Menu Bar apps sit in your Macâs menu bar and provide access to an array of features and services, all with just a simple click or tap of the appâs menu bar icon. They can bring additional productivity, utility, or security, or add useful information to your Macâs menu bar.
The basic menu bar with Apple-supplied menu items shown.
Our list of 15 menu bar apps is by no means all-inclusive; there are so many apps available that it would take quite a while to combine them into a single list. Instead, Iâve gathered a list of menu bar apps that Iâve either used or are popular in the Mac community, and are worth trying out.
Letâs start our list of favorite menu bar apps with ones that enhance your productivity.
Calendars
Numark cue software. Yes, your Mac comes with its own Calendar app, which does a pretty good job of keeping track of dates and notifying you of upcoming events. But to add, edit, and view the calendars, the app needs to be running. Thatâs where menu bar-based calendar apps shine, letting you work with your calendars directly from the menu bar.
Fantastical
Jun 07, 2017 BitBar: Put the output from any script in your Mac OS X Menu Bar âAmong many other scripts, I use this to output the local time + timezone of some of our remote employees that I work with so I can at-a-glance know what time it is there before I interact with them (and possibly wake them up!)â.
Currently at version 2, Fantastical started life as strictly a menu bar app but has grown into a full-fledged Mac app. Thankfully, the folks who make Fantastical didnât abandon the menu bar; version 2 has all the original benefits of a lightweight menu bar app, as well as the power of a full app when you need it.
Fantastical provides easy access to your current calendar and upcoming events.
Sequence analysis software for mac. Fantastical supports multiple calendars, and calendar sets, which can automatically switch their active/inactive states depending on your location. This lets you set up calendars for work as well as home, and automatically switch between them.
⢠Fantastical 2 is $49.99, with a 21-day free trial.
Itsycal
If the Macâs Calendar app is performing well for you, and the feature youâre really missing is access to Calendar from the menu bar, Itsycal is the menu bar app for you. Itsycal can display a monthly view of your Calendar appâs information, including showing events that are scheduled. If you need additional information, you can open the Calendar app directly from Itsycal.
⢠Itsycal is free.
Contact Managers
There are a number of contact managers for the Mac but most are full-fledged apps, with only minimal, if any, menu bar support. One of the exceptions is the app below.
Cardhop
Cardhop is the preferred way to access, edit, add to, and just work with the Macâs Contacts app. For many Mac and iOS device users, Cardhop is the only method they use to manage their contacts; thatâs how powerful this menu bar app is.
Cardhop can show upcoming events and recent contacts, as well as all of the cards in the Macâs Contacts app.
Cardhop makes use of a powerful search capability that allows you to find contact information based on just about any detail that may be present in a contacts card. Search by name, address, birth date, or any criteria; itâs as easy as clicking or tapping the Cardhop menu bar item and starting to type. Cardhop will display any matching cards it finds.
Adding or editing contacts is just as easy; just enter the name and details and Cardhop takes care of the rest. Cardhop also includes the ability to add note fields, to enter personal details about your contact, and a timestamp field to create a history of your contacts.
One of the best features of Cardhop is its ability to act on a contact you select. If you need to send an email or make a phone call, Cardhop can launch the appropriate app to send an email or connect to your Bluetooth phone, use Wi-Fi calling, or get the macOS Continuity feature to make calls for you.
⢠Cardhop is $19.99 and is available with a 21-day free trial.
System Utilities
Menu bar-based system utilities have a tendency to overpopulate my menu bar. It seems the techie in me wants to know how my Macâs resources are being used any time Iâm using it. There are a number of system menu bar apps, but here are a few of my favorites.
iStat Menus
This system utility will place a number of items in your menu bar to monitor the performance of your Mac. You can keep track of CPU and GPU performance, memory usage, disk access, and network usage; thereâs also a large array of built-in system sensors, including various temperature, voltage, current, and wattage readings, You can even measure ambient light levels, if your Mac is properly equipped.
The compact menu bar menus in iStat Menus can reveal details about how your Mac is performing.
iStat Menus can monitor just about every aspect of your Macâs performance and do it without taking up too much of your menu barâs real estate.
⢠iStat Menus is available for $11.99 for a single Mac, or $14.99 for a 5-user family pack. A 14-day free trial is available.
MenuMeters
The original MenuMeters was a handy menu bar system monitor by Alex Harper that stopped working when OS X El Capitan was introduced. Since then, the original open source app has been forked by various developers, to accommodate the newer versions of the Mac OS. This version works with OS X El Capitan through macOS Mojave.
MenuMeters installs as a preference pane that allows you to specify how each item (CPU, Disk, Memory, and Network) should be displayed in the menu bar. You can control the type of information displayed, update intervals, and in some cases, the colors to be used.
⢠MenuMeters is free.
Memory Clean
Unlike the other system monitor utilities in this group, Memory Clean is dedicated to monitoring a Macâs memory. It can keep track of memory usage, how memory is being used, which apps are memory hogs, and which apps are inactive but still tying up memory.
