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Hidden Bar
Utility to hide menu bar items
Developer ToolsFree
v1.9
Quick Take: Hidden Bar
NaNInstall with Homebrew
brew install --cask hiddenbarWhat is Hidden Bar? — Complete Guide for Mac Users in 2026
Hidden Bar is a lightweight, open-source macOS utility developed by Dwarves Foundation designed to declutter your menu bar by hiding less frequently used icons. As of 2026, the Mac menu bar remains a prime real estate for system indicators and utility apps, but with the proliferation of background processes and the physical constraints of the MacBook 'Notch,' screen space is more valuable than ever. Hidden Bar solves this by introducing a collapsible divider system: icons placed to the left of the divider are hidden until you hover over or click an expansion arrow, while icons to the right remain visible. Originally launched as a simple alternative to paid giants like Bartender, Hidden Bar has established itself as the go-to solution for users seeking a 'set it and forget it' tool without a subscription model. It runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, and M4 chips) and is fully compatible with macOS Sequoia and newer updates. Unlike heavier alternatives that offer complex scripting or custom styling, Hidden Bar focuses purely on utility—hiding icons with zero overhead. It is particularly essential for users of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, where menu bar items can easily get obscured by the camera housing. By allowing users to segregate 'always visible,' 'hidden,' and 'always hidden' items, it restores order to the chaotic top bar of the macOS interface.
Key Features
The Collapsible Divider System
The core mechanic of Hidden Bar is its intuitive divider system. Upon installation, the app places a small arrow icon (<) and a vertical pipe (|) in your menu bar. This creates distinct zones for your icons. You simply hold the Command (⌘) key and drag your menu bar icons to the left of the pipe to hide them, or keep them to the right to maintain visibility. This drag-and-drop simplicity mimics macOS's native behavior, making the learning curve non-existent. In 2026, this feature remains the most seamless way to organize icons without diving into complex configuration menus, offering a tactile way to manage digital workspace clutter.
Auto-Hide Timer
Hidden Bar includes a customizable auto-hide feature that automatically collapses the menu bar after a set period of inactivity. This is crucial for maintaining a distraction-free environment. Users can configure the timer—typically ranging from 5 seconds to 30 seconds—ensuring that after you have checked your hidden status icons, the bar snaps back to its minimalist state without requiring a manual click. This feature works intelligently with system focus, preventing the bar from closing if you are actively interacting with a menu dropdown, which solves a common frustration found in older menu bar utilities.
Global Keyboard Shortcut Support
For power users who prefer to keep their hands on the keyboard, Hidden Bar offers a global hotkey configuration. You can map a custom shortcut (e.g., Hyper+H or Cmd+Shift+Space) to toggle the visibility of hidden icons instantly. This feature bypasses the need to move the mouse cursor to the top of the screen, significantly speeding up workflows. Whether you are a developer needing to quickly check a Docker container status or a writer wanting to verify connectivity without breaking flow, the global shortcut integrates Hidden Bar deeply into the keyboard-centric navigation of macOS.
Always Hidden Section
Beyond just hiding icons behind a toggle, Hidden Bar provides a 'super-hidden' or 'always hidden' section. This is designed for background processes that run 24/7 but require zero interaction, such as helper tools for Adobe Creative Cloud, background updaters, or audio drivers. By dragging icons into this specific zone (usually defined by a second divider in the preferences), these items are completely removed from the menu bar view, accessible only when explicitly modifying the configuration. This frees up maximum pixel width, which is vital for users on smaller MacBook Air screens.
Native macOS UI & Dark Mode Support
Hidden Bar is engineered to look and feel like a native part of macOS. It fully respects the system's Light and Dark modes, automatically adjusting its icon colors and interface elements to match your wallpaper and system theme. In 2026, where aesthetic consistency in macOS Sequoia is highly valued, Hidden Bar does not look like a third-party patch; it uses standard Apple SF Symbols and UI components. This native integration extends to resource usage—it is extremely lightweight, consuming negligible CPU and RAM compared to Electron-based alternatives, ensuring your battery life remains unaffected.
