macOS How do I change an application's menubar name?

[Jack Flash]

I have this ugly application made by Railink for my wireless card. It's hideous.

Part of its ugliness is the name in the menu bar. How can I get this to say just "Wireless Utility"

 

[HiRez]

If it's a Cocoa application, you can go into the application bundle (in Finder, right-click on the app and select Show Package Contents) and try to find its Info.plist file (normally this would be in the Contents subfolder). This is a Property List Editor file and I think you'll have to have the Apple developer tools installed to open it as intended. However, it can be opened with Text Edit, it's just harder to read. In Propertly List Editor, change the Bundle Name to what you want. In TextEdit, change the text in between the <string> tags underneath the CFBundleName <key> tags (this should currently be that long ugly name you want to change). Save in either case. This in theory should change the name of the app as it appears in the menu bar, but note that apps can change this in code and in that case there is maybe nothing you can do. You can also change this inside the .nib or .xib files (opened by Interface Builder), but I think the Info.plist value overrides it.

There are probably also some free utilities that'll do this for you, but it's not that hard.

 

[Jack Flash]

If it's a Cocoa application, you can go into the application bundle (in Finder, right-click on the app and select Show Package Contents) and try to find its Info.plist file (normally this would be in the Contents subfolder). This is a Property List Editor file and I think you'll have to have the Apple developer tools installed to open it as intended. However, it can be opened with Text Edit, it's just harder to read. In Propertly List Editor, change the Bundle Name to what you want. In TextEdit, change the text in between the <string> tags underneath the CFBundleName <key> tags (this should currently be that long ugly name you want to change). Save in either case. This in theory should change the name of the app as it appears in the menu bar, but note that apps can change this in code and in that case there is maybe nothing you can do. You can also change this inside the .nib or .xib files (opened by Interface Builder), but I think the Info.plist value overrides it.

There are probably also some free utilities that'll do this for you, but it's not that hard.

Worked perfectly. Thanks!

EDIT: Screen Snap of the finished product.

 

[boston04and07]

This was all very useful and it worked for me too! However, when I hover the mouse over the app's icon in the dock, the old name is still shown. Any way to change that? Changing the name of the app in the Finder only breaks the app..

 

[HiRez]

This was all very useful and it worked for me too! However, when I hover the mouse over the app's icon in the dock, the old name is still shown. Any way to change that? Changing the name of the app in the Finder only breaks the app..

Hmm, shouldn't really break the app to change the name. But anyway, try changing the Finder name AND then, in that Info.plist file, also change the "Executable File" property to match it (but without the ".app" extension). So for example Test.app in the Finder, just Test in the Info.plist file. Do NOT change the icon name property. I tried that on an app and it did work (app launched, new name appeared in menu bar and also in the Dock), but I don't know if that'll work in all cases though.

 

[rgwebworld]

hi

Silk should work, but you will need to restart programs including the Finder, and a log out/in may be necessary to get everything kicked over.

If you have multiple theme/haxie things running at once, it's also possible that they are in competition over who gets to set the font, so don't go overboard.

software developer

 

[CoolbeansXVI]

If it's a Cocoa application, you can go into the application bundle (in Finder, right-click on the app and select Show Package Contents) and try to find its Info.plist file (normally this would be in the Contents subfolder). This is a Property List Editor file and I think you'll have to have the Apple developer tools installed to open it as intended. However, it can be opened with Text Edit, it's just harder to read. In Propertly List Editor, change the Bundle Name to what you want. In TextEdit, change the text in between the <string> tags underneath the CFBundleName <key> tags (this should currently be that long ugly name you want to change). Save in either case. This in theory should change the name of the app as it appears in the menu bar, but note that apps can change this in code and in that case there is maybe nothing you can do. You can also change this inside the .nib or .xib files (opened by Interface Builder), but I think the Info.plist value overrides it.

There are probably also some free utilities that'll do this for you, but it's not that hard.

I think I did everything you said, and I know this is an old-ish post, but it still isn't working. Plz help!

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I think I did everything you said, and I know this is an old-ish post, but it still isn't working. Plz help!

What app is it that you're having a problem with?