FAQ
Answers before the next troubleshooting spiral
What does Breakdown monitor?
Breakdown monitors Wi-Fi/LAN, ISP path, DNS, and app health from your Mac so you can see where connection problems start. See how monitoring works.
What Macs does Breakdown support?
Breakdown currently supports macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. See download requirements.
What leaves my Mac?
Breakdown analyzes network metadata and health signals, not call audio/video, message contents, or document contents. With Community Outage Insights enabled, Breakdown shares anonymized network and service health to identify Regional and Widespread issues. Users can opt out at any time. See our privacy policy for details.
What are Community Outage Insights?
Breakdown compares detected App and Internet issues with anonymized health signals from other participating users. When it’s a broader issue, Breakdown shows a Regional or Widespread badge. The feature is included in Free and Pro and enabled by default. Turning it off stops your user contributions and removes your access to community results.
Why does Breakdown need administrator access?
Breakdown asks for administrator authorization during installation to install a signed background helper used for low-level network measurements and application identification. It does not install a VPN or proxy and does not inspect call audio, messages, documents, or encrypted payload contents. An uninstaller is included.
Why does Breakdown ask for Location permission?
On macOS, access to the current Wi-Fi network name is protected by Location Services. Breakdown uses this permission to recognize Wi-Fi network changes and keep measurements associated with the right local network. It does not use Core Location to collect or track your physical location. If you decline, Breakdown still runs, but its Wi-Fi network context may be less complete.
Do I need an account?
No account is required for standard local use. An account is used for paid Pro access and cloud-connected features that explicitly require it. If you choose to sign in, both Free and Pro accounts support up to 10 Macs. See pricing for Pro details.
Does Breakdown install a VPN or proxy?
No. Breakdown monitors network metadata and health signals from the Mac; it does not route traffic through a Breakdown VPN or proxy. Review installation details.
Can I uninstall Breakdown and its helper?
Yes. Breakdown includes an uninstaller that removes the app and its privileged network-monitoring helper. Get installation help if you need it.
Does Breakdown read calls, messages, or documents?
No. Breakdown monitors network metadata and health signals. It does not inspect call audio or video, message contents, documents, or encrypted payload contents. See the Privacy Policy for complete details.
Will Breakdown drain my battery or use a lot of CPU?
No. Breakdown is designed to run continuously in the background. In our tests, it typically uses 0.5-1% CPU when the dropdown is closed. CPU use can be higher while the UI is open because the app is actively rendering more data.
What changes with Pro?
Pro adds built-in network observability with full Details, Diagnostics, Explorer, Internet-path and ASN topology, extended local issue and graph history, advanced controls, pinned endpoints, and higher limits with smarter models for AI-powered Breakdown.
What is in an Evidence Report?
Evidence Reports summarize what happened, when it happened, and where Breakdown found the fault, so ISP, IT, and app support conversations start with proof.
How do I get help?
Email support@breakdown.live. For partnerships or other inquiries, email info@breakdown.live.