Mini Monitor
The floating Mini Monitor window, what its compact layout keeps, and the Show Network Monitor shortcut.
Mini Monitor is a small window titled Monitor. It shows the same live connection list as the Network Monitor. On macOS 15 and later it floats above other windows. On older macOS it is an ordinary window.
Opening it
Section titled “Opening it”- Right-click Network Monitor in the sidebar and choose Open Mini Monitor.
- Choose Firewall › Mini Monitor.
The sidebar has no Map row. A request that asks for the map lands on Network Monitor with the map shown.
The compact layout keeps the list and its controls. With Show Map on (it is on by default, and the main window shares that switch), the map sits above the list. The traffic chart is omitted, and so are the chart and map switches. The map itself hides its 2D/3D switch, style menu, location chip, zoom and compass. Turn the map off from the main window with View › Show Map. Close Mini Monitor like any window.
To keep the full Network Monitor above other windows instead, use View › Float Network Monitor on Top (⌥⌘F). See Float on Top.
The Show Network Monitor shortcut
Section titled “The Show Network Monitor shortcut”Settings › Monitor has a recorder labelled Show Network Monitor. It has no default: nothing happens until you record a shortcut there.
The shortcut fires when you release the keys, and it opens the Network Monitor in the main window, not Mini Monitor. The background agent watches it, so it works while the main window is closed. The agent re-reads the recording every 2 seconds. While Settings is open the shortcut is suspended, so the keys you are recording do not fire underneath you.