Login Start & Persistence
Reliability is key for system utilities, and Hidden Bar includes a robust 'Start at Login' feature that ensures your menu bar is organized the moment your Mac wakes up. Unlike some scripts that load late and cause icons to 'jump' around seconds after login, Hidden Bar initializes early in the boot process to maintain your layout preferences. It remembers the exact order of your icons across reboots and macOS updates. This persistence means you don't have to re-organize your menu bar every time you restart your computer, providing a stable and consistent user experience.
Who Should Use Hidden Bar?
1The Minimalist Writer
A writer using a 13-inch MacBook Air needs a pristine environment to focus. They use Hidden Bar to hide everything except the clock and Wi-Fi indicator. By setting the auto-hide timer to 10 seconds, they can quickly check battery status if needed, but for 99% of their workflow, the top of the screen remains empty, reducing visual noise and helping maintain a flow state during deep work sessions.
2The Live Streamer / Presenter
A professional who frequently shares their screen on Zoom or records tutorials needs to hide sensitive or distracting icons (like private notifications, VPN status, or messy utility icons). Before a call, they toggle Hidden Bar to collapse all non-essential items. This ensures the audience focuses only on the content being presented, while the presenter maintains easy access to those tools via a keyboard shortcut if an emergency arises.
3The DevOps Engineer
A developer running Docker, Kubernetes, database monitors, and terminal, and distinct VPN clients has a menu bar that overflows past the MacBook Pro notch. They use Hidden Bar to group these status indicators. The 'Always Hidden' section holds passive background daemons, while the toggleable section holds active monitors. This prevents icons from being cut off by the notch and allows quick status checks without opening Activity Monitor.
4The Public Kiosk Manager
An IT admin managing a Mac in a public lobby or shared workspace uses Hidden Bar to prevent users from tampering with settings. By placing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and volume controls in the hidden section (and potentially removing the expansion arrow via configuration for a 'locked' feel), they ensure the interface remains clean and users aren't tempted to adjust system configurations, while the admin can still access them via hotkey.
How to Install Hidden Bar on Mac
Installing Hidden Bar is straightforward. You can choose between the Mac App Store for automatic updates or Homebrew for easy command-line management. Here is the step-by-step guide.
1
Install via Homebrew (Recommended)
For the quickest installation that integrates with your package management, open Terminal and run the following exact command: brew install --cask hiddenbar
2
Alternative: Mac App Store
If you prefer the App Store, search for 'Hidden Bar' by Dwarves Foundation and click 'Get' to install. This ensures you get updates directly through the Apple ecosystem.
3
Launch and Grant Permissions
Open Hidden Bar from your Applications folder. macOS may prompt you to allow Hidden Bar to control your computer (Accessibility permissions). Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and toggle 'Hidden Bar' to ON.
4
Initial Setup
Once launched, hold the Command (⌘) key and drag the '|' separator icon to the left of the icons you wish to hide. Drag the '<' arrow icon to the left of the '|' to position the toggle button.
Pro Tips
- • Ensure you hold Command (⌘) while dragging icons; otherwise, they won't move.
- • If the arrow icon doesn't appear immediately, restart the app.
- • Check 'Start at Login' in the preferences immediately to keep settings persistent.
Configuration Tips
Mastering the Separators
Hidden Bar uses two distinct separators: a vertical line (|) and an arrow (<). The vertical line marks the start of the hidden area. Any icon placed to the left of this line will disappear when the bar is collapsed. The arrow is the button you click. For best results, place the arrow as the right-most item of your hidden group so it remains accessible, or keep it visible to the right of the line if you prefer a static button.
Optimizing for the Notch
If you are on a MacBook with a notch, menu bar space is limited. Configure Hidden Bar to keep only the absolute essentials (Clock, Battery, Control Center) on the right side of the permanent divider. Move everything else to the hidden section. If your hidden section is too long, it might get cut off by the notch when expanded—reorder your hidden icons so the most critical ones are closest to the expand arrow.
The 'Always Hidden' Trick
Hidden Bar technically supports a transparent zone for items you never want to see. In the preferences, enable the 'Always Hidden' section. This adds a second transparent divider. Drag icons to the left of THIS second divider, and they will vanish completely, not even showing up when you expand the bar. This is perfect for apps like Adobe Creative Cloud or Microsoft AutoUpdate helpers.
