How to hide menu bar icons on Mac – for free!
2 May 2017, 09:30

For many Mac power-users the Bartender app has been a solid inclusion in their must-have list of apps. It’s asking price isn’t high at $15 but there’s now a way to get the most vital feature it provides – hiding any menu bar icons you select – entirely for free.
All you need do is install the Vanilla app, which was created by Mac developer Matthew Palmer. There is a “Pro” upgrade available for $3.99 that’s well worth it but the core functionality is entirely free – and there are no nags aside from a prompt that appears within the Preferences dialog box.
Here’s a GIF showing how Vanilla works when you hide and unhide menu bar icons:

Once the app is up and running you can expand the Vanilla enclosure, then hold down the Cmd key to grab an existing menu bar icon and put it inside – just ensure the icon is placed to the left of the little dot, which will shift to the right to make space. Again, here’s a GIF showing me adding a few menu bar icons:

To open the app’s preferences, just unfold Vanilla so the hidden menu bar icons are visible, and then click the dot, before selecting the menu option.
Leave a comment...
I really hate apps that come along, steal someone else idea, and just charge less for it.
— Michael Quinn · May 2, 01:59 PM · #
Michael, you should stop using Microsoft Office, or Windows, or Linux, or indeed most apps because all are not the first implementation of that idea.
— Keir Thomas · May 4, 12:43 AM · #

◀︎ Charge your iPhone without the chime or buzz
Fill your Mac's menu bar with USEFUL info! ▶︎