App compatibility notes
Barred works with the vast majority of macOS applications. Because it relies on the standard macOS Accessibility APIs and the native ⌘-drag gesture for rearranging items, most apps "just work".
Fully compatible
Most apps — including standard Apple apps, popular utilities, and third-party menu bar extras — work without special handling.
Known quirks
| App | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bartender / Hidden Bar / Dozer / Ice | Conflict with Barred because they manage the same menu bar items using similar techniques. Run only one menu bar manager at a time. |
| Apps with multiple status items (e.g. iStat Menus) | Each status item is detected independently and can be rearranged individually. Barred numbers them (#1, #2, …) in the detected items list. |
| Apps that reinsert their icon on restart | Some apps recreate their status item when they relaunch. Simply ⌘-drag the new icon back behind the divider when this happens. |
System items
Barred detects system items alongside third-party ones. How much you can do with each is ultimately governed by macOS:
| Item | Can be hidden | Can be rearranged |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Battery, Sound, Volume | Yes | Yes |
| Clock | Yes | No |
| Control Centre | No | No |
| Spotlight | Yes | No |
| Siri | Yes | No |
macOS restricts rearranging for a handful of system items — this is a system limitation, not a Barred bug.
macOS version support
- macOS 14 Sonoma — supported (minimum).
- macOS 15 Sequoia — supported.
Earlier versions of macOS are not supported.
Notch-equipped MacBooks
Barred is aware of the notch area on MacBook Pro. Icons that would otherwise be clipped by the notch can be moved to the hidden section for easy access via the Barred divider.
Reporting issues
If you find an app that doesn't work correctly with Barred, please open an issue with:
- The app name and version.
- What you expected to happen.
- What actually happened (screenshots help).
This helps us add specific handling for edge cases.