Without a doubt, the menu bar is one of Mac’s great features. It’s condensed, easy to tap into on the fly, and displays much-needed information in real time.
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10 Best Mac Menu Bar Apps:-1. If you’re an easy distracter, then install this handy application right away. The app is capable of cutting down all the background noises and makes you exclusively hear your favorite sounds of your choice at the desired tempo.
Mac menu bar apps are a great way to keep information or services - such as clipboard managers and calendars- out of sight but no more than a click away. This makes them great for visualizing. A curated directory of 500+ Mac menu bar apps. Small apps to help you become more productive and maximize your workflow with MacOS. Collections Latest updates. The Mac menu bar is prime real estate! Your Mac menu bar is a highly customizable space. By adding a few extra applications you get an awful lot more from macOS.
But, with every new icon app added, things become a little more cluttered and usability takes another hit. Fortunately, it’s possible to edit the menu bar to rearrange and remove icons so that it’s able to suit your needs at any given moment. Read on for the best ways to make the menu bar on Mac truly yours.
A tool that perfects menu bar
Rethink the menu bar with this app. Bartender customizes one of the main parts of Mac's interface, efficiently.
How to rearrange items in menu bar
How much freedom you have to rearrange items in menu bar depends on which version of macOS you’re running. The users of macOS Sierra and later definitely have more creative license here than others. And if you are not there yet, it’s time to upgrade to the newest macOS anyway.
Rearranging menu items in macOS
To move an icon in the menu bar, hold Command (cmd), then click and hold the icon to drag it across the bar. Simple.
There are no restrictions here — feel free to move icons anywhere you see fit. Don’t like the clock all the way over there on the right-hand side? Drag it to somewhere more suitable. Want to place the Setapp icon over to the area of the bar once reserved for first-party apps? Do it!
The only icon that cannot be tampered with is the Notification Center. Apple has decided this must remain in the far right corner of the menu, which is fair enough — it looks good there.
Rearranging menu items in OS X versions (El Capitan and older)
Movement of icons in old versions of macOS is reserved for selected apps only: Bluetooth, audio, Time Machine, WiFi, battery, clock, and user switching. Spotlight and Notification Center must stay put, as must all third-party apps.
To move icons around within the designated area, once again hold Command, then click and hold the icon to drag it.
How to remove icons from the top bar on MacApple Menu Bar Missing
If there are items in the menu bar that you feel don’t belong there, hold Command, click on the icon, and drag it outside of the menu bar.
Note: this only works for first-party icons.
Best personal finance app for mac free. It is possible to remove third-party icons from the top bar on Mac by clicking on them and selecting “Quit” or “Close,” but this will stop the app from working until you reopen it.
Some apps give the option to remove icons from the top bar on Mac in their settings: [chosen app] > Preferences. However, a lot of apps won’t. To fully customize which icons appear in the menu bar, you should use a third-party app like Bartender.
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If you’ve removed the first-party app and you’d like it back on the menu, it can be re-enabled in System Preferences.
How to add icons to the top bar on Mac
If you’re missing a specific system icon in the Mac’s menu bar, you can add it through System Preferences. For instance, to enable the Language icon, select Language & Region in the preference pane, click Input Sources, and check the box next to “Show Input menu in menu bar.”
Add menu bar extras
Because the menu options like Clock and Ink can’t be found in System Preferences, you might need to use the System folder as well:
You can easily remove any of the icons by holding Command and dragging it outside of the menu bar as described above.
How to customize and tidy Mac menu bar
It’s possible to change the look of the default menu bar items in System Preferences and third-party apps’ ones in their respective preferences. Most of the time, you’ll be able to at least switch the color to black and white.
Change how the date and time are displayed in the menu bar![]()
In the right corner of your menu bar, click on date and time to Open Date & Time Preferences. Go to the Clock tab and unlock the preferences by entering your administrator password, so that you can make changes. To customize the look of the clock, choose between two different time display options: Digital or Analog. You can also tick the boxes for “Show date” and “Show the day of the week.”
To instantly toggle between different display options, click on date and time in the menu bar and choose “View as Analog” or “View as Digital.”
How to use your battery status on Mac
Keeping track of your battery life from the menu bar takes a few simple actions and yet is vital to Mac’s performance.
Click on the battery icon and tick Show percentage to see how much battery power you have left. In the same drop-down menu, you can check the programs that are using significant power in case your battery is draining too fast. To optimize battery usage, select “Open Energy Saver Preferences” and adjust sleep settings.
Toggle between fast user switching icons
There are three different options on how the Fast User Switching menu can be displayed in your Mac’s top bar – as a full name, account name or icon. Here’s how you do the customization:
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Show Wi-Fi status in the menu bar
To enable the Wi-Fi icon in your Mac’s top bar, go to System Preferences and select Network. Tick the box next to “Show Wi-Fi status in menu bar.”
