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I actually wonder how I can get them out? Every background service wants some screen estate in the menu bar, but the app that I need is always hidden behind th

I actually wonder how I can get them out? Every background service wants some screen estate in the menu bar, but the app that I need is always hidden behind the notch of my MacBook. Why can’t I hide the ones I don’t frequently need?

monkey_monkey 1y ago
There are several 3rd party utilities (free and paid) that allow status bar icons to be hidden
ndegruchy 1y ago
You can Command-Drag some of them off the menubar. It doesn't work in every case, but it might help. Plus there are tools like Ice and Bartender that help you hide most or all of them.
fullam 1y ago
im a big fan of https://matthewpalmer.net/vanilla/ https://matthewpalmer.net/vanilla/
- 7839284023 1y ago
  I am not! Bought the program about a month ago and it’s really buggy on MacOS 15. You can clearly tell that it was developed for some previous MacOS version and has been since then forgotten.
alook 1y ago
There are apps that help you hide unused menu bar apps - this one works well: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12
sangeeth96 1y ago
FOSS solution that's actually really good: https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice
- hombre_fatal 1y ago
  You have to grant global Screen Recording permissions to use these menubar managing apps. It's insane to grant that just to move some icons around.
  - sangeeth96 1y ago
    If you see some other way to resolve this, I'm sure Ice welcomes contributions.
    - hombre_fatal 1y ago
      I don't think a project's core security concerns should be left up to my charity. I get why they need the permission to implement their cutesy drag and drop interface. But I'd like to hear why these apps can't continue to hide menu icons after you've revoked the permission. Ice and Bartender at least require you to grant it at all times last I looked a few months ago.
      - hbn 1y ago
        As far as I understand it works by grabbing screenshots of your menu bar and redrawing overtop of it. It can't do that if it doesn't have the permission to do screengrabs.
        hombre_fatal 1y ago
        I deserve the downvotes for my first line, heh. Maybe I can redeem myself by clarifying that the real frustration here is with bad macOS UX, not people trying to hack around it. I barked up the wrong tree.
        victor106 1y ago
        Interesting. do all these apps work the same way? Apple does not provide any API's to modify the menubar?
oneeyedpigeon 1y ago
Interestingly, the site in question contains a relevant article: https://badgeify.app/how-to-fix-mac-menu-bar-icons-disappearing-behind-notch/ https://badgeify.app/how-to-fix-mac-menu-bar-icons-disappear...
typeofhuman 1y ago
I use Hidden Bar to hide icons I don't want to see (some of my icons are company required software that I can't quit) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12
- PTRFRLL 1y ago
  Also available via Homebrew
- neerajdotname2 1y ago
  I've been using hidden bar for over a year and it's working beautifully.
harlanlewis 1y ago
Lots of good recommendations in replies. Calling it out only because I don’t see it mentioned - until last year, Bartender was one of the popular go-to tools to manage menu bar items, but it fell from favor after quietly changing owners, changing certs, general shadiness https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/psa-bartender-mac-app-under-new-ownership-but-lack-of-transparency-raises-concerns.2428159/ https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/psa-bartender-mac-app-u... A specific and relevant reminder why open source is so important for system utilities.
rpgbr 1y ago
Many apps offer hiding their menubar icon as an option. I'm always looking for that option and I managed to get a super clean menubar[1] — without sacrificing features or apps I need. The “11m” icon is from a little gem called Aware[2]. [1] https://i.imgur.com/0AFL1rU.png https://i.imgur.com/0AFL1rU.png [2] https://awaremac.com/ https://awaremac.com/
lobsterthief 1y ago
There’s a great app called Bartender that does this. I’ve been using it for over 10 years. Very stable.
- hbn 1y ago
  You should know at some point in the past year or so it was silently sold to a shady company which makes me VERY wary for something I gave screen recording permissions to. I'd never install Bartender on my machine again.
  - lobsterthief 1y ago
    Thanks for the tip! I’ll check into this for sure
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

monkey_monkey 1y ago

There are several 3rd party utilities (free and paid) that allow status bar icons to be hidden

ndegruchy 1y ago

You can Command-Drag some of them off the menubar. It doesn't work in every case, but it might help. Plus there are tools like Ice and Bartender that help you hide most or all of them.

fullam 1y ago

im a big fan of https://matthewpalmer.net/vanilla/ https://matthewpalmer.net/vanilla/

7839284023 1y ago
I am not! Bought the program about a month ago and it’s really buggy on MacOS 15. You can clearly tell that it was developed for some previous MacOS version and has been since then forgotten.

alook 1y ago

There are apps that help you hide unused menu bar apps - this one works well: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12

sangeeth96 1y ago

FOSS solution that's actually really good: https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice

hombre_fatal 1y ago
You have to grant global Screen Recording permissions to use these menubar managing apps. It's insane to grant that just to move some icons around.
- sangeeth96 1y ago
  If you see some other way to resolve this, I'm sure Ice welcomes contributions.
  - hombre_fatal 1y ago
    I don't think a project's core security concerns should be left up to my charity. I get why they need the permission to implement their cutesy drag and drop interface. But I'd like to hear why these apps can't continue to hide menu icons after you've revoked the permission. Ice and Bartender at least require you to grant it at all times last I looked a few months ago.
    - hbn 1y ago
      As far as I understand it works by grabbing screenshots of your menu bar and redrawing overtop of it. It can't do that if it doesn't have the permission to do screengrabs.
      - hombre_fatal 1y ago
        I deserve the downvotes for my first line, heh. Maybe I can redeem myself by clarifying that the real frustration here is with bad macOS UX, not people trying to hack around it. I barked up the wrong tree.
      - victor106 1y ago
        Interesting. do all these apps work the same way? Apple does not provide any API's to modify the menubar?

oneeyedpigeon 1y ago

Interestingly, the site in question contains a relevant article: https://badgeify.app/how-to-fix-mac-menu-bar-icons-disappearing-behind-notch/ https://badgeify.app/how-to-fix-mac-menu-bar-icons-disappear...

typeofhuman 1y ago

I use Hidden Bar to hide icons I don't want to see (some of my icons are company required software that I can't quit) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12

PTRFRLL 1y ago
Also available via Homebrew
neerajdotname2 1y ago
I've been using hidden bar for over a year and it's working beautifully.

harlanlewis 1y ago

Lots of good recommendations in replies. Calling it out only because I don’t see it mentioned - until last year, Bartender was one of the popular go-to tools to manage menu bar items, but it fell from favor after quietly changing owners, changing certs, general shadiness https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/psa-bartender-mac-app-under-new-ownership-but-lack-of-transparency-raises-concerns.2428159/ https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/psa-bartender-mac-app-u... A specific and relevant reminder why open source is so important for system utilities.

rpgbr 1y ago

Many apps offer hiding their menubar icon as an option. I'm always looking for that option and I managed to get a super clean menubar[1] — without sacrificing features or apps I need. The “11m” icon is from a little gem called Aware[2]. [1] https://i.imgur.com/0AFL1rU.png https://i.imgur.com/0AFL1rU.png [2] https://awaremac.com/ https://awaremac.com/

lobsterthief 1y ago

There’s a great app called Bartender that does this. I’ve been using it for over 10 years. Very stable.

hbn 1y ago
You should know at some point in the past year or so it was silently sold to a shady company which makes me VERY wary for something I gave screen recording permissions to. I'd never install Bartender on my machine again.
- lobsterthief 1y ago
  Thanks for the tip! I’ll check into this for sure

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]