Support Center

Chrome Extension: Works with Articulate Rise, Figma, Canva, Adobe Express, Webflow, Framer, Miro, Notion, Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Spline, and Penpot.

Mac App: Works in any application on your Mac - Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Affinity, Sketch, Procreate, Microsoft Office, Keynote, and literally any other app.

Windows App: Works in any application on your PC - Photoshop, Illustrator, Affinity, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, Figma Desktop, and any other app.

The Chrome extension auto-positions for each supported site. The desktop apps work system-wide.

Chrome Extension:

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store
2. Click "Add to Chrome"
3. Open any supported site (Figma, Canva, Rise, etc.)
4. BuddyBar appears automatically

Mac App:

1. Download from our website
2. Move to your Applications folder
3. Open the app - it will appear in your menu bar
4. Grant Accessibility permission when prompted (for the keyboard shortcut)

Windows App:

1. Download the installer from our website
2. Run the setup file
3. BuddyBar will appear in your system tray

All versions sync automatically on the same computer!

Unlimited! Since version 2.0, you can add as many colors as you need to each template.

The first 6 colors are always visible. Click the expand button to see additional colors, or drag to reorder them however you like.

You can also create multiple templates to organize colors by brand, project, or client.

Right-click any color swatch to open the color editor. You can:

• Use the visual color picker
• Type a hex code directly (e.g., #FF5733)
• Paste RGB or HSL values (e.g., rgb(255, 87, 51) or hsl(14, 100%, 60%)) - they convert automatically
• Click the preview square to open your system color picker

Changes save automatically and update across all your templates.

Right-click any color swatch and you'll see the color editor popup. There's a name field where you can give each color a custom name (like "Brand Blue" or "CTA Orange").

BuddyBar also shows smart color names automatically - so even without a custom name, you'll see something like "Coral" instead of just "#FFA69E".

You can also rename templates using the pencil icon in the template dropdown.

When you right-click a color to edit it, you'll see a Text Preview section that shows how your color looks as text on light and dark backgrounds.

Each preview shows a label:

• Readable - Good contrast, works for any text
• OK for headings - Works for large text only
• Hard to read - Avoid for text

This helps you choose colors that are accessible and easy to read in your designs.

New in v5.0: For a full overview of all your color pairs at once, try the Readability Checker (shield icon on the bar). It shows a visual matrix of every text/background combination with one-click contrast fixing.

Yes! Some design tools prefer hex codes without the hash symbol (e.g., FF5733 instead of #FF5733).

Mac App: Click the BuddyBar icon in your menu bar, then uncheck "Include # When Copying".

Chrome Extension: Click the info button (ⓘ) on the color bar to open settings, then uncheck "Include # When Copying".

Now when you click a color, it copies without the hash.

Drag and drop any image onto the BuddyBar color bar. The Mac app supports PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, TIFF, BMP, and HEIC. The Chrome extension supports any browser-compatible image format (PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP).

BuddyBar will automatically extract up to 6 dominant colors from the image. You'll see a preview of the extracted colors with editable names and a template name field.

Click "Create Template" to save them as a new color template. Works on both the Chrome extension and Mac app.

The scheme generator creates a full 6-color palette from any starting color.

Choose a style:

• Warm - Colors skew toward reds, oranges, and yellows
• Cool - Colors skew toward blues, greens, and purples
• Neutral - Balanced tones for a more subdued palette

Each scheme generates 6 roles: Primary, Header, Accent, Background, Surface, and Text. Contrast is auto-fixed so text is always readable on backgrounds.

Chrome: Click the + button on the bar and select "Generate scheme".
Mac: Click the + button and select "Generate scheme..."

The readability checker shows a visual matrix of all your color pairs, testing which work as text on backgrounds based on WCAG contrast standards.

Each cell shows one of three levels:

• Readable (green) - 4.5:1+ contrast, works for any text
• OK for headings (orange) - 3:1+ contrast, large text only
• Hard to read (red) - Below 3:1, avoid for text

Click the shield icon on the bar to open it. If a color pair doesn't pass, use the one-click "Make Readable" button to auto-adjust the color's lightness while keeping its hue.

The Mac app was significantly rewritten for v5.0. All the new features (image extraction, scheme generator, readability checker) are available on both platforms.

Under the hood, the Mac app now uses a modular architecture with separate popover components, a dedicated native messaging helper process for faster Chrome sync, and optimized memory usage.

The result is a smoother, more responsive experience across the board.

To create a new template: Click the + button. You can create a blank template, generate one from the scheme generator, or drag an image onto the bar to extract colors.

To switch templates: Use the dropdown menu to select any saved template.

To rename: Click the pencil icon and type a new name.

To delete: Click the × button (you must have at least one template).

Export/Import .buddybar files:

1. In the template dropdown, click the download icon next to any template
2. This saves a .buddybar file to your computer
3. Share the file with your team however you prefer
4. Team members can drag the file onto BuddyBar to import it

No account needed - just share the file!

Chrome Extension: Press ⌃⇧B (Control+Shift+B on Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+B (Windows). Works when you're on a supported site.

Mac App: Press ⌃⌥B (Control+Option+B). Works as a global shortcut system-wide in any application (requires Accessibility permission).

