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AppWrangler 1.0.0

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@IntarsO IntarsO released this 08 Oct 14:12
· 47 commits to main since this release
v1.0.0
43fafc1

The first release of AppWrangler: per-app CPU, efficiency-core and memory control for Apple Silicon Macs. It's a ground-up rewrite of AppPolice by Maksym Stefanchuk.

Highlights

  • 🪄 Auto mode (on by default).
    • The app you're using, and anything playing or recording audio, runs at full speed.
    • Other apps move to the efficiency cores 30 s after you leave them.
    • Only when your Mac is busy do background apps share the free CPU fairly.
    • No rules needed.
  • 🎛 Per-app rules:
    • CPU limits covering the app and all its helpers, held accurately by a real-time limiter;
    • efficiency cores only;
    • memory limits (notify, freeze, quit);
    • low-memory protection;
    • conditions (on battery, Low Power Mode, when hot, schedules).
  • 👀 Every running app and process, with a plain-language "what is this?" and whether it's safe to limit.
  • 📊 Impact statistics (last hour, today, 7 or 30 days):
    • CPU time and estimated energy saved;
    • what each app wanted vs. got;
    • AppWrangler's own cost.
  • 🤖 MCP server, so Claude Desktop, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex or your own agents can audit your Mac and suggest limits (AppWrangler mcp, with an optional --read-only mode).
  • ⌨️ Command line: appwrangler status | list | limit | stats | auto …
  • 🛟 Safe by design:
    • paused or E-core apps are restored if AppWrangler quits, crashes or is even kill -9'd (a watchdog process handles that last case);
    • macOS-critical processes are never touched;
    • no network access.

Measured on an M1:

  • The same workload on efficiency cores used 78% less energy (1.16 J vs 5.3 J), at about half the speed.
  • AppWrangler itself uses about 0.2–0.5% of one CPU core.

Install

  1. Download AppWrangler-1.0.0.zip below, unzip it, and move AppWrangler.app to Applications.
  2. The first time, right-click → Open. This build is signed but not notarized by Apple. If macOS only offers Move to Bin, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
  3. Click the lasso icon in the menu bar. See the Getting Started guide.

Or build it yourself with just the Xcode Command Line Tools: ./build.sh --install --run.

Requirements:

  • macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Apple Silicon.
  • Treating audio apps as "in use" needs macOS 14.2 or later.

Coming from AppPolice? Your saved limits are imported automatically.

Notes

  • Savings figures are estimates. Energy saved by efficiency cores uses a measured ≈4.5× P-core/E-core energy ratio, and real apps vary.
  • Full details are in the CHANGELOG and docs.

SHA-256 9959ffbb603584877317a750daac753a85c02132724fe7ba72b0c5b1f12bd7d3 AppWrangler-1.0.0.zip

AppWrangler is free software under the GNU GPL v2.

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