How can I get rid of icons in the top menu bar?

[jojoba]

I mean the menu bar where the battery status, time and date, spotlight looking glass etc are. I can't figure out how to remove stuff from it. I found some instructions on the web that said hold the cmd key down and drag them to the desktop, but this didn't work for me.

Any ideas?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

What Mac OS X version do you use then?
It works for me in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (as shown below) with Mac OS X native and not native Menu Bar items:

 

[jojoba]

What Mac OS X version do you use then?
It works for me in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (as shown below) with Mac OS X native and not native Menu Bar items:

YouTube: video​

Thanks for that! I tried again now and what's a bit weird is that it works with some icons and not others. For example, it works with Time Machine, BlueTooth and my VPN-icon, but it doesn't work with Papers, Evernote or Google Docs.

I use Mountain Lion.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks for that! I tried again now and what's a bit weird is that it works with some icons and not others. For example, it works with Time Machine, BlueTooth and my VPN-icon, but it doesn't work with Papers, Evernote or Google Docs.

I use Mountain Lion.

But they probably have a setting in their preferences to disable a Menu Bar icon? I do not have any of those applications, thus I cannot test.

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks for that! I tried again now and what's a bit weird is that it works with some icons and not others. For example, it works with Time Machine, BlueTooth and my VPN-icon, but it doesn't work with Papers, Evernote or Google Docs.

I use Mountain Lion.

If you can't Command-drag them off, check the app's preferences to see if there's an option to show or hide the icon on the Menu Bar. You can also Option-click the icon and you may find an option there. If the icon appears on every restart, check the following locations for apps that automatically launch on startup and delete any you don't need/want:

• System Preferences > Accounts > yourusername > Login Items
  (Lion and ML users: System Preferences > Users & Groups > yourusername > Login Items)
  
  
• /Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• /Library/StartupItems/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)

 

[jojoba]

But they probably have a setting in their preferences to disable a Menu Bar icon? I do not have any of those applications, thus I cannot test.

If you can't Command-drag them off, check the app's preferences to see if there's an option to show or hide the icon on the Menu Bar. You can also Option-click the icon and you may find an option there. If the icon appears on every restart, check the following locations for apps that automatically launch on startup and delete any you don't need/want:

• System Preferences > Accounts > yourusername > Login Items
  (Lion and ML users: System Preferences > Users & Groups > yourusername > Login Items)
  
  
• /Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• /Library/StartupItems/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)

Great, I fixed a few of them now in the app preferences and I'll work my way through those locations.

Thanks so much

 

[saythanks]

If you can't Command-drag them off, check the app's preferences to see if there's an option to show or hide the icon on the Menu Bar. You can also Option-click the icon and you may find an option there. If the icon appears on every restart, check the following locations for apps that automatically launch on startup and delete any you don't need/want:

• System Preferences > Accounts > yourusername > Login Items
  (Lion and ML users: System Preferences > Users & Groups > yourusername > Login Items)
  
  
• /Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)
  
  
• /Library/StartupItems/
  (Lion and ML users: In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder > then enter the path above)

my savior

 

[Ivanovitchk]

you need bartender.
https://www.macbartender.com/

clicking the "..." brings a second bar where less frequently accessed items can be hidden

and it's possible to completely hide stock osx ones too.

 

[kohlson]

The first places I recommend looking are System Prefs and Login Items. As well, consider Full Screen Mode, which basically hides everything except when you need them.

 

[mismeehan]

I mean the menu bar where the battery status, time and date, spotlight looking glass etc are. I can't figure out how to remove stuff from it. I found some instructions on the web that said hold the cmd key down and drag them to the desktop, but this didn't work for me.

Any ideas?

Status menus
The right end of the menu bar contains status menus, which are represented by icons.

These menus show the status of your Mac or give you quick access to certain features—for example, you can quickly turn on Wi-Fi or turn off Bluetooth.

You can add some preference icons to the right end of the menu bar. For example, you can add a Volume control icon. You can also add status icons for some apps when you install them.

To rearrange the status menu icons, press and hold the Command key while dragging the icons. To remove an icon, press and hold the Command key and drag the icon out of the menu bar.

 

[dangerfish]

I LOVE Bartender!