How do I add apps to the menu bar on a Mac?

Apps add their own menu bar icon when they run, often with a setting to hide it. For system controls such as Battery, Bluetooth or Sound, open System Settings, Menu Bar and choose which to show.

How do I remove an app from the menu bar on a Mac?

Hold Command and drag its icon out of the menu bar, or turn it off under Allow in the Menu Bar in System Settings, Menu Bar. Quitting the app also removes its icon.

Why are my menu bar apps not showing?

On a MacBook with a notch they may be hidden behind it when there are too many icons. They may also be turned off under Allow in the Menu Bar in System Settings, Menu Bar.

Are these menu bar apps free?

Scrollwise is free, with an optional Pro for $2.99 once. Notchet and DisplayShift are free for 7 days, then a one-time payment.

Do these apps work on a Mac without a notch?

Yes. Notchet drops from the top centre of the screen, DisplayShift opens from a pill just under the menu bar, and Scrollwise only needs its menu bar icon.

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Mac guide

Menu bar apps worth installing on a new MacBook

By Aqib Javed · Updated Nov 2, 2026

Start with what macOS already offers: System Settings, Menu Bar lets you add Battery percentage, Bluetooth, Sound, Display, Now Playing, Weather and more. Then add apps for the gaps macOS leaves. The three I make are small menu bar apps: Notchet keeps clipboard history in the notch, DisplayShift moves the windows you pick when you plug in a monitor, and Scrollwise keeps natural scrolling on the trackpad while a wheel mouse scrolls the classic way.

What macOS already puts in the menu bar

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sound, Display, Focus and Screen Mirroring.
Battery, with the charge percentage under Battery Options.
Now Playing, either always or only while something plays.
Time Machine, VPN, Weather, Spotlight and Siri.
Fast User Switching, as your full name, account name or an icon.
The clock, with seconds, the date and an analogue face under Clock Options.

Before installing anything, open System Settings and click Menu Bar (on macOS 26 and later; earlier versions call it Control Center). Under Menu Bar Controls you can show these, each with its own icon:

Notchet: clipboard history in the notch

Notchet keeps everything you copy, text, images, links, colours and files, and drops out of the MacBook notch when you press Option Command V or rest the pointer there. Pick a card and it pastes where you were; Shift Return pastes it as plain text. Command-click several cards to paste them together, or press Option Return to queue them so each Command V pastes the next. It reads the text inside screenshots, so search finds them, never saves passwords from password managers, and hides API keys copied in Terminal. On a Mac without a notch it drops from the top centre of the screen.

Option Command V is also Finder's shortcut for moving copied files, so pick another shortcut in Notchet if you use that. Free for 7 days, then $9.99 once for 2 Macs, also on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later.

DisplayShift: windows that follow your monitors

For anyone who docks a MacBook. When a display connects, a panel drops out of the notch listing every open window, full screen apps and other desktops included. Tick what should move and it moves. Rules per app say whether it stays on the MacBook, goes to the external display or never moves when you plug in. Control Option Command M opens the picker, Control Option Command T tiles up to four apps, and named layouts get their own shortcuts. It puts windows back after sleep, and works with two or more external displays.

Free for 7 days, then $6.99 once, or $1.49 a month or $4.99 a year, for 1 Mac. macOS 14 or later.

Scrollwise: the right scroll direction for each device

macOS has one natural scrolling switch for the trackpad and the mouse. Scrollwise sets the direction per device, so the trackpad scrolls naturally and a wheel mouse the classic way, and it recognises Apple's Magic Mouse on its own. You leave the macOS switch alone. That part is free.

Scrollwise Pro, $2.99 once, adds scroll speed and smooth scrolling for wheel mice, pointer speed per mouse, back and forward on side buttons, Shift and the wheel for sideways scrolling, per-app settings and profiles. macOS 14 or later.

Keep the menu bar tidy

Hold Command and drag an icon to move it. Hold Command and drag it out of the menu bar to remove it.
In System Settings, Menu Bar, Allow in the Menu Bar, turn off icons from apps you don't need to see. Turning one off stops it appearing at all.
On a MacBook with a notch, icons that don't fit right of the notch are hidden behind it. Put the ones you use most on the right, nearest the clock, and remove the rest.
Some controls can also live in Control Center instead of the menu bar, which keeps them one click away without the icon.

Questions

How do I add apps to the menu bar on a Mac?: Apps add their own menu bar icon when they run, often with a setting to hide it. For system controls such as Battery, Bluetooth or Sound, open System Settings, Menu Bar and choose which to show.
How do I remove an app from the menu bar on a Mac?: Hold Command and drag its icon out of the menu bar, or turn it off under Allow in the Menu Bar in System Settings, Menu Bar. Quitting the app also removes its icon.
Why are my menu bar apps not showing?: On a MacBook with a notch they may be hidden behind it when there are too many icons. They may also be turned off under Allow in the Menu Bar in System Settings, Menu Bar.
Are these menu bar apps free?: Scrollwise is free, with an optional Pro for $2.99 once. Notchet and DisplayShift are free for 7 days, then a one-time payment.
Do these apps work on a Mac without a notch?: Yes. Notchet drops from the top centre of the screen, DisplayShift opens from a pill just under the menu bar, and Scrollwise only needs its menu bar icon.