Bambu Bar

Bambu Bar is a free, open-source macOS menu bar app for people who use Bambu Lab 3D printers. It keeps the current print at a glance on the Mac, instead of requiring a trip to the slicer or a phone app just to see whether a job is progressing. The menu bar icon fills as the print progresses, with time left and the expected finish time available at a glance. Bambu Bar is made for the moments between starting a print and returning to it: quickly checking progress, filament, temperatures, or a live view without leaving the Mac workflow.

Opening the app brings up printer details in one place. Users can see temperatures, AMS spools with colour, material, and grams left, and a live camera feed. The app also includes a 3D model of the printer that prints along in the filament's colour. Desktop widgets provide a countdown view, while notifications report when a print finishes, fails, or runs out of filament. When something goes wrong, the alert explains the error in plain words, making the notification more useful than a generic failure message.

Bambu Bar can also send print controls over the local network. In LAN Only mode, users can pause, resume, stop, change speed, and control the chamber light. The app communicates directly with the printer on the local network, similar to the slicer's LAN mode. It does not require an account, does not use the cloud, and collects nothing. That local-first approach is central to the product: printer information and controls stay on the network rather than depending on an online account.

Compatibility includes the P2S, P1S, P1P, X1 Carbon, X1E, A1, A1 mini, and the H2 family. Bambu Bar is a macOS app, runs under 1% CPU, and supports 18 languages. The project is open source under the MIT license, so the source is available on GitHub. The app is free; an optional one-time supporter license is available for $9.99. The supporter option is not required to use the app. The Mac App Store version is coming, with Windows and Linux planned next.

Bambu Bar is an independent project and is not affiliated with Bambu Lab. It is designed as a lightweight companion for owners who want printer status where they already work: in the Mac menu bar, in a desktop widget, or in a timely notification. Whether the need is to check a remaining time, inspect an AMS spool, glance at the live camera, or respond to a failed print, the goal is to keep useful printer information close at hand without cloud services or account setup.

The app brings together information that would otherwise be checked in separate places. A single glance can show progress and time remaining; opening the menu offers a closer look at temperatures, camera, and filament. Widgets offer another way to keep the countdown visible on the desktop, and alerts can let the maker know when a print is complete or needs attention. Bambu Bar is built around these practical checks rather than an account-based service. It helps Mac users keep their printer status nearby while they work, while all connections remain local to the printer network. The free MIT-licensed project can be explored and reviewed through its GitHub repository.