Fairly Local
● Live · Bay Area broadcast TV, powered by Stanford's Puffer
Local TV,
live on every
Apple screen.
Fairly Local brings Puffer — Stanford University's free, high-bitrate stream of over-the-air San Francisco Bay Area stations — to iPhone, Apple TV and Mac. A native player, a live guide, Picture in Picture and a floating window that stays on top.
Fairly Local
All channels
Bay Area broadcast stations · received by Puffer's antenna on the Stanford campus
Why Fairly Local
“I'm a huge fan of Stanford's Puffer. Its high-bitrate picture is first class for local channels — so I brought it to the Apple devices I use every day.”
Puffer is a free live TV study run by Stanford University researchers to make video streaming smarter. It streams the San Francisco Bay Area's over-the-air stations at a remarkably high bitrate — but its web player doesn't run in Safari or on iPhone.
Fairly Local was built from scratch as a native Apple app, with its own playback engine tuned for Puffer's stream. Same channels, same picture — now on the screens you actually watch.
Three apps · One Puffer account
Made for every
screen you own.
Each app is designed around how you watch on that device — in your hand, from the couch, or beside your work.
iPhone
Your channels,
in your pocket.
A full live guide with the picture up top. Swipe the video to flip channels, or tap any station below.
- What's on now and next, for every channel
- Picture in Picture keeps the game going while you text
- Lock Screen and Control Center controls
- Plays in the background — tap Stop when you're done
Are you watching the game?
Yep — it's floating right here 📺
That catch!! 😮
● LIVE · KGO 7
Apple TV
The big screen,
made for the remote.
- A full-screen live guide, one click away
- Press up or down to change channels
- Pair at pair.fairlylocal.tv — or scan the QR code
- Your password is encrypted for your TV alone
Mac
A floating window
that stays out of your way.
- A rounded, borderless player that hovers over your work
- Pin it on top of every window
- Snap it to any corner, resize, or go full screen
- ⌘↑ / ⌘↓ to change channels, ⌘1–7 to jump
📌 Pinned on top
11 · KNTV NBC
Under the hood
Engineered
for live TV.
Native playback engine
Fairly Local decodes Puffer's stream directly with Apple's own media frameworks. No web view, no browser — just the picture, at the bitrate Puffer sends.
Half-second tuning
Flip between stations in about half a second, with picture and sound locked in sync. Built for channel surfing.
Live guide
What's on now and next for every station, with a progress bar for the current show — on iPhone, Apple TV and Mac.
Picture in Picture
On iPhone, slide the game into a floating window and keep watching while you text, browse or check the score.
Pin it on top
On Mac, a rounded floating window that can stay above every app — snap it to a corner and get back to work.
Private by design
Apple TV sign-in is encrypted in your own browser before it leaves your phone. Only your TV can read it.
Get started
On air in
three steps.
Make a free Puffer account
Fairly Local plays Puffer's stream, so you'll need a Puffer account. It's free for viewers in the United States.
Sign up at puffer.stanford.edu ↗Get Fairly Local
Download it for iPhone, Apple TV or Mac. One Puffer account works on all of them.
Sign in and watch
Sign in once on iPhone or Mac. On Apple TV, visit the pairing site or scan the QR code on screen — then grab the remote.
pair.fairlylocal.tv ↗
What is Puffer?
Puffer is a free live TV study run by researchers at Stanford University, who use it to make video streaming smarter. It streams San Francisco Bay Area broadcast stations, picked up by an antenna on the Stanford campus.
Do I need a Puffer account?
Yes. Fairly Local plays Puffer's stream, so you sign in with your own Puffer account. Accounts are free and open to viewers in the United States — sign up at puffer.stanford.edu.
Is Fairly Local made by Stanford?
No. Fairly Local is an independent app made by a Puffer fan. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Stanford University.
Which channels can I watch?
The Bay Area over-the-air stations Puffer carries, including KTVU FOX 2, KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5, KGO ABC 7, KQED PBS 9 and KNTV NBC 11. Puffer decides the lineup, so it can change.
What if Puffer says the server is full?
Puffer limits how many people can watch at the same time. When a server is full, Fairly Local automatically tries another Puffer server for you.
When can I download it?
Fairly Local is coming soon to the App Store for iPhone and Apple TV, and to the Mac App Store. The download buttons on this page will go live at launch.
Tune in to
the Bay Area.
Fairly Local is coming soon to the App Store for iPhone and Apple TV, and to the Mac App Store.
Requires a free Puffer account — sign up at puffer.stanford.edu ↗