dwarvesf/hidden: An ultra-light MacOS utility that helps hide menu bar icons

An ultra-light MacOS utility that helps hide menu bar icons - dwarvesf/hidden

Summary

Hidden is a lightweight macOS utility written in Swift that hides menu bar items for a cleaner display. It targets macOS 13 Ventura and later, with an older release available for systems running High Sierra through Monterey.

What it is useful for

Menu bar icons can quickly make a Mac workspace feel crowded, especially when several utilities and background applications add status indicators. Hidden provides a simple way to reduce that visual clutter without managing each application separately.

For engineers, this can be useful before sharing a screen, recording a demonstration, or switching into a focused development session where the menu bar contains more icons than needed. The utility handles presentation rather than application lifecycle: the README does not claim that hidden icons are stopped, disabled, or prevented from running.

Its interaction model is deliberately small. A single arrow control hides menu bar items, while Command-dragging lets the user reposition Hidden among the other icons. That makes it practical to keep available as part of a regular macOS setup rather than a separate configuration workflow.

How engineers can use it

1. Check the operating system. Current releases require macOS 13.0 or newer. On macOS 10.13 through 12, the README directs users to the final supported release, v1.10, because newer versions rely on the SMAppService API introduced in Ventura.

2. Install the app. The documented options are:

   • Install it from the Mac App Store.
   • Use Homebrew:

     brew install --cask hiddenbar
     

   • Download the latest release manually, open it, and drag the app into the Applications folder.

3. Add it to the menu bar. Launch Hidden, then drag its icon to the right while holding Command, placing it between other menu bar icons.

4. Use it during work. Click the arrow icon when the extra menu bar items are not needed. Use Command-drag if the icon’s position needs to change.

The README also links to a manual covering settings, Terminal-only options, and troubleshooting, plus an architecture document explaining the hiding mechanism and known limits. Engineers interested in changing the project should read CONTRIBUTING.md first. The supplied README does not give a direct source-build command; it points maintainers to docs/RUNBOOK.md for the build, behavioral verification, and release process.