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This strip of icons that runs along the top of the screen is one of the Mac’s least-utilized features. Despite appearances, the How to Customize Mac Menu bar is capable of much more than displaying the time and Wi-Fi connection.
With the right tools and toggles, the menu bar on your Mac can play a crucial role in your workflow. You can customize the row of options to your liking, rearrange the space to priorities the apps you access most frequently, and more. Here are several ways to modify your Mac’s menu bar.
How to Customize Mac Menu bar
Rearranging Menu Bar Items
- To reorder items in the Menu Bar, hover over a toggle with your cursor. In this tutorial, we are going to move the Wi-Fi button.
- Hold down the Command key on your keyboard.
- Click and drag the icon that you would like to move while continuing to press the Command key.
- Once you have placed the menu bar item in its new location, lift your finger off the Command key and your mouse or trackpad. In this example we moved the Wi-Fi icon from its original location placing it between the Spotlight (magnifying glass) and the battery indicator.
Add Menu Bar Items Using Control Center
- To add a new item from “Control Center” to the Menu Bar, first activate Control Center by clicking on its icon. The icon for Control Center illustrates on/off switches stacked vertically above and below one and another.
- Click and hold on any one of the bordered modules in “Control Center” to lift it from the menu as a standalone module. In this example we will be dragging the “Display” toggle out of Control Center and into the menu bar.
- After performing a click-and-hold action on the control module that you would like to move, drag your cursor up into the Menu Bar to add the new item. In this how-to, we added the display brightness toggle to the menu bar between keyboard brightness and battery indicator.
Quickly Removing Items From the Menu Bar
- To swiftly remove items from the menu bar hold down the Command key and hover over the control toggle that you would like to remove.
- Click and drag the menu item that you would like to remove while continuing to press the Command key. In this example we are removing the “Display” item represented by a white glyph of a computer monitor.
- Continue dragging the icon toward the center of the screen until you see a white circle with a grey “X” appear.
- Release your fingers from the Command key and your mouse or trackpad to finish removing the selected menu item. The item will dissolve and disappear.
Adding Battery Status in the Menu Bar
- To view the battery percentage on your Mac laptop start by launching the “System Preferences” app.
- Then select “Dock & Menu Bar” menu between “Mission Control” and “Desktop & Screen Saver”.
- Navigate to the “Battery” menu by scrolling down the sidebar on the left until you see a section titled “Other Modules”.
- Check the box next to the dialog that says “Show Percentage” to reveal battery percentage in the Menu Bar.
FAQ
How do I remove items from my Mac menu bar?
To remove a button, press and hold the Command key while dragging the item out of the toolbar until you hear or see a “poof” sound. Rearrange buttons by pressing and holding the Command key while dragging an item in the toolbar, then releasing it when an empty space appears.
How do I remove apps from Dock?
- Right-click or control-click the icon of the Dock item you want to remove. An expandable menu will appear.
- Choose Options > Remove from Dock from the Dock menu that appears.
- The Dock item is eliminated.