About SSIDView
SSIDView scans for nearby WiFi networks and displays them in a sortable list, grouped by frequency band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) and channel. Signal strength is shown as a color-coded bar for every network.
The current connection panel at the top shows your connected network's SSID, BSSID, channel, security protocol, signal level, noise floor, link speed, IP address, and subnet mask.
Requirements
- Mac with a WiFi adapter
- Location Services permission (required by macOS for WiFi scanning)
SSIDView cannot be used on machines without WiFi hardware or in virtual machines that lack a physical WiFi interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does SSIDView ask for Location permission?
Apple requires all apps to have Location Services access before they can scan for WiFi networks. This is an operating system policy — SSIDView uses the permission solely to discover nearby networks. Your location is never tracked, stored, or transmitted anywhere.
No networks are showing up
The most common cause is a missing or denied Location Services permission. To check:
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services
- Make sure Location Services is turned on
- Find SSIDView in the list and set it to While Using
- Restart SSIDView
The network list is empty but I can connect to WiFi normally
Scanning for networks is a separate OS operation from connecting. Check that:
- Location Services permission is granted (see above)
- Your Mac's WiFi is turned on in Control Center
- You are not in Airplane mode
My own network is not shown as "connected"
The connected-network indicator matches by BSSID (the access point's hardware address). If your router uses the same SSID across multiple access points (e.g. a mesh network), SSIDView highlights only the specific access point your Mac is currently associated with.
Some nearby networks are missing
macOS controls which networks appear in scan results. Hidden networks (those that don't broadcast an SSID) are filtered out. Networks on the 6 GHz band may not appear on older hardware that does not support Wi-Fi 6E.
How often does SSIDView refresh the network list?
SSIDView performs a new scan automatically every 5 seconds. The spinning indicator in the toolbar shows when a scan is in progress.
Contact
If you have a question not covered above, or if you found a bug, please get in touch by email.
support@winkint.com