This is how you customize the Mac menu bar

Customize Mac menu bar

There are always several icons in the macOS menu bar. These are the menu bar options that allow you to quickly access certain functions, such as Siri and Wi-Fi. In this tip we show you how to customize the menu bar, for example how to add and remove options. We also show you how to adjust the arrangement of the icons.

• To adjust
• To delete
• Order
• Bartender
• Vanilla

Customize macOS menu bar

Many standard menu bar options can be enabled or disabled in the corresponding setting via System Preferences/System Settings. In many settings you will find an option to check the button in the menu bar. Depending on your wishes, you can switch this on or off yourself.

The most important menu bar items that come standard in macOS are Siri, Wifi, Spotlight, Battery and the active Focus mode. Many other options have been incorporated in the Control Panel since macOS Big Sur. If you want to change the setting of these items, you have to go to several places in System Preferences/System Settings.

Remove menu bar options

If you want to remove menu bar options, in System Preferences/System Settings you can uncheck the option that shows the options in the menu bar. To do this, go to the Dock & menu bar setting. But there is also a faster way. If you press the Cmd key, you can also drag the icon from the menu bar. As soon as you release the icon, it immediately disappears from the menu bar.

Note: this is only possible with the standard macOS programs. Other programs in the menu bar end up in the menu bar in a slightly different way and can therefore sometimes not be dragged out of the menu bar. It differs per program how you remove these apps from the menu bar. Sometimes you have to right click to close the program. Then uninstall the macOS app in the usual way.

Order Mac menu bar options

You can also change the arrangement of the icons in the menu bar by pressing the Cmd key. This way you can choose the order of the icons in the menu bar yourself, as you like it. One may want as many options as possible, while another wants peace and quiet. You can arrange icons of macOS and external programs according to your own preferences. You can also drag items from the Control Center on your Mac to the menu bar.

Bartender for your Mac menu bar

Bartender lets you organize the items in your Mac menu bar. You can hide them, change the order or move them to the Bartender Items. You can also set items in the menu bar to be visible when they have been updated. So you have more control over what’s in your menu bar, because you decide which apps are visible in the menu bar and which are completely hidden. The icon of Bartender itself can of course also be hidden in the menu bar. It is also useful that you can search with it.

Bartender is available in SetApp or through the developer’s website, Surtees Studios.

Vanilla for your Mac menu bar

If you think Bartender (approx. €20) is a bit too expensive, there is also a cheaper alternative: Vanilla. It does about the same for a lower price, namely around 5 euros. You can try it for free.

You will miss Bartender’s advanced functions, such as search and special rules for showing and hiding icons. But Vanilla does have the most important functions such as a hotkey. The interface is also a bit clearer. To hide an icon, hold down the Command key and drag it onto Vanilla’s icon.

Vanilla is available through the developer’s website, Matthew Palmer.

There are more alternatives to Bartender, but they often have a slightly different approach:

• Casilla (Free, Mac, macOS 10.13+) – Hide running apps for a cleaner Mac desktop. Minimize everything with one click.

• mprove: menu bar app that shows your daily productivity in real time.

• Hocus Focus: A menu bar tool to hide inactive windows. Also read our article about Hocus Focus (formerly Houdini).

• Quitter for Mac: Automatically hide apps after a certain period of inactivity. You can also close them completely. Also read our review of Quitter for Mac.

• HazeOver: Focus on one app at a time by dimming other apps. Also read our article about HazeOver for Mac.

• Unfortunately, we cannot display the correct data at the moment, Download – Manage the windows on your Mac. Keeps your screen tidy by arranging windows in an orderly manner. Can be activated via the menu bar.

Most of the apps we’ve mentioned here are also in our list of productivity apps for the Mac.