WiFi Explorer & WiFi Signal — An Interview with Adrián Granados
Adrián Granados shares how WiFi Explorer and WiFi Signal grew from a research tool into dependable apps for Wi-Fi professionals and Mac users.
While traveling, I sometimes had weak or unstable hotel Wi-Fi. WiFi Explorer and WiFi Signal showed the exact signal strength and every access point using the same network name. I could move around the room and find the best place to work.
I have used both apps for more than ten years. For My Mac Apps Story, I asked Adrián Granados how they started and how he kept them working through years of macOS, Mac hardware, and Wi-Fi changes.
Interview by Ighor July for Reverse Everything.
Interview
Ighor July
What originally inspired you to create WiFi Explorer and WiFi Signal?
Adrián Granados
It all started as a hobby. Back in 2009, I was working as a research associate at a university, doing research on mobile ad hoc networks. I wanted a simple way to set up and troubleshoot the wireless networks we used for testing in the lab, so I built an iPhone app called WiFi Analyzer and released it on the App Store.
About three months later, Apple completely closed off access to the private APIs that made Wi-Fi scanning possible and removed all Wi-Fi scanner apps from the App Store. Even though the app had a very short life, it became surprisingly popular. That convinced me there was real demand for a Wi-Fi analysis tool, so I decided to build a desktop version. That’s how WiFi Explorer was born.
Over the years, I became more involved in the Wi-Fi community, started attending conferences, and gained a much better understanding of the challenges Wi-Fi professionals face every day. That eventually led me to create WiFi Signal, a simple app for monitoring your Wi-Fi connection right from the menu bar.
Ighor July
How has user feedback influenced their development? Were there any important features, changes, or decisions that came directly from users?
Adrián Granados
In the beginning, I was primarily building tools for home users and small businesses. But as I became more involved in the Wi-Fi community and started listening to feedback from consultants and WLAN engineers, I realized they needed much more powerful analysis tools. I also realized there was still a lot for me to learn, so I earned several vendor-neutral Wi-Fi certifications through CWNP to deepen my understanding of the technology. All of that shaped the direction of my work and ultimately led me to develop WiFi Explorer Pro, which I released in 2017 to better support professional Wi-Fi analysis and troubleshooting.
Ighor July
When did the apps become your full-time work?
Adrián Granados
In 2020, when COVID hit, I decided to leave my job at the university and start Intuitibits with my wife. It was a scary decision, especially in the middle of so much uncertainty, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.
Ighor July
What have been the greatest technical challenges involved in maintaining the apps over the years, particularly as macOS, Mac hardware, and Wi-Fi technologies have changed?
Adrián Granados
Over the years, there have definitely been some interesting challenges in developing and maintaining WiFi Explorer. One of the biggest was sandboxing. When Apple started requiring Mac App Store apps to be sandboxed, the framework I was using for Wi-Fi scanning wasn’t compatible with the sandbox. Apple made an exception for existing apps like WiFi Explorer, allowing them to remain in the store without sandboxing, but only as long as updates were limited to bug fixes. I couldn’t add new features, so development was mostly on hold for about three years, although I still released the occasional minor improvements. Eventually, Apple introduced support for Wi-Fi scanning in sandboxed apps, and I was able to resume full development.
Another big milestone was the transition to Apple silicon. I had early access to the Developer Transition Kit, which gave me the opportunity to make sure my apps would be ready when the first Apple silicon Macs shipped. The M1 introduced a few challenges, and while Apple didn’t address every issue, I was able to work around many of them and keep Wi-Fi scanning working reliably.
Then came Wi-Fi 6E and the 6 GHz band. Supporting 6 GHz was another interesting challenge, so I added support ahead of time. By the time Macs with 6 GHz hardware became available, WiFi Explorer was already ready for them.
