Sponge for Mac

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Sponge for Mac shows your web library in its own window and adds ways to save from anywhere on the Mac. It needs macOS 15 or later and a Sponge account.

The app queues links. A computer running sponge captures them, and that can be the same Mac. See How Sponge works.

Install

1. Download the app from sponge.computer/mac. The page lists the version, size and SHA-256 of the download.
2. Open the download and drag Sponge to Applications. The app is signed and notarized by Apple; macOS asks once to confirm an app from the internet.
3. Open Sponge and sign in with your account, by email code, passkey or Sponge key. It is the same account as the web library.

To capture what you save on this Mac, also set up the command:

npm install -g @hraness/sponge
sponge init
sponge login
sponge sync
sponge worker install     # keep capturing in the background

Save

Way	How
Share menu	Share › Sponge in Safari, Chrome, Mail, News, Notes or any app with a Share menu
Services	Select a link or text containing links, then Services › Save to Sponge
Menu bar	The Sponge item saves the front browser tab or a pasted link
Keyboard	⌃⌥⌘S saves the front browser tab from any app
File menu	Save URL… (⌘L) or Save Front Browser Tab
Dock	Drop a link, a .webloc or .url file, or a downloaded PDF on the Sponge icon

Saving the front tab works with Safari, Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi and Arc. The first time, macOS asks whether Sponge may control that browser. Sponge asks only a browser that is already open, and reads only the tab’s address and title. Firefox, Zen and Orion do not offer their tab to other apps; use Share or Save URL… there.

A downloaded PDF is saved by the web address it came from, which macOS records with the download. A PDF with no recorded address cannot be saved from the app; add it with sponge add /absolute/path/file.pdf --kind pdf --wait.

What the confirmation means

Message	Meaning
Saved to Sponge	The link is in your queue
Saved for later	You are offline; the link waits on this Mac and is sent when you reconnect
Your library is full	The free cloud plan is at its limit; see Sponge Plus
Sign in to save	The app is not connected to an account
Not a web page	The item has no http or https address
Couldn’t save	The request failed; try again

“Saved” means queued. The article appears in the library after one of your computers captures it.

Settings

Open Settings with ⌘,.

• Shortcut. Change or clear the global save shortcut.
• Show Sponge in the menu bar.
• Open Sponge at login.
• Account. Shows links waiting to be sent with Send Now, and Disconnect, which stops this Mac from saving to the account.

Updates

Sponge checks for updates once a day and verifies each one against its signing key before installing. Check for Updates… in the Sponge menu checks now.

Automation

Three link forms work from scripts, Shortcuts and launchers:

sponge://save?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fessay
sponge://library
sponge://sync

Keyboard shortcuts lists every key in the app.

If something is wrong

• A save never appears. Open Save in the library to see the queue. If it says no computer is connected, run sponge sync on a computer signed in to the same account.
• The front tab is not saved. Allow Sponge under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation, or use Share.
• Saving stopped working. Choose Disconnect in Settings and sign in again, or remove the app under Connected apps on your account page.
• Remove the app. Disconnect in Settings, then move Sponge to the Trash. Your library and account are not affected.