Local or remote? Monitoring, explained

Local monitoring

On your own network, apps connect to the printer directly: no account, no server in between, and updates about once a second. That's how Bambu Bar shows progress in the menu bar, the camera, desktop widgets and notifications.

It works as long as:

• the Mac and the printer are on the same network (not a guest Wi-Fi);
• Bambu Bar is running, and the Mac is awake.

It works in cloud mode and in LAN Only mode alike. See how local monitoring works.

Remote monitoring

Away from home, your Mac can't reach the printer on your local network. Bambu Lab's answer is its cloud:

• Bambu Handy shows progress, the camera and notifications on your phone, from anywhere.
• Bambu Studio, signed in to the same account, monitors and starts prints remotely.

Both need the printer in cloud mode, bound to your account. In LAN Only mode, Bambu Handy and remote printing aren't available. See LAN mode explained.

Both at once

You don't have to choose. With the printer in cloud mode:

• at home, Bambu Bar keeps it in your menu bar and on your desktop;
• away, Bambu Handy keeps it on your phone.

The only things that need LAN Only are Bambu Bar's pause, stop and speed controls, and turning on LAN Only means giving up Bambu Handy while it's on. Many people leave the printer in cloud mode and pause or stop from Handy or the printer's screen instead.

Don't open the printer to the internet

You might read about forwarding the printer's ports on your router to reach it from outside. Don't: the printer's local services are designed for your home network, and anyone who finds them could try the access code.

If you already run a VPN into your home network, apps connected through it behave as if you were at home, but printer discovery usually doesn't cross a VPN, so you'd add the printer by its IP address. That's your network's security to manage; for most people, Bambu Handy is the simpler way to check from afar.

Which should you use?