Make your Mac invincible
How to Uninstall McAfee from Mac in One Click. If it is difficult for you to manually uninstall McAfee. Unlike other menu bar items, when you right-click on the Adobe Creative Cloud icon, you are not given the option to quit the application. Even unchecking 'always look for updates' will not remove this.
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 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 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.
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.”
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:
- Open Finder.
- Select Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar.
- Type a path: /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras.
- Double-click an item and it will instantly appear in your menu bar.
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:
- Click on the icon and open Users & Groups Preferences.
- Enter your password to unlock.
- Select Login Options in the bottom left corner of the Users & Groups.
- Go to “Show fast user switching menu” and pick one of the options.
- Untick the box if you prefer to remove the icon from the menu bar.
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.
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?
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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Menu bar has always been one defining characteristic of Mac operating system, which is often overlooked by users. But the power of Mac’s menu bar cannot be neglected! Today’s Apple menu is a repository for all the stuff you need to have a quick access to. We have jotted down a list of 10 useful menu bar applications which can significantly boost your productivity as well as enhance Mac’s performance.
Also Read: 10 Best Mac Apps you don’t want to miss in 2017
Here you go!
10 Best Mac Menu Bar Apps:-
1. Noizio
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. Get the app here
2. One
Avid readers cannot afford to miss this app! It aggregates news from latest websites like Reddit, Product Hunt, Medium, etc. in a readable and simplistic manner. Get the app here
3.Disk Clean Pro
Keep your Mac fast and error free by installing the disk clean pro application. Disk Clean Pro is a powerful memory optimizer tool to enhances your mac’s performance in a single click. Not only this, it also gets rid of duplicates to save yourself some storage space. Get the App here
Lock Menu Bar On Mac
4.F.lux
The app works perfectly in reducing eye strain by optimizing your Mac’s display to match the time of the day.
P.S. Your eyes will thank us later! Get the app here
5. Endurance
Just as the name says, Endurance increases your Mac’s battery life by removing unwanted applications and shutting down programs that suck up the maximum amount of energy. Get the app here
Also Read: 10 Best Mac Cleaner Software to speed up your Mac
6.InsomniaX
InsomniaX disable the sleep mode of your Mac so that any of the music or movies which are probably being downloaded in the background don’t get disrupted. Get the app here
7.Popshot
Popshot is a handy app for your mac’s menu bar that quickly lets you take and capture screenshots. With PopShot, you can specify capture settings before you take a screenshot. The app saves screenshot info to your clipboard (and across app sessions!) for easy sharing. Get the app here
8. Simplify
This is one essential app for your menu bar-especially if you’re a music lover. This app could be your best friend. With just one click from the menu bar, Simplify lets you control a host of music apps. The supported list includes the desktop apps (Spotify, iTunes, Rdio, etc.) as well as web-based streaming apps (Pandora, Deezer, etc.). Get the app here
9. Paste
This app keeps track of everything you’ve ever copied, and allow you to see and use your clipboard history whenever you need it. It’ll keep track of text, images, links, files, and more. It’s one super useful application that will surely enhance your productivity. Get the app here
10. Bartender
Now that you’ve got so many apps, somebody gottta take charge. Bartender quickly reorders apps in menu bar according to your preference. It lets you keep your menu bar managed in a neat and tidy format. Get the app here
Also Read: 10 Reasons Why Mac is Better and Faster than Windows
These were just a few mac applications for your menu bar; Market is flooded with a bunch of applets which can make your life much easier. Let us know if you happen to know any other useful app which works wonder with your Mac.
We’d be more than happy to add an extra star in our list.
How To Remove App Menu Bar On Mac Os
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