Your air conditioner, right in your Mac’s menu bar.
Turn it on, set the temperature and switch modes in one click — straight over your Wi-Fi, no cloud.
⬇️ Download for macOS · 🇧🇷 Leia em português
- One-click control from the menu bar: power, temperature, mode, fan speed, swing, turbo, sleep, IonAir, display and more — the same buttons as your remote.
- Fast and private: after setup, Chillbar talks to the air conditioner directly on your Wi-Fi. Commands are confirmed by the unit itself in about half a second.
- Always honest: shows Sending… until the air conditioner confirms, and warns you if it doesn’t.
- Knows your model: locks what your unit locks (for example, Auto mode keeps 25 °C on the Elgin Eco Inverter III).
- Time on and estimated energy use while it runs.
- Liquid Glass design on macOS 26, light and dark mode, English and Portuguese.
- Download
Chillbar.dmg, open it and drag Chillbar to Applications. - Open Chillbar. Because it isn’t notarized by Apple yet, macOS will block the first launch:
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway next to Chillbar.
- Or, in Terminal:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Chillbar.app
- When macOS asks, allow Local Network access — that’s how Chillbar reaches your air conditioner.
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later (Liquid Glass on macOS 26).
You only need your phone with the Smart Life app: App Store · Google Play
| 1. Add your air conditioner to Smart Life. If it’s in another app (like Elgin Smart), remove it there first, then reset its Wi-Fi (Elgin: press IONAIR 8× on the remote) and add it in Smart Life. |  |
| 2. Copy your user code. In Smart Life: Me → ⚙ → Account and Security → User Code. Paste it in Chillbar. |  |
| 3. Scan the QR code with Smart Life (Me → scan icon) and tap Confirm. Chillbar finds the air conditioner on your Wi-Fi and you’re done. |  |
The setup window opens by itself the first time. To run it again: menu bar icon → ⋯ → Set Up Air Conditioner…
Chillbar works with Wi-Fi air conditioners built on the Tuya platform that use the local protocol 3.3 — the same platform behind the Smart Life and Tuya Smart apps and many brand apps.
| Status | Air conditioner |
|---|---|
| ✅ Tested | Elgin Eco Inverter III Wi-Fi — 45HJFI12C2WF (12,000 BTU/h, cool only), app Elgin Smart, Wi-Fi module TYAUX-J2 |
| 🟡 Should work | Other Elgin Wi-Fi splits controlled by the Elgin Smart app (Eco Inverter II/III with TYAUX-J or TYAUX-J2 modules) and AUX-made Tuya air conditioners with the same data points |
| 🟡 Maybe | Other Tuya air conditioners (category Air conditioner in Smart Life). The connection works, but buttons may need a device profile |
| ❌ Not yet | Units using the Elgin Air / AC Freedom app (Broadlink module BLI206-P), Tuya devices on protocol 3.4/3.5, and infrared-only air conditioners |
Quick check: if your air conditioner works in the Smart Life app (or in a brand app that says Powered by Tuya), it’s very likely compatible. Tried another model? Open an issue and tell us — it helps everyone.
- Setup (once): Chillbar uses Tuya’s official device-sharing SDK — the same QR login Home Assistant uses — to fetch your air conditioner’s local key. No Tuya developer account needed.
- Every day: Chillbar talks to the unit directly on your network (TCP 6668, discovery on UDP 6667). Nothing goes through Chillbar servers — there aren’t any.
- Your key stays on your Mac, in the Keychain. It’s never shown, logged or sent anywhere else.
The QR login relies on Home Assistant’s public device-sharing registration, like other open-source tools. If Tuya ever restricts it, new setups would need a Tuya developer key; units you already set up keep working, because the key is saved on your Mac.
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| “Offline” | Make sure the Mac and the air conditioner are on the same Wi-Fi, and that Local Network is allowed in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network. |
| “The device didn’t confirm” | The unit may be out of reach or that function may not exist on your model. Try again or open an issue with your model. |
| Stopped working after re-pairing | Re-pairing in Smart Life changes the key. Run setup again: ⋯ → Set Up Air Conditioner… |
| Keychain prompt after an update | Click Always Allow (development builds are signed locally). |
Needs Swift 6 (Xcode 16+ or the Command Line Tools).
git clone https://github.com/ynxdeiv/chillbar.git
cd chillbar
scripts/test.sh # run the tests
scripts/build-app.sh # build/Chillbar.app
scripts/make-dmg.sh # build/Chillbar-<version>.dmg| Folder | What’s inside |
|---|---|
Sources/ACCore |
Air-conditioner model, mode rules, command validation, confirmation tracking |
Sources/ACTuya |
Tuya local protocol 3.3, network discovery, Smart Life QR login, device profiles |
Sources/ACApplication |
Controller and setup flow (no UI) |
Sources/ACInterface |
Menu bar popover, setup window, mascot and avatars (SwiftUI) |
Sources/ChillbarApp |
The app itself |
Each model is described by a small JSON file in Sources/ACTuya/Profiles: which data point is the power, the temperature, the modes, and what each mode allows. Copy the Elgin profile, adjust it for your unit and open a pull request — no Swift needed.
Made by deiv — GitHub · LinkedIn · X
Built on the shoulders of tinytuya, Tuya’s device-sharing SDK, tuya-local and Home Assistant. See third-party notices.
Chillbar is an independent project and is not affiliated with Elgin, Tuya, Smart Life or Apple. All trademarks belong to their owners.