HowlAlert
A tiny Mac menu bar app that watches your Claude Code usage and warns you before the 5-hour limit runs out.
Know when Claude Code runs out.
HowlAlert reads your local Claude Code usage, learns your real limit, and tells you how long the current 5-hour window has left — in plain words, right in the menu bar.
Start here
Install HowlAlert
DMG or Homebrew. Under a minute on macOS 26+.
How it works
The 5-hour window, the P90 limit estimate, and the Stop hook.
Features
What the menu bar app does today, and what's coming to iPhone and Watch.
FAQ
Privacy, pricing, supported Macs, and updates.
What it is
HowlAlert is a small macOS menu bar app for people who live in Claude Code. It
watches the usage files Claude Code already writes to ~/.claude, rebuilds your
rolling 5-hour usage window, and turns it into something you can act on:
"Runs out in 47m."
It never connects to Anthropic's services and never sees your prompts or code — it only reads the local usage totals already on your Mac.
What it is not
HowlAlert is an independent, open-source project by MrDemonWolf, Inc. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. "Claude" and "Claude Code" are trademarks of Anthropic, PBC. See the disclaimer for details.