How to Customize the macOS Menu Bar

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Reposition menu bar icons

   Hold the Command (⌘) key on your keyboard. Click and drag any third-party menu bar icon to your preferred location along the bar. Release the mouse button to set the new position.

   Note: This only applies to third-party apps and specific system icons.
2. 1 min

   Remove third-party icons

   Click and drag the unwanted icon downward, away from the menu bar toward your desktop. A small 'x' will appear on the icon cursor. Release the mouse button to remove the item from the menu bar.

   Note: Removing an icon does not uninstall the application.
3. 1 min

   Adjust system control icons

   Open System Settings from the Apple menu. Navigate to Control Center in the sidebar. Use the dropdown menus to toggle specific modules between 'Show in Menu Bar' and 'Don't Show in Menu Bar'.

4. 1 min

   Configure Clock and Battery display

   Within System Settings, select Control Center. Scroll to the Clock section to toggle the display of the date, day, or seconds. Select the Battery section to toggle the 'Show Percentage' switch.

5. 1 min

   Enable automatic menu bar hiding

   Navigate to System Settings. Select Control Center, then scroll down to the 'Automatically hide and show the menu bar' section. Choose 'Always' or 'In Full Screen Only' from the dropdown menu.

   Note: This creates more vertical screen real estate.