Changelog

Outbound 0.2

Development, not releasedBuilds 7–30

The 0.2 builds turned the first working filter into the app that became 1.0: a background agent that answers alerts with the window closed, the native alert, encrypted DNS, Settings in twelve tabs, Little Snitch rule import, snapshots before updates and the on-device assistant.

These were private development builds, never offered for download. Outbound 1.0.10 is the first version you can install. See what is new in 1.0.10 or download the current version.

New

  • A background agent that shows alerts and keeps rules in force while the main window is closed.
  • A native connection alert that explains who the program is and where it is connecting before you answer.
  • Encrypted DNS for the whole Mac over DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, with Quad9, Cloudflare, Google, NextDNS or your own server.
  • Import and export of Little Snitch .lsrules files and rule-group subscriptions.
  • Snapshots of rules and settings before each update, with Restore in Settings › General › Backup.
  • An on-device assistant that answers questions about your Mac’s traffic.
  • Icons and names for 712 websites and 228 command-line tools and system services.

Improved

  • Blocklists are stored compactly: 80,000 entries went from 64 MB to 2.2 MB, with an indexed matcher.
  • Much lower CPU use while the app sits idle, and a native toolbar in every window layout.
  • Settings grew to twelve tabs: General, Appearance, Alerts, Monitor, Notifications, Security, Trusted, Blocklists, Profiles, DNS, Updates and Advanced.

Fixed

  • Allow answers always take effect, and a decision about one app and one destination no longer asks for a password or Touch ID.
  • Switching from the compact window to the full window no longer crashes.
  • The window no longer overflows when the sidebar is dragged wider than its limit.

Build by build

  1. Build 30Answers that stick

    • Allow answers take effect even when an earlier answer is still waiting for approval.
    • No password or Touch ID for a decision about one app’s connection to one destination. Broad allows, looser modes, removed lists and turning protection off still ask.
    • Switching from Learn to Ask in the status pill works again; its question now appears inline.
    • The “Background agent is off” warning no longer flickers, and the sidebar toggle is back.
    • Fewer notifications: no notice for each unanswered connection. Notifications carry the app’s icon.
    • Smoother monitor chart and finer row meters.

  2. Build 29Snapshots before updates

    • Outbound saves your rules, settings and preferences before it installs an update and keeps the newest five, listed in Settings › General › Backup with Restore.
    • An update that leaves fewer rules than before raises an issue.
    • outboundctl blocklist update, outboundctl prefs list and outboundctl debug categories.

  3. Build 28Settings in twelve tabs

    • Encrypted DNS for the whole Mac (DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS), with exceptions, a lookup test and an event log.
    • An administrator lock for rule editing, profile switching and settings, plus a switch for outboundctl changes.
    • Compact or full alert details, Return and Escape to answer, and a reset for “Don’t Warn Again”.
    • A global keyboard shortcut to show the Network Monitor, and a choice of bits or bytes for data rates.
    • Notifications for profile changes, blocklist updates and a growing review list.

  4. Build 27Chat history and themes

    • Assistant conversations are kept, with New Chat (⇧⌘N) and a history list.
    • Six themes, four traffic colour pairs and a capsule-style traffic rate in the menu bar.

  5. Build 26Lighter on the Mac

    • A native toolbar in every window layout, and the mode picker in the status pill.
    • Much lower CPU use while the app sits idle.

  6. Build 25The assistant

    • An on-device assistant that answers questions about your traffic.
    • A smooth animation between the compact and full window.
    • Icons for 712 websites, with names, owners and categories, and identities for 228 command-line tools and system services.

  7. Builds 22–24A background agent

    • Alerts and rules run in a background agent, so they keep working when the main window is closed. The agent restarts itself after an update.
    • The new native connection alert, with what is known about the program and the destination.
    • Problems Outbound runs into are listed in the app instead of being dropped silently.
    • If the filter cannot read its settings at startup, it falls back to the last good copy and reports it, rather than starting with defaults.
    • The map is brighter and shows live and idle connections in different colours; traffic is sampled every 2 seconds.
    • A notification when a change is waiting for your approval, and Touch ID prompts no longer collide.
    • Allow replaces an identical Deny rule, and your own rules outrank the trusted Apple rules by default.

  8. Build 21Live traffic

    • The Network Monitor’s traffic bars, chart and totals update continuously.
    • The window no longer overflows when the sidebar is dragged wider than its limit.
    • Connections can be listed in live order, newest first.

  9. Build 20Compact window fixes

    • The compact window keeps its status shield and Full Window button.
    • Connection counts moved out of the title bar, so they no longer run over the map.
    • Switching from the compact window to the full window no longer crashes.

  10. Builds 13–19Rules you can read

    • Rules shown as sentences, network profiles, connection history and hidden connections.
    • Import and export of Little Snitch .lsrules files and rule-group subscriptions.
    • A decision trace that shows which rule decided a connection, also as outboundctl explain.
    • Compact blocklists: 80,000 entries went from 64 MB to 2.2 MB.
    • A flag for connections to a country an app has not reached before.
    • Automatic updates, signed and notarized.

  11. Builds 11–12Icons and the menu bar meter

    • Website and app icons in connection rows, alerts, the inspector and rules.
    • A live traffic meter and totals in the menu bar, and a compact window.
    • Optional, opt-in usage statistics in Settings › Privacy, limited to a fixed list of events.
    • Fixed a hang at launch caused by the menu bar meter.

  12. Builds 7–10One window

    • An integrated main window with the connection list, map and inspector together.
    • A redesigned decision panel and a review list for connections that timed out.
    • Live traffic and map data, and a widget.
    • Unblock protection: a change that loosens your rules waits for your approval.
    • Code-signature checks on the program behind each connection.