How to replace menu bar app icons
If you want to have custom icons in your Mac’s menu bar, there’s a way to replace the default ones. To change the icon of a third-party app, find it in Applications, right-click to open a context menu, and choose “Show Package Contents.” Go to Resources folder to find the defaults – these can be used as templates for the new icons. Once you have a custom icon ready, simply copy it into the same Resources folder.
The same works for system icons, except you won’t find all of them in Applications. Here’s the path for you to take: Hard Disk > System > Library > CoreServices > Menu Extras. Once you’ve found the item you need, click on “Show Package Contents” and navigate to the icon via [MENUITEM.menu] > Contents > Resources.
In both cases, it’s a good idea to create backups of the default icons before replacing them – just in case you’ll need them later.
Hide menu bar items
One low-key feature on Mac is the ability to auto-hide menu bar. To do this, open System Preferences > General. Check the option to “Automatically hide and show the menu bar” and the menu bar will immediately disappear.
To get the menu bar to show up again, simply move the cursor to the top of the screen and hold it there for a second. Now you can access the menu whenever you need it and enjoy an extra bit of screen real estate when you don’t.
Customizing the menu bar with Bartender
If you want more control over how the menu bar looks and what it does, you should consider using the Bartender app.
Bartender lets you hide icons without quitting and rearrange icons in a way that better suits how you use the menu bar — something particularly useful if you’re running an older version of macOS. Multi app kiosk.
App icons can be displayed when updating, shown in the Bartender Bar only, or hidden completely and accessed easily using a built-in search function. It’s even possible to toggle through and activate items using keyboard navigation.
If you’re someone that prefers a minimalist look, the app gives you the option to remove the Bartender menu item, leaving you with a crisp, clean menu bar.
Mac Change Menu Bar Apps
Overall, the Mac menu bar is there to help you improve your productivity by giving you quick access to the apps and tools you need. Using the tips above, you can customize the menu bar in a way that works for you. Best of all, you can get full access to Bartender and over 150 more high-quality macOS apps on Setapp, with a 7-day free trial to get you started. So why not get your menu bar organized now?
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The key purpose of menu bar organizers is to arrange the workflow of users. They really help finish some tasks faster and are regarded to be tremendously useful tools. We’re going to share with you five of the best macOS menu bar apps.
In order to make our recommendations, we analyzed the menu bar app market, read a number of customer testimonials, and tested the apps on our own. All of this resulted in the post below that outlines the best menu bar organizing applications for Mac.
1. Bartender for Mac
This tool is a prudent solution for those who search for a top-quality menu bar organizer for the Mac. Its key purpose is to help users organize all menu bar apps. As a result, you will have an opportunity to either hide or rearrange some apps in the way you like.
The latest version of this software product supports macOS High Sierra, Sierra, and full support for macOS Mojave will be available once it is released in the fall.
The app sports an awful lot of useful features which will make the life of every user easier. The Bartender app allows you to keep the most frequently used apps in one place with multiple configuration options for which apps to show in the menu bar and which apps to hide. The option of keyboard navigating is also available. You can even decide in what order the apps will be displayed.
If your overarching goal is to find a simple, clear and concise organizer, this app is what you really need!
2. Amphetamine
The app has a strange name, but it’s just another tool which is able to enhance your productivity. Amphetamine offers users more control over sleeping habits of their computer. It helps users override their energy saver settings. The app has a number of activation time presets and keeps the display of your computer awake. You can either activate it automatically or use specific hotkeys.
Bottom line: it’s a nice little app that lives in your menu bar and keeps your laptop awake.
3. Dropzone
If you have not the foggiest idea how to keep all those screenshots and other files off the desktop of your Mac, this app should be a number-one tool for you. Besides, it is regarded to be an innovator when it comes to drag-and-drop on macOS. When you install the software, you will see an icon on the screen of your device. After that, you can drag different apps or folders onto the icon. Dropzone lets you easily send files faster to others as well as makes it easier for you to access your important files while on-the-go.
4. iStat Menus 6
This app offers a variety of useful features which will simplify your work with different applications. iStat Menus 6 is a high-quality Mac system monitor. All notifications regarding the state of your device are gathered in one place. As a result, users will get faster access to the information about the current weather forecast, network or battery state, and other important events. The feature of fast keyboard access is also available. The latest version of the software product supports 36 languages and has a bunch of theme options. Except for these basic features, there are many other enhancements as well.
Mac Menu Bar Settings5. Magnet for Mac
This tool will help you keep all windows on the screen of your Mac in order. Otherwise stated, the app will organize all windows into tiles. If your everyday work is related to dealing with a variety of different programs, you need to align them neatly side by side. This particular tool will help you do this! Magnet supports up to 6 external displays allowing users to choose the combination which is more convenient for them. This simple window manager will help you boost productivity! Plus, it’s a bargain at $0.99.
When it comes to choosing a reliable menu bar organizer, you need to be very attentive and will likely have to try several apps before you decide which one you like most of all. Luckily, some apps have free trial versions. As always, we recommend that you read the feedback from customers who already have the experience of using the app as they can offer additional insights into possible quirks.
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