Menu bar icons hidden behind the notch: every fix on macOS 27
By Teekam Suthar · · 4 min read
On a MacBook with a notch, the menu bar only has room for so many icons beside the camera, and the ones that don't fit get hidden behind it. On macOS 27, those icons move behind an arrow at the edge of the menu bar instead: click the arrow to see them.
To stop icons disappearing in the first place, you need fewer of them, or an app that hides the ones you rarely use. Here's every option, starting with the free ones.
Why the notch hides icons
The notch covers the middle of the menu bar on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models that have one. Your app's menus fill the menu bar from the left and your icons fill it from the right, and nothing can be drawn under the camera. When the icons reach the notch, the rest don't fit.
Before macOS 27, they simply vanished. On macOS 27, they go behind an arrow, so at least you can still reach them.
1. Click the arrow (macOS 27)
On macOS 27, look for the arrow at the edge of your menu bar icons. Click it and the icons that didn't fit appear.
You can't choose which icons go behind the arrow, though. To keep the ones you use every day visible, try the next steps.
2. Turn off icons you don't use
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings.
- Click Menu Bar in the sidebar.
- Turn off Apple's icons you never click under Menu Bar Controls, and other apps' icons under Allow in the Menu Bar.
Most people can get rid of three or four icons this way, which is often enough to clear the notch.
3. Keep the important icons near the clock
Hold Command and drag an icon to move it. Icons are lined up from the clock leftwards, so the ones furthest from the clock are the first to hit the notch. Keep the icons you need every day close to the clock.
4. Combine several icons into one
Battery, Wi-Fi and memory would take three spots, and most people glance at them all day. DuoBar shows all three in one icon, so you can turn off Apple's separate Battery and Wi-Fi icons and get that room back. Click it for a page per reading, plus network, Bluetooth, sound, CPU and disk.
Before:
After, with DuoBar in place of Apple's battery and Wi-Fi icons and a few unused icons switched off:
DuoBar doesn't hide other apps' icons. It frees up room so fewer of them reach the notch.
5. Use a menu bar manager
If you have many icons you want to keep but rarely click, a menu bar manager hides them until you need them. macOS 27 changed how menu bar icons are hidden, and not every manager has caught up:
| App | On macOS 27 | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Bar | Works in version 1.11.1 from GitHub. The Mac App Store version can't hide icons | Free |
| Thaw | Thaw 3, in beta, is made for macOS 27 | Free |
| Bartender | Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27 | Paid |
| Ice | No macOS 27 release yet | Free |
Hidden Bar, Thaw, Ice and Bartender on macOS 27 has the details and links to each app's release notes.
FAQ
Why are my menu bar icons hidden behind the notch?
There isn't room for them. On a MacBook with a notch, nothing can be drawn under the camera, so when your icons reach it, the rest don't fit. On macOS 27 they move behind an arrow at the edge of the menu bar instead of disappearing.
How do I see menu bar icons hidden by the notch on macOS 27?
Click the arrow at the edge of your menu bar icons. The icons that didn't fit appear. To keep an icon visible all the time, turn off icons you don't use in System Settings › Menu Bar, or move it closer to the clock with Command-drag.
Can I hide the notch on a MacBook?
You can't remove it, since it holds the camera. Some apps paint the menu bar black so the notch blends in, but that doesn't give your icons more room.
What's the best app for menu bar icons hidden behind the notch?
It depends on how many icons you have. If it's a few too many, turn off the ones you don't use and combine the rest, for example with DuoBar. If it's lots, a menu bar manager like Thaw, Hidden Bar's GitHub version or Bartender 7 can hide them until you need them.