Hidden Bar for MAC
Free, open-source Mac utility that hides menu bar icons behind an arrow for a cleaner menu bar.
Hidden Bar Overview
Hidden Bar is a free, open-source utility that hides menu bar icons to give your Mac a cleaner look. It adds an arrow and a separator to the menu bar: icons to the left of the separator are hidden, and one click on the arrow shows or hides them again. It is very small and simple, and is made by the Dwarves Foundation under the MIT license.
Hidden Bar needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. It is available from the Mac App Store and as a direct download from GitHub; on macOS 27, use the direct download, which includes the new hiding method and needs Accessibility permission. Version 1.11.1 is the one to use there.
Key Features
Hidden Bar keeps the menu bar tidy with one arrow.
- One-click hiding: click the arrow to expand or collapse the hidden icons.
- Command-drag to arrange: drag icons across the separator to choose what is hidden.
- Auto collapse: hidden icons hide again automatically after a delay you choose.
- Always-hidden section: a second area for icons you almost never need, shown by Option-clicking the arrow.
- Global shortcut: expand or collapse from anywhere with a keyboard shortcut.
- Start at login: open Hidden Bar automatically when you log in.
- Lightweight: a download of under 1 MB.
What’s New in Version 1.11.1
Hidden Bar 1.11.1 makes hiding work on macOS 27 again.
- The direct download includes the new macOS 27 hiding; the arrow is now the divider
- Version 1.11 had been built as the App Store version by mistake and hid nothing on macOS 27
- The Preferences window now shows only the General and About tabs, without a placeholder
Hidden Bar FAQ
Is Hidden Bar free?
Yes. Hidden Bar is free and open source, released under the MIT license.
How do I hide menu bar icons with Hidden Bar?
Hold Command and drag icons to the left of Hidden Bar's separator to hide them, or to the right to keep them visible. Click the arrow to show or hide the hidden icons.
Which macOS version does Hidden Bar need?
Hidden Bar needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Does Hidden Bar work on macOS 27?
Yes, with version 1.11.1 from GitHub. It uses a new hiding method that needs Accessibility permission; without it, the bar stays expanded. Because it relies on a private Apple framework, a future macOS update could affect it.
Should I get Hidden Bar from the Mac App Store or GitHub?
Both are official. On macOS 27, use the GitHub download: the App Store version is sandboxed and cannot use the new hiding method there.
What is the always-hidden section?
It is a second area for icons that stay hidden even when you expand the bar. Turn it on in Preferences and Option-click the arrow to show it.
Can Hidden Bar hide icons again automatically?
Yes. Turn on Auto collapse in Preferences and choose a delay; Hidden Bar won't collapse while your pointer is in the menu bar.
Why are some new app icons already hidden?
This is expected: a new or just-updated app's icon can appear on the hidden side. Command-drag it to the right of the separator once to keep it visible.
Is Hidden Bar safe to install?
Yes. Outside the App Store, Hidden Bar is notarized by Apple before it is distributed, and its code is public on GitHub.
Where does the Hidden Bar download on hidden-bar.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to Hidden Bar's official GitHub page at https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden, where the latest release is listed. hidden-bar.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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