CiteBar logo CiteBar

Native macOS Utility

Track Google Scholar citations without living in your browser.

CiteBar keeps citations, h-index, and i10-index in your menu bar with a local-first, lightweight workflow.

Download for macOS Install Guide
  • macOS 13.0+
  • Universal DMG (Intel + Apple Silicon)
  • No telemetry, local data only

Why Researchers Use CiteBar

Practical features, zero noise.

Live Menu Bar Metrics

See citations instantly in your menu bar without repeated browser refreshes.

Multi-Profile Support

Track multiple scholars, reorder profiles, and switch focus in one click.

Respectful & Reliable

Built-in pacing and resilient parsing keep updates stable over time.

Install

Quick install and first-launch fixes

Install in 4 steps

  1. Download the latest universal DMG (DMG is the only distribution format).
  2. Open the DMG and drag CiteBar.app into /Applications.
  3. Press Cmd + Space, open Terminal, then run:
  4. Launch CiteBar from Applications and add your Scholar user ID.

Terminal command

xattr -cr /Applications/CiteBar.app

Legacy upgrade rule: if you are on 1.3.x or 1.4.1, install the latest DMG manually once. After you are on 1.4.4+, automatic updates should work normally.

When macOS blocks launch

  • "CiteBar is damaged" usually means Gatekeeper quarantine, not actual corruption.
  • "Cannot verify developer": right-click CiteBar.app -> Open -> Open.
  • If needed, run sudo xattr -cr /Applications/CiteBar.app.
  • If it still fails, run sudo chmod -R 755 /Applications/CiteBar.app.
  • System requirement: macOS 13.0+ on Intel or Apple Silicon.
Open full distribution guide

FAQ

High-frequency install questions

Why does macOS say "CiteBar is damaged and can't be opened"?

This is usually a quarantine warning for non-notarized downloads. Run xattr -cr /Applications/CiteBar.app, then open the app again.

What if macOS says "Cannot verify developer"?

In Applications, right-click CiteBar.app, choose Open, then click Open in the dialog.

I am on 1.3.x or 1.4.1 and auto-update fails. What should I do?

Manually install the latest DMG once. After upgrading to 1.4.4+, in-app automatic updates should work normally.

Is there a standalone .app download?

No. CiteBar release assets are DMG installers only (universal for Intel + Apple Silicon).

Does CiteBar upload my citation history?

No. Settings and history are local on your Mac; telemetry and cloud tracking are not included.

Ready to track your academic impact in real time?

Download CiteBar