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Wireguard multitunnel
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wg-multi-tunnel.md

Running Multiple WireGuard Tunnels Simultaneously on macOS

The official WireGuard app for macOS only allows one active tunnel at a time. This guide shows you how to use WireGuardStatusbar, a menubar app that supports multiple simultaneous tunnels.

What You'll Need

  • macOS computer
  • Existing WireGuard configurations (from your WireGuard app)
  • About 15 minutes

Step 1: Install Homebrew (if not already installed)

Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter) and paste:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the on-screen instructions. When finished, close and reopen Terminal.

Step 2: Install WireGuard Tools

In Terminal, run:

brew install wireguard-tools

Step 3: Export Your Configurations from WireGuard App

  1. Open the WireGuard app
  2. For each tunnel you want to use:
    • Right-click on the tunnel name
    • Select Export Tunnel to Zip File...
    • Save it somewhere you can find it (e.g., Desktop)
  3. Unzip each file - you'll get .conf files

Step 4: Move Configuration Files

Create the WireGuard config folder:

sudo mkdir -p /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard

Move your .conf files to this folder. In Terminal:

sudo cp ~/Desktop/your-tunnel.conf /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard/

Or use Finder:

  • Press Cmd + Shift + G
  • Type /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard and press Enter
  • Drag your .conf files here (you'll need to enter your password)

Important: Rename your files to simple names without spaces, for example:

  • work-vpn.conf
  • home-server.conf

Step 5: Secure the Configuration Files

In Terminal, run:

sudo chmod 600 /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard/*.conf

Step 6: Install WireGuardStatusbar

  1. Go to: https://github.com/aequitas/macos-menubar-wireguard/releases
  2. Download the latest .zip file (e.g., WireGuardStatusbar.app.zip)
  3. Unzip the downloaded file
  4. Drag WireGuardStatusbar.app to your Applications folder
  5. Open WireGuardStatusbar from Applications
    • If you see a security warning, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway

Step 7: Using Your Tunnels

Once WireGuardStatusbar is running, you'll see a small icon in your menubar (top-right of your screen).

To start/stop tunnels:

  1. Click the WireGuardStatusbar icon in the menubar
  2. You'll see a list of all your tunnels
  3. Click on a tunnel name to toggle it on/off
  4. A checkmark (✓) indicates the tunnel is active

Multiple tunnels:

Simply click on each tunnel you want to activate. Unlike the official app, you can have multiple tunnels running at the same time!

Launch at login (recommended):

  1. Click the WireGuardStatusbar icon
  2. Enable Launch at Login so the app starts automatically

Tips

  • You'll be asked for your Mac password when activating tunnels - this is normal
  • Deactivate all tunnels in the WireGuard app first before using WireGuardStatusbar
  • You can keep the WireGuard app installed, just don't activate tunnels there
  • The menubar icon changes appearance when tunnels are active

Troubleshooting

No tunnels appear in the menu

Make sure your .conf files are in /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard/. Check with:

ls /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard/

"Permission denied" error

Make sure the config files have correct permissions:

sudo chmod 600 /opt/homebrew/etc/wireguard/*.conf

Tunnel won't start

  1. Check if you have a tunnel active in the official WireGuard app. Deactivate it first.
  2. Try starting the tunnel manually in Terminal to see the error: 
    sudo wg-quick up work-vpn

App won't open (security warning)

Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway next to the WireGuardStatusbar message.

Check tunnel status

Open Terminal and run:

sudo wg show

Command Line Reference (Advanced)

If you prefer using Terminal, you can also control tunnels directly:

Action Command
Start tunnel sudo wg-quick up tunnel-name
Stop tunnel sudo wg-quick down tunnel-name
Check status sudo wg show

Replace tunnel-name with your config file name (without .conf).

Links:

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