Show HN: macOS menu bar app to track Claude usage in real time (github.com)

A new macOS menu bar application called "Claude Usage," developed by @richhickson, allows users to monitor their Claude Code usage in real-time. This lightweight app, built with native Swift, automatically refreshes every two minutes and employs a color-coded system to indicate usage status: green for safe levels, yellow for warnings past 70%, and red for critical usage over 90%. It displays both session and weekly usage limits alongside a countdown until resets, making it easier for developers to manage their API consumption effectively. Users can simply unzip, drag the app to their Applications folder, and launch it, as it retrieves OAuth credentials securely from the macOS Keychain. This tool is significant for the AI/ML community as it enhances user autonomy and monitoring capabilities over their API interactions with Anthropic’s Claude, promoting better resource management among developers. However, it utilizes an undocumented API for usage tracking, meaning that while it is built with resilience against changes, its functionality may be unstable if the API endpoint is modified. The open-source nature of the app allows developers to verify the code and contribute, fostering collaboration in the AI/ML ecosystem while stressing the importance of privacy, as no data is transmitted outside of the necessary API interactions.