Need help touching down? — Air Traffic Control

Get started

Air Traffic Control is a menu bar app for macOS Sonoma 14 or later. Open its menu at the top of your screen to access Settings.

In Settings → General, enable web routing, email routing, or both. Set ATC as the default handler for the enabled link types.
In Contexts, create a context such as Work or Personal and choose its browser and email destination.
Select a context from the menu bar. Open a test link to check that it reaches the destination you chose.

Keep only one installed copy of ATC running. No ATC account or sign-in is required.

Set up Chrome profiles

Chrome profile routing needs a one-time setup on each Mac. Ordinary browser routing does not require the Chrome helper.

Open Settings → Chrome Profiles → Choose Profile File.
Select Local State inside ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome.
Click Set Up Chrome Helper, then Save Helper in the preselected location.
Use Test Link beside each profile and confirm the intended Chrome profile opens.
Select that profile in Contexts or Exceptions.

The helper runs outside the app’s sandbox and passes your selected profile and web link to Chrome. You explicitly install it through the macOS Save dialog.

If profile access is lost, choose Local State again. If the helper is missing or altered, repeat its setup. These permissions and the helper stay on each Mac, even when settings sync is enabled.

Safari can be chosen as a browser, but ATC cannot target its individual profiles. Profile targeting in other browsers is experimental.

Focus, schedules, and sync

To switch contexts with Focus, add the Air Traffic Control Focus Filter in System Settings → Focus and choose a context. Check the active context in ATC’s menu bar menu when changing Focus. You can also set time windows for your contexts.

Optional iCloud settings sync requires the same Apple Account on your Macs. A browser or mail destination available on one Mac may need to be installed on the other. Chrome access and its helper must be set up separately.

Common questions

Why doesn’t a link reach ATC?

Check the default handlers in Settings → General and make sure the relevant routing feature is enabled. Some apps use an embedded browser or select their own browser instead of the system default.

How do I send one website to a different browser?

Add a domain exception in Settings → Exceptions. You can also add an exception for links sent by a particular source app.

How do I stop routing links through ATC?

Turn off the relevant feature in Settings → General and use the handoff control to return that link type to your chosen app. Keep at least one routing feature enabled. To stop all routing, return both defaults through macOS settings, then quit ATC.

Does ATC sync my recent links?

No. The five most recent routed links are held in memory for rerouting and cleared when ATC exits. They do not sync through iCloud.

Contact support

Email support is coming soon at [email protected]. The mailbox is being set up ahead of launch.

If you’re testing ATC through TestFlight, you can send feedback from TestFlight now.

When reporting a problem, include your macOS version, ATC version/build, browser version, and the steps to reproduce it. Use example.com test links and remove confidential URLs, email contents, and account details from screenshots.