Dapper Help
Dapper lives in your Mac's menu bar and keeps your digital audio player stocked with the latest podcast episodes. Here are answers to common questions.
Getting support
The fastest way to reach us is from inside the app:
- Click the Dapper icon in the menu bar and choose Send Feedback…
- Describe your question or problem.
- Check Reply to my feedback and enter your email address so we can get back to you.
- Click Send Feedback.
Your email address is only used to reply to you. See the privacy policy.
Devices
Which players work with Dapper?
Any digital audio player that shows up on your Mac as a USB drive, including Rockbox devices and players from FiiO, HiBy, and Shanling. A plain USB drive or SD card works too.
How do I set up my player?
Connect your player, click the Dapper icon in the menu bar, and choose Device…. Select your player, click Choose… to pick the folder where podcasts should go (for example a Podcasts folder), and click Done.
Why do I have to pick a folder?
macOS only lets Dapper write to folders you choose. You pick the folder once, and Dapper remembers it the next time you connect.
My player isn't listed.
Make sure it's connected in USB storage (mass storage) mode, not charging-only mode, and that it appears in Finder. Dapper only lists drives it can write to.
How do I eject my player?
Choose Eject followed by your player's name from the Dapper menu, or eject it in Finder.
Podcasts
How do I add podcasts?
Choose Podcast Library… from the menu and click +. You can browse the top podcasts by category, search the directory, paste an RSS feed URL, or import an OPML file from another podcast app.
Can I move my subscriptions from another app?
Yes. Export an OPML file from your other podcast app and import it in Dapper (+ → Import OPML → Choose File…). You can also export your Dapper subscriptions as OPML from the Podcast Library.
How often does Dapper check for new episodes?
When it starts and every 20 minutes after that, quietly in the background. New episodes are downloaded to your Mac so they're ready to copy when you sync.
How many episodes of each show are kept?
10 by default. Change it in the Podcast Library (1, 3, 5, 10, or all), or set a different limit for your player with Max episodes to transfer in Device….
Syncing
How do I sync?
Choose Sync from the Dapper menu, or press ⌘S while the menu is open. To sync automatically, turn on Automatically sync when device is connected in Preferences….
What happens to old episodes on my player?
Dapper keeps the newest episodes of each show, up to your limit, and removes older ones it put there. If you turn on Delete podcasts on device before sync in Device…, Dapper clears its podcast folder and copies everything fresh each time.
A show didn't update on my player.
If a show's feed can't be reached during a sync, Dapper leaves that show's episodes on your player exactly as they were, and tries again next time. This usually fixes itself once the podcast's website is back up.
How are files named on my player?
Each show gets its own folder, and episodes are named after their titles, for example Show Name/Episode Title.mp3. To put the release date at the front of each file name, turn on Prepend date to episode filenames in Device…. Show artwork is saved as folder.jpg.
How do I remove all podcasts from my player?
In Device…, click Delete All Podcasts…. This removes the files in the podcast folder on your player; your subscriptions on the Mac aren't affected.
Privacy and cost
Does Dapper need an account or track me?
No. There's no account, no analytics, and no tracking. Your subscriptions and episodes stay on your Mac and your player. Details are in the privacy policy.
How much does Dapper cost?
Dapper is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
How do I start Dapper when I log in?
Turn on Open at login in Preferences….