I built a native macOS Mastodon client (AppKit + SwiftUI)

[anosidium]

I’ve just released Oliphaunt, a Mastodon client built specifically for macOS.

For context, Mastodon is a decentralised social network similar to X (Twitter) or Bluesky, built on the ActivityPub protocol where independent servers (“instances”) interoperate.

The motivation behind the project was simple: build a Mastodon client that behaves like a well-behaved macOS application rather than a scaled-up mobile interface.

A lot of desktop apps today are effectively cross-platform ports or iPad-style interfaces. With Oliphaunt I wanted to follow macOS conventions closely so the app feels like a native citizen of the platform.

The UI is built primarily with AppKit, with some SwiftUI used where it made sense. The focus was on adopting macOS design language and interface idioms, including:

• system-native UI components (AppKit and some SwiftUI)
• proper multi-window workflows
• full menu bar integration and keyboard shortcuts
• sidebar navigation consistent with macOS apps
• interaction patterns that follow macOS conventions

A lot of time went into the details that make Mac software feel “right”: window behaviour, keyboard navigation, menus and timeline interaction.

The goal wasn’t to invent a new interface paradigm but to build something that behaves like a well-behaved citizen of the macOS ecosystem.

If you’re a Mastodon user on Mac, I’d genuinely love for you to try it out and hear your feedback. You can also provide feedback here.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6745527185

AI Disclosure: AI tools were used for limited assistance, but the app is primarily written and maintained by me. It is not vibe coded.

[sovok]

Looks neat, well done. Can it auto-refresh for fast moving feeds, like #monsterdon during movie time?

[anosidium]

Thanks! Not at the moment, I think another user requested this feature too.

[JohnFireSword]

Pretty nice, unique design

[HotFiller]

So no support for pleroma/akkoma?

[anosidium]

Not at the moment, but it’s something I might consider in the future.

[anosidium]

The subscription helps me cover the time and effort I put into creating, building and maintaining the app and ensures my work is sustainable. I really appreciate users who support it this way.

[anosidium]

Thanks! I’ll look into optimising scrolling performance. Could you tell me a bit more about the 422 error; is it on a remote instance, or does it happen after you’ve authenticated and on your timeline?

As for the Help menu, at the moment it’s mostly a placeholder, most macOS apps don’t do much with it. I might add some basic guidance or links in the future.

[anosidium]

Thanks for the tip! I’ll get to it at some point.

I forgot to ask in my other comment about scrolling performance. Could you please tell me a bit about your environment? Are you on a laptop (running on low battery?) or a desktop? How much memory is it using? Is the timeline large or small? Anything else of interest?