SnagFrogThe short answer: put a Report an Issue… item in your app's Help menu that collects the user's description and attaches logs, versions and a screenshot for them. Then make sure you can reply. This guide shows how to do that in a Swift or SwiftUI Mac app in about ten minutes.
What makes a Mac bug report useful?
Most reports from users say "it doesn't work". To act on one, you need:
- The app and macOS version, so you can tell an old build from a new bug.
- The tail of your log file, covering the minutes before the problem.
- A screenshot of the window, because users describe UI differently than you do.
- A way to ask a follow-up question, since the first report is rarely enough.
Asking users to find and attach these themselves doesn't work. The report tool has to gather them when the user chooses "Report an Issue…".
Step 1: Create an app in SnagFrog
Sign up (14-day trial, no card) and create an app. You get a report page link, a public app key and an inbox for that app.
Step 2: Add the SnagReporter Swift package
In Xcode, choose File → Add Package Dependencies…, paste https://github.com/gorgekara/snagfrog-swift and add the SnagReporter library to your
app target.
Step 3: Add the menu item
Call this once at launch, for example in applicationDidFinishLaunching:
import SnagReporter
let snag = SnagReporter(
appSlug: "your-app",
publicKey: "snag_pk_…",
baseURL: URL(string: "https://snagfrog.com")!
)
// Adds "Report an Issue…" to the Help menu
NSApp.helpMenu?.addItem(snag.menuItem(logFiles: { [logFileURL] })) The dashboard's Install tab shows this snippet with your real app slug and key. Pass the log files you already
write; SnagReporter sends only their tail. You can also call snag.report(logFiles:) from your own
button or a SwiftUI command.
Step 4: Send a test report and reply to it
Choose Help → Report an Issue…, write a sentence and send it. The report shows up in your inbox with the logs, versions and screenshot attached. Reply from the inbox: if the reporter left an email, they get your answer by email, and their reply threads back into the same report.
Bug reports vs crash reports
Crash reporters catch crashes without the user doing anything. A bug report tool catches everything that isn't a crash, in the user's own words. They complement each other. If you only add one to a small app, add the one that lets users talk to you.
Questions
What is the simplest way to collect bug reports from a Mac app?
Add a "Report an Issue…" item to the Help menu that opens a short form and attaches your log files, the macOS and app version, and a window screenshot automatically. With SnagFrog this is the SnagReporter Swift package and about six lines of code.
Do I need a crash reporter as well?
A crash reporter such as Sentry or Crashlytics catches crashes automatically. A bug report tool catches everything else: wrong behaviour, confusing UI, feature requests, written by the user in their own words. Most indie apps want both, and they cover different problems.
Does this work for apps outside the Mac App Store?
Yes. SnagReporter only needs network access, so it works in sandboxed App Store apps (with the outgoing connections entitlement) and in apps you distribute yourself.
Can I reply to the person who reported the bug?
Yes. If they leave an email address, your reply from the SnagFrog inbox reaches them by email, their answer threads back into the same report, and they get a private page to follow its status.