Keeping track of how your memory is being used is one of the many tasks Memory Clean can perform for you.
Additionally, Memory Clean can also purge inactive memory, freeing up RAM that was set aside for apps that are no longer running. Dlna server app for mac.
⢠Memory Clean, currently at version 3, is $9.99. A free trial is available.
Mac Fan Control
This menu bar app can monitor the temperature sensors built into your Mac. But it doesnât stop there; Mac Fan Control can use the temperature information to control the speed of your Macâs fans.
You can set a constant fan speed, or assign one of the temperature sensors to be used to regulate a fanâs speed.
Mac Fan Control is a great way to silence a noisy fan momentarily while you perform a critical task, such as recording from a microphone that is located near your Mac. Itâs also commonly used to set a fanâs speed when a temperature sensor was broken during an upgrade or tear down that went awry.
⢠Mac Fan Control is $14.95; a free trial period is available.
f.lux
One of the new features of the macOS was Night Shift, a system that reduces blue light from the display as the evening approaches. The idea is to enhance your sleep cycle by reducing blue light output from a digital display that can interfere with your natural circadian rhythm.
The f.lux app has been providing the same type of capabilities for a lot longer and may be in a better position to provide a better implementation. The f.lux system provides more control to the user and does a better job of reducing blue spectrum output of a display in the evening.
If you need a better nightâs sleep after working on your Mac all day, give f.lux a look-see.
⢠f.lux is free.
Battery Monitors
Mac laptop users need a reliable way to monitor their Macâs battery to help them stay informed about the current state of the battery, how much run-time is left, and the overall health of the battery.
coconutBattery
This battery monitor has been a Mac staple since 2005. Since then, coconutBattery has branched out to provide battery-monitoring services to the iPhone and iPad, as well as the Mac.
coconutBattery displays your current battery health, how often the battery was charged, the age of the battery, current charge, original and current capacity, battery temperature, and much more.
⢠coconutBattery is available in a free basic version and a Plus version for $9.95.
Battery Health
Understanding how well your battery is performing is one of the goals of the Battery Health app, but it can also help you prolong the batteryâs runtime and longevity.
Battery Health displays the usual battery details: current battery health, capacity, charging cycles, battery temperature, age, manufacture date, the remaining charge on the battery, and how long it will take to fully charge the battery. It can also help you increase the battery runtime by showing you which apps are using the most energy.
Battery Health can also display the battery levels of connected Bluetooth devices, such as your Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, or AirPod.
Battery Health also works for iPhone and iPad devices.
⢠Battery Health is $9.99; a 3-day free trial is available.
Security
There are quite a few apps for detecting malware that utilize the menu bar. But in many cases, the menu bar is used to launch the associated app. So, instead of listing those security apps, I went with a favorite password manager.
1Password
This password manager has long been a popular Mac app for creating and managing all of a userâs passwords. It provides access via the included full-featured app as well as from the menu bar, and from most Mac web browsers.
![]()
The 1Password web extension can handle most of your web-based login and password needs, but with the addition of the menu bar interface, 1Password can be used with any app as well as any web page, even when a web page hinders the use of a password manager.
1Password can generate complex passwords for you and make sure youâre not using duplicate passwords. Since 1Password is storing the passwords and login information for you in an encrypted database, you donât need to worry about remembering every password, 1Password takes care of that for you.
⢠1Password is available for single users and a 5-user family license, as well as business licenses. A free 30-day trial is available.
File Access
If your Mac is getting a little weighed down with apps and files, either of these file access apps can help you find everything faster.
XMenu
This simple little app adds one or more menu items to the menu bar; each menu bar item can be populated with apps, folders, documents, or text snippets.
⢠XMenu is free and available from the Mac App Store.
Shortcut Bar
Another menu bar app designed to give you quick access to your favorite items, including apps, documents, folders, bookmarks, text snippets, and color swatches.
Shortcut Bar lets you create your own list of important locations and documents that you want to have quick access to.
Items can be organized into groups that can be expanded or hidden as needed â a helpful feature when your Shortcut Bar gets a bit overpopulated.
⢠Shortcut Bar is $8.99; a free trial is available.
Weather
In the Weather and Menu Bar Utility categories, I only found one app for each thatâs worthy of mention.
Meteorologist
There have been quite a few weather widgets for the menu bar, but for me, Meteorologist stands out because of the details it can provide and the community of developers/supporters that keep the app up to date. Meteorologist supports up to eight different locations that can use one of nine different weather services, letting you pick the best service for your location.
Menu Bar UtilityBartender
Now that youâve likely overpopulated your Macâs menu bar, you may find yourself needing a bartender; by that I mean an app named Bartender that can manage all those menu bar icons.
Bartender can organize, rearrange, and hide or show items. It can also automatically highlight menu bar icons when they update, such as battery alerts, memory filling up, or other notifications a menu bar app may support.
⢠Bartender is $15.00; a free 4-week trial is available.
