Some Mac apps like to add their own icons to your menu bar, even when you don’t really need them there all the time. If you’ve ever thought, “Do I really need to see this icon 24/7?”—you’re not alone. That’s why I use an app called Hidden Bar to keep my menu bar clean and clutter-free.
Hide Annoying Menu Bar Icons
I’ve always used a MacBook, so screen space is precious. I want to keep the number of menu bar icons to a minimum. But third-party apps keep adding their icons—sometimes with bright colors or red badges that draw too much attention.
To solve this, I decided to simply hide the unnecessary icons. Hidden Bar is a free utility that makes it easy. With it, you can group your menu bar icons into two categories: ones you always want to see, and ones you want to hide most of the time.
You can download Hidden Bar directly from the Mac App Store.
Hidden Bar
Category: Utilities
Price: Free
Basic Operation Is Simple
Here’s how Hidden Bar works:
After launching Hidden Bar, you’ll see a | mark and a > arrow in your menu bar. Move the icons you always want visible to the right of the | mark. Move the icons you want to hide to the left of the | mark. You can move icons by holding down the command key and dragging them.
Once you’ve arranged the icons, click the > arrow. The arrow will flip to <, and all the icons to the left of the | will be hidden. If you want to see the hidden icons again, just click the < arrow to reveal them.
Check Out the Detailed Settings
Let’s look at some of Hidden Bar’s detailed settings. Click the | icon and select “Preferences” from the menu to open the preferences panel.
As of version 1.8, there are five checkboxes and a shortcut key setting available. Here’s what each one does:
Launch Hidden Bar at Login
If checked, Hidden Bar will launch automatically when you start your Mac.
Open Preferences on Startup
If checked, the preferences panel will appear each time Hidden Bar launches.
Show Hidden Bar Icon in Dock When Expanded
If checked, the Hidden Bar icon will appear in the Dock when you expand the hidden icons.
Enable “Always Hide Icon” Feature
This lets you keep certain icons hidden even when you expand the menu bar. Click the ? button to see specific instructions. If it doesn’t work as expected, try quitting and restarting the app after changing the setting.
Automatically Hide Icons After a Set Time
Hidden Bar can automatically re-hide icons after a set time (choose from 5, 10, 15, 30 seconds, or 1 minute).
Global Shortcut Key
Click “Set Shortcut” and press the key combo you want to use to toggle Hidden Bar. Click the delete button next to it to clear the shortcut.
Free and Easy to Use
There are other apps with similar features, but the best thing about Hidden Bar is that it’s completely free—and simple to use. If you want to tidy up your menu bar, especially on a small-screen Mac, give Hidden Bar a try!
Hidden Bar
Category: Utilities
Price: Free