More recently, the release of Apple’s new N1 Wi-Fi chipset and the MacBook Neo introduced another round of challenges. Some functionality that had worked on previous models wasn’t quite there yet. Fortunately, Apple made it a priority to bring the new hardware up to the same level of functionality as the older Macs, and I worked directly with some of their engineers to help identify issues and verify fixes.
Some of those engineers are people I’ve gotten to know over the years, while others I met through the Apple Entrepreneur Camp, which Intuitibits was selected to attend a couple of years ago. It was great to already have those relationships in place because it made collaboration much easier.
Ighor July
What motivates you to continue developing and supporting the apps after so many years?
Adrián Granados
One thing that has always characterized my work is a commitment to keeping the apps up to date and paying attention to the little details. I’ve always made it a priority to support the latest Wi-Fi standards and make sure everything continues to work with each new macOS release. Not every developer is willing to make that long-term commitment, but I think it’s one of the reasons users have stayed with us over the years. They know the apps will continue to evolve, won’t be left behind, and that I genuinely care about the quality of the experience.
Ighor July
Was there ever a point when maintaining the apps became difficult enough that you considered stopping development?
Adrián Granados
Especially now, with all the AI hype, there was a point where I seriously considered stopping development because it felt like copycat apps were appearing everywhere. But over time I realized that people aren’t just choosing an app, they’re choosing the people behind it. They value ongoing updates, responsive support, attention to detail, and the trust that comes from knowing someone is committed to maintaining the product for the long term.
Ighor July
WiFi Explorer has remained a true one-time purchase without being replaced by a separately sold new edition or moving to a subscription. What has enabled you to keep supporting existing customers under this model for so long?
Adrián Granados
That’s a good question. It’s definitely been a challenge. With a one-time purchase, you don’t have recurring revenue coming in year after year, so over time you have to find other ways to keep things going. For me, that meant building more products. I released WiFi Explorer Pro 3 for Mac as a paid upgrade in 2020, later WiFi Explorer for Windows, and a few other apps that complement each other. Having a broader product lineup has helped offset the natural slowdown in sales of the original app and has allowed me to keep investing in it.
I’ve always preferred the one-time purchase model because, as a customer myself, that’s how I like to buy software. That said, I understand why so many developers have moved to subscriptions, and I’ve even started experimenting with them in WiFi Explorer Pi, my iPhone and iPad app for remote Wi-Fi analysis using external sensors. I’m still not convinced it’s the right direction for all of my products. Only time will tell.
Interestingly, some of my professional users have even told me they wouldn’t mind paying an annual fee for WiFi Explorer Pro because they rely on it every day and want to see it continue to evolve. I really appreciate hearing that, but for now, as long as I can make the numbers work, I’d much rather keep offering my apps as one-time purchases.
For WiFi Explorer Pro, my approach so far has been to release paid upgrades between major versions instead of moving to a subscription. That’s not an easy model either because every major release has to deliver enough meaningful features and improvements to justify asking existing customers to pay again. It sets a pretty high bar, but I think that’s fair. If I’m asking someone to upgrade, I want them to feel like they’re getting real value in return.
Ighor July
What advice would you give to independent developers who hope to maintain and support their apps for ten years or longer?
Adrián Granados
So, my advice to independent developers is to build something you genuinely care about and stick with it. Don’t get too distracted by copycats or the latest trend. Those things come and go. What lasts is the relationship you build with your users. If you keep improving your product, listen to feedback, and take good care of the people who rely on it, they’ll remember that. That’s something no AI-generated clone can easily replicate.
Looking ahead, I think AI will bring a whole new set of challenges for independent developers, just as sandboxing, Apple silicon, and new Wi-Fi technologies did for me. The landscape is changing quickly, and I’m sure there will be obstacles along the way. But if the last 15 years have taught me anything, it’s that adapting is part of the job. I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to navigate those changes while continuing to build products that people find useful and trust.
This interview is part of the developer interview series connected to My Mac Apps Story, Part 2.