Guide/MetaServer/Menu Bar & System Tray

Menu Bar & System Tray

beginnerWhere MetaServer lives — Mac menu bar and Windows system tray — and the actions available from each.

MetaServer lives in your Mac's menu bar or Windows's system tray — the same role on both platforms, with slightly different menus reflecting each OS's conventions.

The menu bar icon reflects the current server state. Overlay indicators appear when there are errors, warnings, or permission issues that need attention.

Open / Close MetaServer

The first menu item toggles the MetaServer settings window. Click to open the window; click again to close it.

Devices

The devices section lists up to 3 connected iPads. Each device row shows:

A green status dot
The device name
A USB or Wi-Fi badge

If more than 3 devices are connected, a link appears to open the Status page for the full list. When no devices are connected, the section shows "No devices connected".

USB and Wi-Fi Status

Two rows show the current state of each transport:

Online (green dot) — the transport is active and accepting connections
Offline (gray dot) — the transport is inactive
Error (red dot) — the transport encountered a problem

Warnings

Conditional items appear when action is needed:

System Access Required — one or more permissions are missing. Click to open the System Access & Permissions page.
Update available — a new version of MetaServer is available. Click to open the update dialog.

Quit

Closes MetaServer. All connected devices are disconnected.

Windows — System Tray

MetaServer runs in the system tray (notification area) next to the clock. Right-click the icon to open the menu.

Tip: If the MetaServer icon is not visible in the system tray, click the ^ arrow in the notification area to expand hidden icons. You can also drag it back into the always-visible area for easier access.

Console

Opens the Console window showing real-time log output. See Logs & Console.

Setup

Opens the MetaServer Setup window with tabs for MIDI Ports, Files, Network, Settings, and Scene switch.

Status

Displays the current state of both connection transports:

Usb: Ok — USB is active and accepting connections
Net: Ok — Wi-Fi networking is active and accepting connections

If either transport shows an error, check your network connection or verify that Apple iTunes is installed (required for USB).

Version and Build

Shows the installed MetaServer version number and build number.

Exit