The interface & system tray

Spark Tray is a tray-resident app — it's designed to keep running quietly in the background so the bandwidth exchange can keep the app free. This page tours the main window and the tray icon.

The main window at a glance

The window has three parts.

The sidebar (left)

• Utilities — one button per enabled utility (for example, Video Downloader, Bulk Downloader, Background Remover, Transcriber). Click one to open its panel. Utilities you turn off in Settings disappear from this list.
• System — two fixed entries:
  • Job Queue — every download and conversion in progress or recently finished.
  • Settings — all preferences and per-utility defaults.
• Footer — shows the installed version and platform, a subtle update indicator when an update is downloading or ready, and a small exchange status pill showing whether bandwidth sharing is currently active, throttled, paused, or off.

The header (top)

Shows an icon and the name of whatever screen you're currently viewing.

The main area (center)

Displays the active utility's controls, the Job Queue, or Settings.

Window sizing

The window opens at a comfortable default size and remembers the size and position you leave it at. You can resize it down to a compact minimum or make it larger; your choice is saved for next time.

The system tray

• Left-click the tray icon to open or focus the main window.
• Right-click the tray icon for a menu:
  • Open Spark Tray — show the window.
  • Recent jobs — quick view of recent activity.
  • Quick actions — shortcuts for common tasks.
  • Settings… — open the window to the settings area.
  • Check for updates… — manually check for a newer version.
  • Quit Spark Tray — fully exit the app.

Closing vs. quitting — important

• Closing the window (the ✕ button) does not quit the app. It simply hides the window to the tray, and Spark Tray keeps running in the background. Click the tray icon any time to bring it back.
• Quitting (from the tray menu's Quit Spark Tray) fully exits the app. Because quitting also stops the bandwidth exchange that keeps Spark Tray free — and means the app can no longer keep itself up to date or run in the tray — you'll be asked to confirm first.