Albert's Life
Somewhere out there, Albert is still flying.
Albert's Life brings a wandering albatross to your Mac's menu bar. Follow his quiet route around the world, see how far away he is, and get a gentle alert when he passes near you.
Purchase includes a license key for up to 2 Macs. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
The bird behind the app
Albert's True Story
Do you know about black-browed albatrosses? These birds, which have several known subspecies, reside in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica.
As you might guess, nature is deeply faithful to its own laws: the migratory routes of birds and whales, the food chains, and so on.
Yet one black-browed albatross, by what scientists describe as "accident" but whose true cause we cannot know, crossed the equator and became stranded in the North Atlantic. This happened in the 1960s, and from there the story takes a dramatic turn.
This albatross, later named Albert, could not find a mate, because there are no albatrosses in the North Atlantic.
The melancholy story of Albert, who was left alone in the archipelagos north of Scotland, is genuinely moving.
Albert, who was loyal to his species, showed no interest in other birds. He was looking only for another albatross.
Sadly, scientists believe that Albert died alone.
One bird. One route.
A shared little world
Albert follows a fixed route inspired by wandering albatross migration, with a quiet Mediterranean tour woven in.
He will not fly over every city. That is part of the charm: Albert is not personalized content. He is one shared character, seen by every user in the same moment.
Not another productivity app.
Albert is a small reason to look up from the workday and remember that something is moving across the world.
What Albert does
Quiet features for a quiet companion.
Lives in your menu bar
Albert stays quiet until you want to peek. No Dock icon, no window clutter.
Distance at a glance
See how far Albert is from you, with local units and a calm, glanceable popup.
Gentle proximity alerts
Get notified when Albert passes nearby, with a custom albatross sound.
Missed-pass catch-up
If you were offline, Albert catches up and records flyovers you missed.
Private by design
Your location never leaves your Mac. Distance math happens locally.
14 languages
Albert speaks English, Turkish, German, French, Japanese, and more.
Auto-updates
Future versions arrive through a secure, developer-signed update channel.
One-time $5 license
No subscription. Activate your license key on up to two of your own Macs.
FAQ
A few honest answers.
Will Albert visit my city?
It depends on geography. Albert follows one shared route, so he will not visit every place. Even when he is far away, you can still follow the journey and see his distance from you. But... we have an idea for helping Albert bring surprises to more places around the world. Join his journey and follow the updates along with him.
Is Albert a real bird?
Albert is a deterministic simulation inspired by wandering albatross behavior. Every user sees the same Albert in the same place at the same moment.
What happens if I am offline?
Albert keeps flying. When you reconnect, the app catches up and tells you about nearby passes you may have missed.
Does my location leave my Mac?
No. Your location stays on your device. The app only asks where Albert is; it does not send your location to codnamacs.
How does the trial work?
The trial is fully functional for 7 days. No payment, card, or signup is required to try it.
Can I use one license on two Macs?
Yes. A license can be activated on up to two Macs. You can deactivate one Mac from the app and activate another with the same key.