Free and optional, part of System Status Monitor for Mac

Temperatures, fans & power in System Status Monitor

Turn on CPU, GPU, SSD and battery temperatures, fan speeds and power draw in System Status Monitor on your Mac. The App Store sandbox does not let the app read hardware sensors, so a small, optional Helper reads them for it.

Download Helper
Version 1.0 macOS 13 or later · Apple silicon & Intel
Signed & notarized by Apple No administrator password Read-only

Needs System Status Monitor for Mac. Get the app first if you do not have it yet.

What the Helper adds

The sensors the sandbox keeps out of reach

Install it once and the readings appear right inside System Status Monitor, next to everything the app already shows.

Temperatures

CPU, GPU, SSD and battery temperatures from your Mac's own sensors, so you can see what is actually running hot.

Fan speeds

How fast each fan is spinning, in rpm, and where that sits between its minimum and maximum speed.

Power draw

How many watts your Mac is drawing right now, where the Mac reports it.

In System Status Monitor Without With Helper
Thermal State Shown Shown
Temperature Sensors section Hidden Shown
Temperature tile Hidden Shown
Battery temperature Hidden Shown
Fan speeds and power draw Not available Shown

Everything else in the app, Thermal State included, works without the Helper. It is entirely optional.

Install

Up and running in a minute

A standard macOS installer package. It installs for your user account only, so Installer asks for no administrator password, and there is nothing to restart.

macOS may tell you a background item was added. That is the Helper: in System Settings it is listed under System Status Monitor in Login Items, not as an item of its own.

  1. Download the installer

    Click Download Helper to get SystemStatusMonitorHelper.pkg.

  2. Open it and follow Installer

    Double-click the package in Downloads and click through the screens. It goes into your home folder and needs no password.

  3. Open System Status Monitor

    Temperatures, fan speeds and power draw appear within a few seconds. If the app was already open, they show up on their own.

  4. Not showing yet?

    Scroll to the Helper card in the app and click Check Again. When it is working, the card says Active · version 1.0.

Update or reinstall

Same download, every time

The Helper card in the app shows Update Helper… when a newer version is out, and Reinstall… when yours is current. Both open this page.

Download the installer above and run it again. It stops the running Helper and installs the new version over the old one. There is nothing to remove first and no settings to lose.

If the card says the Helper needs a newer System Status Monitor, update the app from the Mac App Store instead.

Uninstall

Two clicks, no password

Open System Status Monitor, scroll to the Helper card, click Uninstall… and confirm.

The Helper removes its own files and its background registration. Temperatures, fan speeds and power draw disappear from the app, and you can install the Helper again at any time.

If uninstalling ever fails, install the Helper again from this page, then click Uninstall… once more.

Trust & safety

Small, signed and strictly read-only

A helper that runs outside the sandbox should be easy to trust. Here is exactly what it is and what it does.

Signed and notarized

The installer is signed with our Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so macOS checks it before anything is installed.

Only reads sensors

It reads temperatures, fan speeds and power, and changes nothing on your Mac. It does not control fans or any other setting.

Never runs as root

A per-user background agent (LaunchAgent) that runs under your own account, installed into your home folder rather than the system.

Talks only to the app

The Helper answers only to System Status Monitor, and the app accepts data only from the Helper. Each checks the other's code signature.

Runs only when needed

macOS starts it when System Status Monitor asks for readings, and it quits on its own shortly after the app closes. It sends nothing over the network.

Two items, both yours

Everything it installs lives in your home folder:

~/Library/Application Support/org.secure-software.systemstatusmonitor.helper/ ~/Library/LaunchAgents/org.secure-software.systemstatusmonitor.helper.plist

See what your Mac is really doing

Free, optional and removable at any time. One download for new installs, updates and reinstalls.

Download Helper
Version 1.0 macOS 13 or later

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the Helper?

Only if you want temperatures, fan speeds and power draw. Everything else in System Status Monitor, Thermal State included, works without it.

Is the Helper free?

Yes. It is a free companion for System Status Monitor for Mac, downloaded from this page rather than the App Store.

Which Macs does it run on?

Macs with macOS 13 or later, both Apple silicon and Intel. You also need System Status Monitor from the Mac App Store.

Does it need an administrator password?

No. It installs for your user account only, into your home folder, and runs without root. Uninstalling from the app needs no password either.