If you installed AI Booster on macOS from the DMG rather than the App Store, there is one approval step that is easy to miss — and missing it fails in a way that looks exactly like a broken profile: the connection simply does not establish.
Why only the DMG build
The two macOS builds route traffic differently. The App Store build tunnels through a sandboxed app extension. The DMG build uses a **network system extension**, and macOS will not load a system extension until you approve it by hand.
Where the switch is
Apple moved it, so it depends on your version:
- macOS 15 Sequoia and later — System Settings → General → **Login Items & Extensions** → Network Extensions - macOS 13 Ventura and 14 Sonoma — System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom; macOS shows the prompt shortly after AI Booster requests it
Enable AI Booster, then connect again. Once per machine — though a major macOS upgrade can ask again.
If you dismissed the prompt and cannot find the switch, quit AI Booster and reopen it. The request is re-sent on launch, which brings the approval back.
Full detail: macOS installation guide