How to Reorder & Fix Menu Bar Spacing on Mac
On newer MacBook Pros, the camera Notch cuts into the menu bar. If you have too many apps, icons simply disappear behind it.
Option 1: The Hard Way (Terminal) Technical
You can change the system-wide padding between icons using Terminal commands, but it's obscure and requires logging out to take effect.
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSpacing -int 6
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int 6
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int 6
- ✗ Invisible Changes: You won't know if it worked until you log out and back in.
- ✗ Risky: Typing the wrong command could mess up your user defaults.
Option 2: The Native Way (Cmd + Drag) Limited
You can hold ⌘ (Command) and drag icons to rearrange them.
- ✓ Built-in: Works out of the box.
- ✗ Does Not Fix Spacing: Dragging icons around doesn't make them smaller. If you have too many, they still hide behind the Notch.
Option 3: The Sane Way (SaneBar) Winner
SaneBar has a dedicated feature to reclaim screen real estate. It tightens the gap between icons system-wide, often fitting 3-5 more apps before they hit the Notch.
- ✓ Smart Spacing: Reduces padding between icons to fit more on screen.
- ✓ Notch Safe: If icons still don't fit, SaneBar's "Power Search" lets you find and click them even if they are invisible.
- ✓ Easy Reorder: Use SaneBar's drag-and-drop zones to permanently organize what stays and what hides.