The Menu Bar is a really convenient place to put an app icon as it gives you instant access and you don’t have to shuffle through the Dock to find the app you need frequently. While these Menu Bar apps are no replacement for the traditional apps but in a few cases, it does make sense. I have made a list of all the best Menu Bar apps for macOS that you should be using. Let’s check those out.
Clicking on it on the menu bar shows you it two main options: Free Memory and Usage Details, with the later showing you how your Mac’s memory is being used at the moment.To free up memory, all. AccessMenuBarApps is doing what its name promises: it gives the user instant access to all Menu Bar apps that reside in the right side of the Mac Menu Bar. The basic principle of AccessMenuBarApps is very simple: start an application that has a reduced app menu, so that there is a maximum space between app menu and menu extras.
Best Menu Bar Apps for macOS1. Itsycal- Tiny Calendar on the Menu Bar
Itsycal is a tiny calendar app that sits on the Menu Bar to give you a quick glimpse of the current calendar month. Normally, you would have to open the regular Calendar to check your schedule and upcoming meetings but Itsycal is always open and just a click away. The app icon always displays the current day of the month which is a nice touch. If you’re interested in more Calendar apps that you can access from the Menu Bar, check this list out.
Install Itsycal (free)
2. HiddenMe- Hide the Clutter on Desktop
I’ll be honest, macOS needs to figure out its Desktop, which becomes a literal mess over time with file icons overlapping each other. On top of that, there is no native way to hide the folders and files from the desktop, unlike Windows. HiddenMe solves this problem and hides everything from the Desktop by simply overlaying the same desktop wallpaper. It doesn’t interfere with the files and folders and works with just one click.
Install HiddenMe (free)
3. Plume- Take Notes from Menu Bar
Plume is a simple Note-taking app that simplifies taking notes. It doesn’t have any fancy bells and whistles of other sophisticated note apps but it does let you jot down your thoughts and make it quickly accessible. Also, it has an inbuilt to-do list button that lets you quickly generate to-do lists.
Install Plume (free)
Read: How to Lock Notes with Touch ID/ Face ID on iPhone?
4. Hand Mirror – Check yourself out
Hand Mirror is a tiny utility app that sits on the Menu Bar which makes your webcam a temporary hand mirror. You can use this to check yourself out and fix anything before going live on Zoom calls. Simply click the app icon on the Menu Bar to access it.
Install Hand Mirror (free)
5. Culrs.app – A Color Palette tool on the Menu Bar
A decent color Palette tool can really help you in deciding the final outlook of a project and Culrs is a simple tool that lets you explore the color palettes. It has different categories such as monochromatic, triad, analogous, and tetradic to simplify your search for different themes. Once you have a palette chosen, simply click the color to copy its hex code.
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Install Culrs.app (free)
Read: 7 Best Color Palette Apps for iPhone and iPad
6. Bandwidth+ – Monitor your Internet Speed
Bandwidth+ is a must-have utility if you often wonder about the internet speed on your Mac computer. It sits on the Menu Bar and updates the real-time bandwidth consumption from the machine. It can also track how much data have you consumed and it especially helps if you’re connected with your iPhone’s hotspot.
Install Bandwidth+ (free)
Must Read: The Best WiFi Analyser For Mac (2019)
7. Aware- How much Time do you Spend on Computer
Ever wondered how much time do you spend on your computer? Aware answers that. It does this by timing your Mouse movements and keystrokes and when it doesn’t detect those inputs for a while, it pauses the timer. It’s a neat way of tracking your productivity.
Install Aware (free)
8. Better Menu Bar- Your Computer Stats on the Menu Bar
Best apps to make apps with macbook. Better Menu Bar gives you information about your computer’s CPU, RAM, Battery, and Network in a consolidated window. Just click the Menu Bar and you get the stats in a comprehensive manner. For instance, you get a real-time update of memory, network bandwidth, active Bluetooth connections, etc. It also has an automatic RAM cleanup feature that dumps extra app when your computer falls below a certain level of free RAM.
Install Better Menu Bar (free)
9. Menu Bar Dock- Turn Your Menu Bar into a Dock
I usually keep the Dock hidden when using the MacBook and if I have to switch between an app then I need to move the cursor to the bottom edge and then wait for the Dock to pop up. Menu Bar Dock solves this problem and puts the open and recently used apps’ icon on the Menu Bar. You can quickly switch between apps by simply clicking the app icon from the top.
Install Menu Bar Dock (free)
10. Hidden Bar- Hide the Menu Bar Icons
After installing all the Menu Bar apps, your menu Bar may start to look cluttered but worry not, we have an app to clean that up. Hidden Bar lets you hide all the active apps in the Menu Bar and you get full control of which apps to hide and which apps to show. Simply Slide the icon across the Menu Bar, all the icons to the left of the icon would be hidden.
Install Hidden Bar (free)
Final Words
These were my picks for the best Menu Bar apps that you can install on your Mac computer and take advantage of the features offered by these. I personally use Itsycal, HiddenMe, Aware, and Menu Bar Dock apps every day and I can not recommend those enough. Which app do you think is the best? Let me know in the comments below.
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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.
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 barChange Menu Bar On Mac
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 Mac
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.
Mac app personal assistant. Note: this only works for first-party icons.
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.
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.”
Show Menu Bar MacAdd 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.
Mac Menu Bar SettingsChange 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.
Mac Menu Bar On WindowsToggle 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:
Show Wi-Fi status in the menu barApple Menu Bar Mac
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.
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.
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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