The notch on the MacBook Pro M4 Pro is great for screen space but can be frustrating when it hides your menu bar icons. This happens when you have too many icons on the right side, and macOS doesn’t automatically move them. If you’re struggling to access hidden items, don’t worry. This guide provides simple, step-by-step solutions to help you see and use all your menu bar icons again, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow on your new MacBook.
Why do Menu Bar Icons Disappear Behind the Notch?
The design of the MacBook Pro’s screen places a camera notch directly in the middle of the menu bar. This effectively splits the bar into a left side for application menus and a right side for system and app icons.
Your Mac’s operating system, macOS, places icons from right to left. When you have many apps running or system icons enabled, the list of icons can grow too long. Instead of wrapping or shifting, the icons simply continue behind the notch, making them invisible and impossible to click. This is a software limitation that Apple has not fully addressed, leaving users to find their own workarounds.
The problem becomes more noticeable with apps that add multiple icons to the menu bar. This can quickly lead to a crowded space where even essential icons like Wi-Fi or battery status can get pushed out of view.
The Quickest Fix: Declutter Your Menu Bar
The simplest way to solve this problem is by tidying up your menu bar. You don’t need every single icon visible at all times. By rearranging or removing icons you rarely use, you can free up valuable space and prevent them from getting lost behind the notch.
You can manually reposition most third-party and some system icons. Holding down the Command key (⌘) unlocks the menu bar, allowing you to drag and drop icons into a new order. Move your most-used icons to the far right to ensure they are always visible.
For icons you don’t need in the menu bar at all, you can often hide them or have them appear only in the Control Center.
- Open System Settings and go to Control Center.
- Find the item you want to remove, such as Bluetooth or Focus.
- Click the dropdown menu next to it and select Don’t Show in Menu Bar.
This keeps your menu bar clean while still providing quick access to settings through the Control Center.
Use a Built-in macOS Feature for Better App Compatibility
For specific applications where the app’s own menus are hidden by the notch, macOS has a built-in compatibility mode. This feature creates a black bar at the top of the screen for that app, effectively lowering the display area so that the entire application window and its menu bar appear below the notch.
This setting is applied on a per-app basis, so you can enable it only for the programs causing you trouble. It’s an excellent solution for older apps that haven’t been updated to work with the notch design.
To activate this feature:
- Make sure the app you want to adjust is closed.
- Open Finder and go to your Applications folder.
- Find the app, right-click its icon, and choose Get Info.
- In the info panel, check the box that says Scale to fit below built-in camera.
The next time you open the app, it will run in a scaled mode, guaranteeing that none of its menus or controls are obscured.
Take Control with Third-Party Menu Bar Managers
If the built-in macOS options aren’t enough, several powerful third-party applications are designed specifically for managing a crowded menu bar. These tools give you complete control over which icons are visible, when they appear, and how they are organized.
Two of the most popular options are Bartender and Hidden Bar. Bartender is a feature-rich premium app that lets you create a secondary, hidden menu bar for less-used icons. Hidden Bar is a free, open-source alternative that provides similar core functionality, allowing you to hide icons behind a single toggle.
| Feature | Bartender | Hidden Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium (One-time purchase) | Free & Open Source |
| Key Function | Hides icons in a separate bar, search, triggers | Collapses icons behind a toggle icon |
| Best For | Power users needing advanced customization | Users wanting a simple, no-cost solution |
Using one of these apps is often the best long-term solution for users who need to run many menu bar apps simultaneously.
Don’t Forget About Software Updates
Apple is aware of the usability challenges the notch can create. With each new version of macOS, the company releases bug fixes, performance improvements, and interface refinements. Sometimes, these updates include better handling of menu bar items and improved compatibility with the notch.
Keeping your MacBook Pro up to date is a simple yet effective step to ensure you have all the latest fixes from Apple. A future update could potentially improve how the system manages icon overflow, reducing the need for manual workarounds.
You can check for updates by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, it’s a good idea to install it.
Check for App-Specific Notch Settings
Some developers have added their own compatibility settings directly into their applications. This is especially common for apps that are highly dependent on menu bar functions or have complex interfaces. Before trying other solutions, it’s worth checking the preferences or settings menu of a problematic app.
For example, Google Chrome has experimental features that you can enable to improve its behavior.
- Open Chrome and type chrome://flags into the address bar.
- Use the search bar on that page to look for “notch.”
- If you find a setting related to notch support, enable it and restart the browser.
For other apps, a quick search of their support documentation or help forums for “notch” or “menu bar” might reveal a built-in solution you can activate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely remove the MacBook notch?
No, you cannot physically or digitally remove the notch itself, as it houses the camera hardware. However, you can use the “Scale to fit below built-in camera” setting for apps to create a black bar at the top, which effectively hides it within that application.
Why do only some of my apps have this menu bar problem?
This often depends on how an app was built. Newer applications designed with Apple’s latest guidelines are more likely to be “notch-aware” and adapt correctly. Older apps or those not updated recently may not account for the notch, causing their menus to get hidden.
Are there good free apps to manage menu bar icons?
Yes, Hidden Bar is a popular and effective free tool. It allows you to hide a group of icons behind a single arrow or dot icon, cleaning up your menu bar with a simple click. It’s a great starting point if you don’t need the advanced features of a paid app like Bartender.
Will Apple permanently fix the notch issue in a future update?
While Apple has made small improvements, there is no official word on a permanent, automatic fix for icon overflow. However, it remains a common user complaint, so it’s possible that a more robust solution will be introduced in a future version of macOS.
Does this issue affect all MacBook models?
No, this issue is specific to MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models that feature a camera notch at the top of the display. Older models without a notch do not experience this problem as their menu bars are uninterrupted.
