Blinken
A macOS menubar utility for a disk read/write LED light
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What is Blinken?
Blinken is a macOS menubar utility that brings back the classic disk activity LED light to your Mac's menu bar. Modern Macs no longer include a physical disk activity LED, and Blinken fills this void by displaying a visual indicator that flashes whenever your hard disk is being read from or written to.
The tool displays an old-school LED light in your menu bar that shows real-time disk read/write activity, along with a memory swap indicator. This helps users quickly understand when their disk is busy, overloaded, or idle, providing immediate visual feedback about disk performance and system responsiveness.
Blinken is completely free and open source, created by Marc Hoag of Axiomic, LLC in just four hours during a flight. Users can either download the pre-built DMG file for instant use or fork the repository to build it themselves or contribute to its development.
This utility is specifically designed for macOS users who miss the traditional disk activity LED found on older computers, developers who want to monitor disk I/O patterns, system administrators troubleshooting performance issues, and anyone curious about their Mac's disk activity in real-time.
The app provides a simple, unobtrusive presence in the menu bar that requires no configuration to start using, making disk activity monitoring accessible to users of all technical levels.
Blinken pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Blinken is completely free and open source. Users can download the DMG file at no cost from the website, or fork the repository to build it themselves. There are no paid plans, premium tiers, or hidden costs.
Blinken pros
- Completely free to download and use
- Open source - can fork and modify the code
- Lightweight menubar utility with minimal resource usage
- Shows real-time disk read/write activity
- Includes memory swap indicator alongside disk activity
- No configuration needed - works out of the box
- Simple old-school LED visual design
- Downloadable DMG file for easy installation
- Created in just 4 hours - lightweight and focused
- Helps identify when disk is busy or idle
- Useful for troubleshooting system performance issues
- Unobtrusive menubar presence
- Accessible to technical and non-technical users
- Repository available for community contributions
- First macOS menubar utility by creator - fresh perspective
Blinken cons
- macOS only - not available for Windows or Linux
- No customization options mentioned for LED colors
- Limited to disk and swap activity only
- No historical data or activity logging
- No alerts or notifications for high disk activity
- No detailed statistics or metrics display
- Only shows binary activity (on/off) not intensity
- No removable device monitoring option mentioned
Frequently asked questions about Blinken
What is Blinken?
Blinken is a macOS menubar utility that displays a classic disk activity LED light in your menu bar, showing real-time hard disk read/write activity along with a memory swap indicator. It brings back the old-school LED that modern Macs no longer have physically.
Is Blinken free?
Yes, Blinken is completely free to download and use. There are no paid plans, subscriptions, or premium features. The tool is also open source.
How do I install Blinken?
You can download the pre-built DMG file directly from the website for easy installation, or fork the repository and build it yourself if you prefer to compile from source.
What does the LED indicate?
The LED flashes whenever your hard disk is being read from or written to. It also includes a separate indicator for memory swap activity, helping you visualize disk I/O patterns in real-time.
Does Blinken work on all Macs?
Blinken is designed for macOS. It works on Macs that no longer have a physical disk activity LED, providing a software-based alternative in the menu bar.
Is Blinken open source?
Yes, Blinken is completely open source. You can fork the repository, modify the code, contribute improvements, or build your own version from the source code.
Who created Blinken?
Blinken was created by Marc Hoag from Axiomic, LLC. He built it during a 4-hour flight home, making it his very first macOS menubar utility.
Can I customize the LED appearance?
The current version provides a simple old-school LED design. Specific customization options for colors or appearance are not mentioned in the available information.
Does Blinken show disk activity intensity?
Blinken shows disk read/write activity as a visual LED indicator that flashes when activity occurs. It provides binary activity indication rather than detailed intensity metrics.
Why would I need Blinken?
Blinken is useful for developers monitoring disk I/O patterns, system administrators troubleshooting performance issues, or anyone who misses the physical disk LED on older computers and wants to visualize when their Mac's disk is busy, overloaded, or idle.