Note: Due to Chrome browser limitations, the shortcuts are slightly different between the Chrome extension and Mac app.

This is useful when you need more screen space or want to capture a clean screenshot.

Chrome Extension: Works with Articulate Rise, Figma, Canva, Adobe Express, Webflow, Framer, Miro, Notion, Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Spline, and Penpot. Want support for a new browser-based tool? Let me know using the contact form!

Mac App: Works in any application on your Mac! Since it lives in the menu bar, you can access your colors in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Affinity, Sketch, Procreate, Microsoft Office, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, or anywhere else.

Windows App: Works in any application on your PC! Runs from the system tray, so you can access your colors in Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Affinity, Blender, Microsoft Office, or anywhere else.

Chrome Extension: BuddyBar auto-positions itself optimally for each design tool. You can drag it anywhere, and your position is remembered per-site.

Mac App: The color bar floats on screen and you can drag it anywhere. Your position is saved automatically.

Yes! If you have the Chrome extension and a desktop app (Mac or Windows) on the same computer, your colors sync automatically via native messaging.

Changes made in Chrome appear in the desktop app, and vice versa. No account needed - it all happens locally on your computer.

Colors also sync across all browser tabs in real-time.

Have multiple devices? Both the Mac and Windows apps support cloud sync. Go to Settings and choose a sync folder in iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any folder you prefer. All your devices will stay in sync automatically.

Dropbox and OneDrive are recommended for the best cross-platform experience. They work reliably on both Mac and Windows, so your templates stay in sync no matter which device you're on.

Google Drive also works well if you already use it.

iCloud is Mac-only. It works great for syncing between multiple Macs, but it won't sync with a Windows PC. If you use both Mac and Windows, choose Dropbox or OneDrive instead.

To set up cloud sync, open BuddyBar Settings and select your preferred sync folder. Any cloud-synced folder on your computer will work — BuddyBar just needs a folder path.

Yes! This is mainly a Chrome extension feature - your templates are shared across all supported browser-based tools (Figma, Canva, Rise, etc.).

If you have the Chrome extension and a desktop app (Mac or Windows) on the same computer, they sync locally too. So a template created in Figma will also appear in your desktop app.

Chrome Extension:

1. Make sure you're on a supported site (Figma, Canva, Rise, etc.)
2. Refresh the page (⌘R or Ctrl+R)
3. Try the keyboard shortcut: ⌃⇧B (Control+Shift+B on Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+B (Windows)
4. Check that the extension is enabled in Chrome's extension manager
5. Try disabling and re-enabling the extension

Mac App:

1. Check the menu bar - click the BuddyBar icon
2. Try the global keyboard shortcut: ⌃⌥B
3. If the shortcut doesn't work, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and ensure BuddyBar is enabled
4. Try quitting and reopening the app
5. If the menu bar icon is hidden (too many icons), you can also quit BuddyBar by clicking the ⓘ info button on the floating bar - there's a "Quit BuddyBar" option at the bottom

If it still doesn't work, please contact support!

The Chrome extension works with Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (like Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera).

For Firefox or Safari users, the Mac or Windows desktop app is the perfect solution - it works system-wide in any browser or application.

The Accessibility permission allows BuddyBar to listen for the global keyboard shortcut (⌃⌥B) even when the app isn't focused.

Without this permission, you'd need to click on BuddyBar first before using the shortcut. The permission is only used for the keyboard shortcut - BuddyBar doesn't access any other data.

To enable: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → Enable BuddyBar

Mac App: Click the BuddyBar icon in your menu bar, then select Appearance.

Chrome Extension: Click the info button (ⓘ) on the color bar, then find the Appearance option in the settings menu.

Both versions offer three options:

• System - Follows your computer's appearance setting (default)
• Light - Always use light mode
• Dark - Always use dark mode

Your choice is saved automatically.

Right-click the BuddyBar icon in your menu bar, then check "Launch at Login".

BuddyBar will now start automatically whenever you log in to your Mac.

Look for the BuddyBar icon (three colored swatches) in your menu bar at the top of the screen, usually near the right side with other app icons.

If you have many menu bar apps, it might be hidden. Try using a tool like Bartender or holding ⌘ while dragging menu bar items to rearrange them.

BuddyBar requires macOS 14.6 (Sonoma) or later.

This is needed for the modern SwiftUI features and Launch at Login functionality.

Download the installer from the download page and run the setup file. BuddyBar will install and appear in your system tray.

If you have the Chrome extension installed, BuddyBar will automatically set up native messaging so your colors sync between Chrome and the desktop app.

BuddyBar requires Windows 10 or later (64-bit).

Sync is automatic! If you have both the Chrome extension and the Windows app installed on the same computer, your colors sync via native messaging.

The Windows app registers itself with Chrome on first launch. If sync isn't working, try restarting both Chrome and the BuddyBar app.

Look for the BuddyBar icon in the system tray area at the bottom-right of your screen. If you don't see it, click the up arrow (^) to show hidden tray icons.

Right-click the tray icon for options like Show/Hide, Always on Top, and Quit.

Yes! BuddyBar is completely free to use. No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no account required.

I built it as a gift to the design and creative community to help make everyone's workflow a little easier.

Down the road, we may introduce optional Pro features for teams and power users. But the core BuddyBar experience will always be free.