Whatâs Your Favorite Menu Bar App?
Let us know which menu bar apps you use, or which ones you donât like, by using the comments section below.
Be Sociable, Share This!
Prices, terms, and availability subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical, technical, or descriptive errors of products herein.
OWC is on-site wind turbine powered at 8 Galaxy Way, Woodstock, IL 60098 | 1-800-275-4576 | +1-815-338-8685 (International) All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2018, OWC â Since 1988
The Dock in macOS is more flexible than you may realize. H.264 remote viewing software for mac. Change the size, location, color and more to fit your personal preferences.
The Dock is one of Appleâs most iconic features. It showcases the intuitive nature of their design while remaining highly customizable!
Anyone can change what app shortcuts are available on the Dock. But what you may not realize is that you can also customize the Dockâs size, color, location, and more.
Contents
Related Posts:Change the Size
The dock automatically resizes depending on how many apps it holds.However, you can also resize the icons themselves, making the Dock much larger or smaller.
There are two ways to do this: with the mouse or through the System Preferences.
Using the mouse is quickest. Simply hover it over one of the vertical dividers on the Dock and drag up or down to make the Dock bigger or smaller. If that wasnât easy enough, open the System Preferences and click the Dock button. The slider at the top of the window adjusts your Dock size.
Turn On Magnification
Magnification enlarges icons on the Dock as you hover your mouse over them. This is great for if youâve got lots of icons, a small Dock, or a sight impairment.
Turn on Magnification by going to the Dock menu of System Preferences and ticking the Magnification checkbox. The slider to the right allows you to alter the amount of magnification to your personal taste.
Change the Location
By default, the Dock sits at the bottom of the screen. However, if you prefer you could move it to the left or right edge instead. Depending on how you use your Mac, this might make it easier to access the Dock when you need it.
Change the location of the Dock by holding shift while you click and drag one of the vertical dividers. Pull your mouse to a different edge of the screen to see the Dock relocate to that position.
Alternatively, in the Dock System Preferences, you can choose where you want the Dock to be positioned by selecting one of three options: Left, Bottom, or Right.
Hide the Dock
Free up some Desktop real estate by hiding your Dock when you donât need it.
This handy feature allows more space for multitasking while keeping the Dock within easy reach off the screen. When you want the Dock to reappear, move your mouse to the screenâs edge and it will pop out â just like in fullscreen mode.
You can hide or show the Dock at any time by pressing cmd+alt+D. Or go to the Dock options in System Preferences and tick âAutomatically hide and show the Dockâ.
Change the Color
With Dark Mode on, the Dock, menu bar, Notification Centre, Finder windows, Spotlight search, and more will be dark grey or black giving a sleek new look to macOS.
Turn on Dark Mode by going into the General menu of your System Preferences. Two boxes of the top give the options of Light or Dark color schemes.
Favorite Apps
The largest part of the Dock holds shortcuts to your favorite apps. Theyâre easy to add, remove, or reorder by clicking and dragging the icons.
![]()
To remove an app, drag it off of the Dock or into the Trash â donât worry, itâll still be available to in Spotlight or Finder.
Alternately drag apps onto the Dock from the Finder window to add them to your favorites. You could also drag apps from the recent applications section of the Dock into your favorites to create permanent shortcuts.
Recent Applications
This new section of the Dock sits between favorite apps and the stack and files. It updates automatically with whatever apps are currently running or to show three recently used applications.
You can turn this feature on or off in the System Preferences. Under the Dock menu, check or uncheck the box labeled âShow recent applications in Dockâ.
Stacks and Files
The farthest right section of the Dock is used to store stacks, files, and the Trash.
Stacks and files can be added to the Dock by dragging any files or folders from the Finder. Keeping them here makes them easily accessible and is useful if you use certain items frequently.
Stacks work just like folders: click to open and see all the files inside. By control-clicking a stack, you can customize how it opens: fan grid or list. You can also choose to view it as a traditional folder icon.
Extra EffectsBest Mac Os AppsOpen Indicators
The little round dots that appear beneath icons on the Dock indicate whether that application is running or not. You can turn this effect on or off using the Systems Preferences checkbox labeled âShow indicators for open applicationsâ.
Opening Animations
The System Preferences checkbox labeled âAnimate opening applicationsâ determines whether or not icons bounce up and down upon opening. Some users have suggested that turning this feature off improves performance in macOS, although for most users the difference appears to be negligible at best.
Minimize Effect
The Minimize effect allows you to move an applicationâs window to the Dock when you arenât using it. This is a great organization method and can help to clear multiple windows when working.
Through the System Preferences, you can choose to store minimized windows within the appâs icon or to keep them in a row alongside your Stacks and Files. You can also choose to have a window minimize when you double-click its title bar.
We hope that gives you some insight into how to customize the Dock on macOS. Experiment to find your favorite settings and let us know them in the comments!
Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.
He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.
Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.
Mac Os App StoreRelated Posts:Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |