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NetworkSpectator: Open-Source Network Monitoring Tool for iOS & macOS

Swift IOS MacOS Networking SwiftUI
Table of Contents

Introducing NetworkSpectator
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I’m excited to share NetworkSpectator - a lightweight, completely free and open-source Swift library that brings network monitoring and intercepting capabilities to your iOS and macOS apps.

Why I Built This
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After years of iOS development, I found myself repeatedly solving the same problems:

  • Debugging API responses during development
  • Testing different scenarios without backend changes
  • Sharing network logs with QA teams
  • Enabling testers to validate business logic independently

Features
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Real-Time Network Monitoring
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Watch every HTTP request and response as it happens:

  • Complete request/response details (URL, method, headers, body)
  • Response times and status codes
  • Beautiful SwiftUI interface for both iOS and macOS
  • Analytics dashboard with visual charts for HTTP methods, status codes, and host distribution

Smart Filtering & Search
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Find what you need instantly:

  • Filter by HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
  • Filter by status code (2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 5xx)
  • Search requests by URL
  • Clean interface that works seamlessly on both platforms

Export in Multiple Formats
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Share logs however your team prefers:

  • CSV - Good for spreadsheet analysis
  • Plain Text - Simple format for quick sharing
  • Postman Collection - Import directly into Postman for API testing

Mocking System
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Test any scenario without backend changes:

Programmatic Mocking - Add mocks in code for reliable unit tests

UI-Based Mocking - Let QA testers create and edit mocks directly from the UI, without Xcode or developer intervention. This means:

  • Testers can validate business logic independently
  • Faster iteration on edge cases
  • Perfect for offline development

Skip Logging for Sensitive Requests
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Keep logs clean and secure:

  • Define skip rules programmatically or via UI
  • Exclude sensitive or irrelevant requests
  • Edit rules on the fly without code changes

Built with Modern Swift
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Being passionate about modern Swift, I built NetworkSpectator using the latest Apple technologies:

  • SwiftUI for native, declarative UI on iOS and macOS
  • Structured Concurrency (async/await) for safe networking code
  • Swift 6
  • Tested using Apple’s new Testing framework
  • No dependencies - pure, maintainable Swift code

Why Choose NetworkSpectator?
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🟢 Free & Open Source
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The full source code is available under the MIT license.

🟢 No External Dependencies
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Pure Swift. No third-party SDKs to manage.

🟢 Works with SwiftUI and UIKit/AppKit
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Whether you’re building modern SwiftUI apps or maintaining UIKit/AppKit projects, NetworkSpectator integrates seamlessly.

🟢 Empowers Your Entire Team
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Not just for developers:

  • QA engineers can inspect requests and create mocks via UI
  • Product managers can see actual API responses
  • Backend teams can reproduce issues with exported logs

For Developers
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  • Debug API integration issues in real-time
  • Test scenarios with mocks
  • Share detailed logs with backend teams
  • Develop features without backend deployment
  • Write unit tests for services using mocks without actually making a network request

For QA Engineers
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  • Create test scenarios independently via UI mocking
  • Export logs as evidence for bug reports
  • Validate business logic across different API responses
  • No Xcode or coding knowledge required

Get Started Today
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Installation
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Add NetworkSpectator via Swift Package Manager:

https://github.com/Pankajbawane/NetworkSpectator.git

One-Line Setup
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Add NetworkSpectator via Swift Package Manager and initialize it:

import NetworkSpectator

@main
struct MyApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .task {
                    #if DEBUG
                    NetworkSpectator.start()
                    #endif
                }
        }
    }
}

That’s it. One line of code, and you’re monitoring all HTTP traffic in your app.

Example Project
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Check out the example app to see it in action: NetworkSpectatorExample

Links#

What’s Next?
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I’m actively developing NetworkSpectator. If you find it useful, consider:

  • ⭐ Starring the repo on GitHub
  • 📣 Sharing it with fellow developers
  • 🐛 Reporting issues or suggesting features

Happy coding! 🚀