How To Add/Remove Menu Bar Items on a Mac (Even Third Party Icons!) FAST & EASY
Learn how to add or remove menu bar items on your Mac quickly and easily. Discover how to manage Control Center and hide stubborn third-party icons.
Key Takeaways
A cluttered Mac menu bar can easily become overwhelming and visually distracting. Whether you want a minimalist desktop or just need to make room for your most important tools, customizing your menu bar is the perfect solution.
By the end of this guide, you will know exactly how to hide just about any icon from your Mac's menu bar, including those tricky third-party app icons that don't seem to want to leave.
Understanding the Two Types of Menu Bar Icons
Before cleaning up your workspace, it helps to understand what you are looking at. There are two primary types of icons that live in your Mac menu bar:
Control Center Icons: These are native macOS system icons, such as volume, battery, Wi-Fi, Spotlight, and Siri.
FAQ
Can I rearrange the order of my Mac menu bar icons?
Yes! You can easily rearrange your icons. Simply hold down the Command key on your Mac keyboard, then click and drag the icon to your preferred position in the menu bar. This is the exact same method you use to drag icons into the hidden section when configuring the Hidden Bar app.
Is there a free app to hide stubborn Mac menu bar icons?
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Toggle native macOS icons (like Wi-Fi and Battery) by navigating to Apple Menu > System Settings > Control Center.
Free up menu bar space instantly by changing your clock style to "Analog" or enabling the "Auto-Hide Menu Bar" feature.
Check for built-in hide settings on third-party apps by right-clicking their menu bar icons before seeking external solutions.
Install the free Hidden Bar app to easily manage and conceal stubborn third-party icons that cannot be hidden natively.
Hold Command and drag unwanted icons to the left of the Hidden Bar's vertical line (|), then click the chevron (>) to collapse and hide them.
Right-click the Hidden Bar chevron to hide the vertical separator line itself for a perfectly minimalist menu bar.
Third-Party Icons: These belong to external applications you have installed, such as Dropbox, Adobe Creative Cloud, or Notion.
Let's dive into how you can manage both types.
How to Add or Remove Control Center Icons
Managing native macOS icons is built right into your system settings. Here is how to add or remove them:
Click the Apple Menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select System Settings. (Note: If you are on an older version of macOS, this may be called System Preferences, and the menu you are looking for will be Dock & Menu Bar).
In the left sidebar, click on Control Center.
Scroll through the available modules (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sound, etc.) and toggle the option to show or hide each specific icon in the menu bar.
If you scroll down further in the Control Center settings, you can also toggle additional system icons on and off, such as the Battery indicator, Spotlight search, or the Siri icon.
Quick Customization Tips for macOS
While you are in the Control Center settings, there are a couple of built-in features that can help you achieve a cleaner menu bar instantly.
Feature
Customization Option
Result
Clock Options
Change the clock style from "Digital" to "Analog"
Replaces the bulky text and digital numbers with a very slim, minimalist analog clock face.
Auto-Hide Menu Bar
Toggle the "Automatically hide and show the menu bar" setting
The entire menu bar slides up and out of view. It will only reappear when you move your mouse to the top of the screen. You can choose to apply this always, or only in full-screen mode.
How to Hide Third-Party App Icons
While native macOS icons are easy to toggle off, third-party apps can be a little more stubborn. There are two primary methods for hiding these icons.
Method 1: Check the App's Built-In Settings
Some well-designed apps allow you to disable the menu bar icon directly from their own settings.
For example, if you use Notion, you can simply right-click the Notion icon in the menu bar. A dropdown will appear with the option to "Show Notion in menu bar." Unchecking this option will immediately hide the icon. Always check the specific preferences of your third-party apps first to see if they offer a native hide toggle.
Method 2: Use the "Hidden Bar" App (For Stubborn Icons)
Many third-party apps do not give you an option to hide their menu bar icons, leaving you stuck with them. To fix this, you can use a powerful, free menu bar extension called Hidden Bar.
How to Install and Configure Hidden Bar:
Download the Hidden Bar app for free from the Mac App Store.
Open the app to view the settings menu.
Check the box for "Start Hidden Bar when I log in."
Uncheck "Show Preferences on launch."
Change the auto-hide time to 1 minute while you configure your layout (you can adjust this later).
Close the settings window.
How to Use Hidden Bar to Hide Icons:
Once Hidden Bar is running, you will notice two new icons in your menu bar: a vertical bar (|) and a chevron (>).
Hold down the Command key on your Mac keyboard.
Click and drag the third-party icons you want to hide to the left of the vertical bar.
Once your unwanted icons are positioned to the left of the bar, click the chevron (>).
The chevron will collapse, instantly hiding all the icons placed behind the vertical line! You can click the chevron at any time to expand and access them again.
Pro-tip for an ultra-clean look: If you want to hide the vertical bar itself, simply right-click the chevron. This will toggle the vertical line off, leaving you with a perfectly clean and minimalist Mac menu bar.
Yes, Hidden Bar is a completely free utility available directly from the Mac App Store. It allows you to tuck away third-party icons that don't offer a native hide feature behind a collapsible chevron.
How do I make the Mac menu bar disappear entirely when I am not using it?
You can achieve an ultra-minimalist desktop by auto-hiding the entire menu bar. Go to System Settings (or System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar on older macOS versions), navigate to the Control Center settings, and toggle the "Automatically hide and show the menu bar" option. The menu bar will stay hidden and only slide down when you move your cursor to the very top edge of the screen.
Why do some third-party app icons refuse to leave the menu bar?
While well-designed apps (like Notion) allow you to right-click and hide their icon from their own settings, many third-party applications simply do not include an option to disable their menu bar presence. Because macOS does not natively force third-party icons into a hidden overflow menu, you have to rely on external extensions like Hidden Bar to clean them up.
