How to Fix Menu Bar Icons Behind the MacBook Notch
On MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with a camera notch, macOS silently hides menu bar icons that don't fit. If you run more than a handful of apps, some icons simply vanish. Here's how to get them back.
Option 1: System Settings Limited
macOS does not offer a built-in way to manage menu bar overflow. You can remove some Apple system icons in System Settings → Control Center, but third-party icons cannot be controlled.
- ✓ Free: Built into macOS, no extra software.
- ✗ Apple Icons Only: Can't manage Docker, Creative Cloud, Slack, or any third-party app.
- ✗ No Overflow Fix: Doesn't help when icons are hidden behind the notch. There is no "show more" button.
Option 2: Terminal Spacing Hack Technical
You can reduce the system-wide padding between menu bar icons using hidden macOS defaults. This squeezes more icons into the available space.
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int 6
- ✓ Works: Can fit 3-5 more icons before they hit the notch.
- ✗ Requires Logout: Changes only take effect after logging out and back in.
- ✗ Trial and Error: No preview. Guess a value, logout, check. Wrong? Repeat.
- − Icons Still Hidden: If you have 50+ apps, even tight spacing won't fit everything.
Option 3: The Sane Way (SaneBar) Winner
SaneBar solves notch overflow at every level. It tightens icon spacing with a single toggle, hides overflow icons into an accessible panel, and lets you search for any icon by name — even if it's completely invisible behind the notch.
- ✓ Icon Spacing Control: Reduce the gap between all menu bar icons system-wide from Settings → Appearance. Ships with notch-friendly defaults (spacing=4, padding=4).
- ✓ Icon Panel & Second Menu Bar: Two ways to view hidden icons. The Icon Panel is a floating popup; the Second Menu Bar shows a full-width bar below your real menu bar.
- ✓ Find Icon Search: Press the hotkey, type an app name, and SaneBar virtually clicks its menu bar item — even if the icon is physically behind the notch or off-screen.
- ✓ Safety Lock: SaneBar detects when its own icon would be pushed behind the notch and refuses to hide — so you never lose control.
- ✓ Price: Basic is free. Pro is $6.99 once.