Keyboard Shortcut Fluidity
Do not rely solely on clicking. Set your toggle shortcut to something ergonomic like `Command + Shift + H`. This allows you to toggle the bar open for a split second to check a status and toggle it closed immediately without moving your mouse. This micro-optimization saves significant time over the course of a work week.
Alternatives to Hidden Bar
While Hidden Bar is an excellent free utility, the menu bar manager market is competitive. Here is how it stacks up against the top alternatives in 2026.
B
Bartender 5
Bartender is the premium standard in this category. Unlike Hidden Bar, Bartender offers advanced triggers (e.g., show battery icon only when battery is low), sophisticated styling (changing the bar's color/shape), and a search feature for icons. However, Bartender is a paid app (approx. $16). Hidden Bar is the best choice if you just want simple hiding functionality without paying, while Bartender is for power users who want total aesthetic control and automation.
I
Ice
Ice is a newer, open-source competitor that has gained traction in 2025-2026. Written in Swift, it offers a more modern codebase than Hidden Bar and includes features like 'Bar styling' (changing the menu bar color/shadow) which Hidden Bar lacks. Ice is essentially the 'modern' Hidden Bar. If Hidden Bar feels too basic or hasn't been updated recently enough for your OS version, Ice is the direct upgrade path while remaining free and open-source.
D
Dozer
Dozer is the spiritual predecessor to Hidden Bar and functions almost identically with the two-dot divider system. However, Dozer's development has been sporadic compared to Hidden Bar and Ice. Hidden Bar generally offers a slightly more polished UI preference pane and better stability on Apple Silicon. Choose Hidden Bar over Dozer for better ongoing support, but Dozer remains a viable backup if you prefer its specific icon aesthetic.
Pricing
Free / Open Source
Hidden Bar is completely free to use and open-source (MIT License). There are no in-app purchases, subscriptions, or 'Pro' unlock tiers. The source code is available on GitHub, allowing the community to audit the code for security. This makes it an incredible value proposition compared to paid alternatives like Bartender, provided you don't need advanced scripting or styling features.
Pros
- ✓Completely free and open-source (MIT License) with no ads.
- ✓Lightweight and native Apple Silicon support (M1-M4).
- ✓Simple drag-and-drop configuration using the Command key.
- ✓Global keyboard shortcut for toggling visibility.
- ✓Auto-hide timer keeps the interface clean automatically.
- ✓Includes an 'Always Hidden' section for completely removing icons.
Cons
- ✗Lacks advanced customization (cannot change bar color or shape).
- ✗No conditional triggers (e.g., show Wi-Fi only if disconnected).
- ✗Notch handling is basic compared to Bartender's specialized support.
Community & Ecosystem
Hidden Bar is backed by the Dwarves Foundation and a community of open-source contributors on GitHub. While it does not have a plugin ecosystem like some developer tools, its repository is active with issue tracking and pull requests ensuring compatibility with new macOS versions. Documentation is primarily found in the README file on GitHub, which is sufficient for its simple feature set. Support is community-driven; users can report bugs or request features directly on the GitHub issues page. In 2026, the project remains a stable, trusted utility recommended in almost every 'Top Mac Apps' thread on Reddit and Hacker News.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hidden Bar
Moving icons is a native macOS function that Hidden Bar utilizes. You must hold down the Command (⌘) key on your keyboard. While holding Command, click and drag an icon toward the Hidden Bar separators. Drag icons to the left of the vertical pipe (|) to make them hidden. Drag icons to the right of the pipe to keep them visible. If an icon refuses to move, it might be a system icon (like Control Center) which has restricted movement in newer macOS versions, or the app itself might not support standard menu bar dragging.
Our Verdict
About the Author
Related Technologies & Concepts
Dwarves FoundationmacOS SequoiaBartender 5IceHomebrewApple SiliconMenu Bar
Dwarves Foundation (The development team behind Hidden Bar.), macOS Sequoia (The operating system version Hidden Bar is compatible with in 2026.), Bartender 5 (The primary premium competitor to Hidden Bar.), Ice (A modern open-source alternative to Hidden Bar.), Homebrew (The package manager used to install Hidden Bar via command line.), Apple Silicon (Hardware platform (M1/M2/M3/M4) that Hidden Bar runs natively on.), Menu Bar (The UI element that Hidden Bar manages and organizes.)