Profiles preferences
Use the profiles preferences to define how you want to use profiles and setup options for each individual one.
To display those preferences, click on TripMode’s icon in the menu bar, then click on the action button and choose Preferences then click on Profiles.
When to use Profiles
Profiles are useful when you want to have different settings for different connections. For example you might want to only enable an internet browser and email client while tethering but place less restrictions on a public WiFi while still blocking cloud synchronization to save bandwidth for a better browsing experience.
Metered connections users on cable or satellite may want to keep a restricted set of apps for daytime but allow only downloading apps for nighttime during the free, lower traffic period.
TripMode enables you to select a different set of applications called a profile depending on the current connection scheme. When enabled, profiles are created automatically for each seen connection and share their name with the connection. Blocking applications is done exactly the same as if you weren’t using profiles using the applications list in TripMode’s main window. The only difference is that this list will be saved and restored when you switch connections.
Advanced users who want more control or have specific needs can set TripMode so that it still uses profiles but does not switch them unless instructed to.
Usage selection
This dropdown menu enables you to choose how TripMode will use profiles.
No | TripMode won’t use profiles and the selected applications list will remain the same regardless of the network the computer is connected to. |
Automatically | TripMode creates a new profile with the same name as the network the first time the computer is connected to that service. Each profile has a specific application list that is used exclusively when the profile is active. The blocked and allowed applications can be selected in TripMode’s main window. |
Manually | For advanced users. TripMode will use the profile you manually specify in the main window. No automatic change will take place when connecting to different networks. |
When profiles are active (automatic or manual), the currently active profile name appears in the main window. In manual mode, this becomes a drop-down menu enabling you to select which profile to use.
Profiles list
This list shows all the available profiles with the active one if applicable having a green indicator. Those are either created automatically by TripMode when connecting to different networks (automatic mode) or you can add a new profile using the “+” button at the bottom of the list, the profile name must be different from existing profiles.
If you want to get rid of a profile, select it in the list and click on the “-“ button. Note that you cannot delete the currently active profile, you may have to switch to no profiles mode before attempting this.
To rename a profile, select it in the list and click the action button then rename. A sheet will appear enabling you to rename the profile. Note that in automatic mode, profiles are associated with a connection scheme by name so changing the name of a profile means that it won’t be selected anymore when the connection it was associated to becomes active.
Profile details
When a profile is selected on the left panel, its details are presented on the right in two tabs.
The Monitoring tab groups all settings related to data volume monitoring and limits :
Monitor traffic for this profile | Allows to set up a maximum traffic limit and notifications when reaching this limit as well as automatic reset options as detailed below. |
Show in selection menu | Manual selection mode only. Allows you to hide or show a profile in the main window drop-down menu. This helps you organize this menu by only keeping the profiles you want without deleting them from the list. |
Color | This is the color used to represent the profile in the scheduler preference pane. Choosing a color different from the default will make multiple profiles easier to discern in the weekly schedule view, especially when zoomed out. |
Traffic monitoring options become accessible after enabling the associated checkbox:
Limit | Enter a traffic limit in gigabytes or megabytes. This limit is observed for the reset period. Once this threshold is reached TripMode will send you a critical warning and lock down internet access for apps. Once this happens, you can still proceed by dismissing the warning panel that appears in the main window. |
Reset | Specify a period at which an automatic reset of the profile’s traffic must occur. Manually: no automatic reset occurs, use the button that appears beside the drop down to reset the count. Daily resets every day at midnight. Weekly resets every week at midnight on the first day of the week (depends on your locale). Monthly resets every first day of the month at midnight. Be aware that this means reset will occur on the 1st at 12:00am (early in the morning), not at 11:59:pm (late in the evening). |
Slider | Specify a threshold over which TripMode will send you a warning. |
When traffic monitoring is enabled for the current profile, TripMode displays a progress bar in its main window showing the amount of data used out of the alloted volume. Usage warning: As TripMode counts data when a given profile is used, some users with specific connectivity may experience differences between the displayed amount and what is reported by network providers. Learn more
The Applications tab lists all apps that are known in the profile and their associated state (enabled or not).
Contrary to the main window that aims at remaining uncluttered and thus hides applications that have not been active for more than one hour, this list is exhaustive and you can alter the state of any application by clicking on the checkbox in the same way as in the main window. Applications can be removed once selected with the ‘-‘ button. New applications can be added either by drag’n’drop or by clicking the ‘+’ button which will open a file selection dialog.
Important:
- The apps added by drag’n’drop or using the dialog are subjected to the same coalescing rules as when TripMode automatically adds one to the main window. When adding binaries or nested apps, you may not see the added file but its container (or even not notice any addition if the binary is classified as an essential System process). This is expected.
- Profiles keep the states of apps that have been seen by TripMode the last time said profile was active which means that a profile that has not been used either manually or automatically for a long time may not have all the applications listed in the main window. Applications not listed in a profile are given a default status depending on their role (Blocked by default, unless they are a System application, a web browser or a mail client)
- TripMode automatically cleans the profiles lists on quit, but manually added entries are given a special treatment : they are never removed unless the app does not exist anymore on the filesystem (after an uninstall for example)