Getting Started
Keep RepoGo Host Available in the Menu Bar
RepoGo Host is a menu bar app: while it is running, its icon appears at the top of your screen instead of in the Dock. It keeps your Mac connected to RepoGo so your phone can start agents, use the terminal, read and edit files, and open your dev server in the project browser.
For the most reliable remote access, let RepoGo Host open when you sign in and allow its background activity. On a Mac laptop, we also recommend enabling network wake.
Turn on the recommended settings#
First, move RepoGo Host to your Applications folder and open it once. On first launch, macOS may notify you that RepoGo added background items and may open System Settings for approval. This is a macOS security control for software that starts automatically or uses a system helper.
- Open Apple menu → System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions.
- Under Open at Login, confirm that RepoGo Host appears in the list. This starts the menu bar app after you sign in to your Mac. If it is missing, click the + button, select RepoGo Host from Applications, and click Add.
- Under App Background Activity, turn on RepoGo Host. On some macOS versions, this section is named Allow in Background.
- Approve with Touch ID or an administrator password if macOS asks.
- Open RepoGo Host again, sign in if needed, then click its menu bar icon and confirm that it says Connected.
Apple explains both controls in its Login Items & Extensions guide.
Recommended: turn on Wake for network access#
If your Mac does fall asleep, RepoGo sends it a wake request the next time you start work from your phone. Enabling network wake gives macOS more opportunities to receive that request. It is a best-effort system feature—not a guarantee that a sleeping Mac will always be reachable.
- Mac laptop: open System Settings → Battery → Options, then set Wake for network access to Only on Power Adapter or Always.
- Mac desktop: open System Settings → Energy, then turn on Wake for network access.
Apple documents the available controls in Share your Mac resources when it’s in sleep.
How RepoGo keeps your Mac reachable#
While you are signed in and the menu bar icon says Connected, RepoGo Host keeps your Mac awake so your phone can always reach it. With background activity approved, this includes keeping a Mac laptop awake with the lid closed—on power or on battery.
Normal macOS sleep behavior returns as soon as you sign out of RepoGo Host or quit it.
macOS always keeps the final say. RepoGo steps aside, and your Mac becomes unavailable, when:
- you choose Sleep from the Apple menu, log out, restart, or shut down;
- the battery runs low enough that macOS protects itself;
- the Mac gets too hot—RepoGo stops keeping it awake until it cools down;
- the Mac loses power or its network connection.
A Mac that is fully asleep is not running RepoGo Host or your agents. Reachability comes from staying awake, or from waking back up—never from working "during" sleep.
What each setting controls#
| Setting | If it is on | If it is off |
|---|---|---|
| Open at Login | RepoGo Host returns to the menu bar after you sign in to your Mac. | You must open RepoGo Host manually after a restart or sign-in. |
| App Background Activity | RepoGo's approved helper can keep the Mac awake through a closed laptop lid while you are signed in. | RepoGo still works while the Mac is awake and the lid is open, but closing the lid puts the Mac to sleep and interrupts work. |
| Wake for network access | macOS may wake a sleeping Mac when RepoGo sends it work. | A sleeping Mac generally stays unavailable until something else wakes it. |
What to expect#
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Signed in and Connected | Your Mac stays awake and reachable from your phone, even if you step away. The app has no Dock icon or main window. |
| You close the laptop lid | With background activity approved, the Mac stays awake and work continues. A closed laptop runs warmer—keep it somewhere with airflow. |
| Closed lid on battery | The Mac keeps running and the battery keeps draining until macOS's low-battery protection steps in. Plug in for long unattended sessions. |
| The Mac gets too hot | RepoGo suspends its keep-awake until the Mac cools down, and it may go to sleep. |
| You choose Sleep, log out, or shut down | Always respected. The Mac is unavailable until it wakes and RepoGo Host is running again. |
| You sign out of RepoGo Host or quit it | Normal macOS sleep settings take over within a few minutes. |
| The Mac is asleep and you start work from your phone | RepoGo sends a wake request. If the Mac wakes and reconnects, it stays awake for your work; if not, the app tells you the Mac didn't respond. |
| The Mac restarts (update or power loss) | It is unavailable until someone logs in on the Mac. With FileVault, login items cannot start before you unlock the Mac. |
Best setups for unattended use#
From most to least reliable:
- A Mac desktop on Ethernet and power, left awake.
- A Mac laptop on power using Apple's supported closed-display setup (power + external display + keyboard/mouse).
- A Mac laptop signed in to RepoGo Host with background activity approved, on power.
- The same on battery—works, but battery and heat set the limit.
- A sleeping Mac with Wake for network access—best effort only.
The menu bar app must remain open#
The App Background Activity switch does not replace RepoGo Host itself. If you choose Quit RepoGo Host from its menu, sign out of macOS, shut down the Mac, lose network access, or run out of battery, the Mac is unavailable to RepoGo regardless of these settings.
Closing the RepoGo menu is fine—it only closes the popover. The Host is still running as long as its menu bar icon is present.
Troubleshooting#
RepoGo Host is not listed in System Settings#
Make sure the app is in Applications, then open it once. Return to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions and look again.
If the app is missing only from Open at Login, click the + button below that list and add RepoGo Host from Applications.
The settings are on, but my Mac still sleeps when I close the lid#
- Open RepoGo Host's menu and confirm you are signed in and it says Connected—the Mac is only kept awake while connected.
- Confirm App Background Activity is on for RepoGo Host in Login Items & Extensions, then quit and reopen RepoGo Host once.
- Check the battery: low battery or heat makes RepoGo step aside on purpose.
- If it still sleeps, the helper may need to be re-approved—toggle App Background Activity off and on, approving when asked.
My Mac shows offline on my phone#
- Look for the RepoGo Host icon in the menu bar.
- Open it and confirm that you are signed in and the status says Connected.
- Confirm that the Mac is awake and online.
- For a sleeping Mac, check Wake for network access using the steps above, then try starting your work again—RepoGo retries the wake each time.
- After a restart or macOS update, log in on the Mac once so RepoGo Host can start.
macOS will not let me enable the item#
The background helper requires administrator approval. On a work- or school-managed Mac, your organization may restrict login items or background services; contact your administrator if the switch is locked or the approval is denied.