allows to temporarily clear the connection list, and to show only connections that occurred after the filter was turned on. The filter can be activated by choosing “Since Timestamp” from the filter menu in the search field, or by pressing Command-K.
- You can choose between a light and a dark appearance of the Network Monitor window. The desired appearance can be selected in the View > Appearance menu in the menu bar.
Little Snitch 4 also includes Research Assistant access from within the Network Monitor, Silent Mode integration, changes to priority rules, and preconfigured rules for macOS and iCloud services that will be maintained regularly.
Little Snitch 4 for macOS is available from $45 (or $25 for upgraders) with multi and family licenses available as well.