You Can Finally Clean Up Your Mac’s Menu Bar (Without Using Third-Party Software)

The Mac menu bar is a bit of a mess. Way too many applications want to put icons in the top-right corner of the screen, and most users only want to see a fraction of those. This is a particular problem on recent MacBooks, where the camera notch blacks out a chunk of space right in the middle of the menu bar. This is why applications for cleaning up the Mac menu bar are so popular—the clutter can feel overwhelming.

Here's the thing, though: You probably don't need to leave applications like that running constantly. You can hide icons in macOS' Settings, then use a free tool once to move all the icons closer together. Here's how.

How to hide icons in Mac System Settings

Tahoe, also known as macOS 26, gave users a lot to talk about, which meant a few features were broadly overlooked. One of them: the ability to hide any menu bar icon, no third party software required. To use this feature open System Settings and head to the Menu Bar section. You will see the ability to toggle system icons, like Siri and Spotlight, on and off. Keep scrolling, though, and you'll find the ability to hide icons for any of your installed applications. Just toggle off any application you'd rather not see in the menu bar and it will disappear.

I've been using this to disable unwanted icons for months, and it's working well for me. Having said that, though, it isn't a perfect replacement. Applications like Bartender and Ice don't just hide icons—they give you access to a secondary tray where you can still occasionally access icons you hid. There's no quick way to do that using the macOS settings. Still: It's a free way to hide unwanted icons, and there's no need to keep third party software running.

Reduce the spacing between icons in the menu bar

If your menu bar still feels crowded, you can free up a bit more space by squeezing all of your icons together. A free application called Menu Bar Spacing lets you change the spacing in your menu bar. Just download the application, move the slider, and your icons will move closer together.

The great thing about Menu Bar Spacing, as an application, is that it doesn't need to run constantly. You can launch it once, make the changes you like, and then delete it—your setting will still apply. This is because the application changes a few hidden macOS settings. You can make the changes yourself using the Terminal if you prefer not to use an app, but I think the app makes things a little bit easier.

There's a bit of a caveat for macOS 26 users. Because of a bug, only Apple's own icons will move closer together at first. Your other applications will need to be restarted before they bunch closer together. That means you'll need to manually close and re-launch each application, or simply restart your Mac. It's annoying, but only relevant right after you change the settings. And you'll have a lot more space on your menu bar once you're done.