Decide which menu bar icons your Mac shows

Barkeep sorts every menu bar item into always visible, hidden, or always hidden, then brings the hidden ones back with one click.

Download for macOS

v0.1.0 · 2.8 MB · macOS 14+

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What Barkeep adds to the macOS menu bar

One dot, two reveal states

Click the Barkeep dot to show the Hidden section. Option-click it to show everything, including the items you never want on screen.

Search reaches hidden items

Open search, type part of a name, and Barkeep opens that menu bar item even when it is sitting in the always hidden section.

Eight built-in menu bar icons

The default is a small dot. Pick another monochrome symbol, or point Barkeep at your own image and it keeps a copy of its own.

Profiles for how you work

Save an arrangement, switch to it, and export it as a file. A meeting layout and a deep work layout can hold different items.

Guided Accessibility setup

Barkeep registers the request, opens the exact Accessibility page, and shows a small switch guide over System Settings instead of a wall of text.

Nothing leaves the Mac

Barkeep reads the menu bar when you ask it to, keeps its arrangement on disk, and sends no item names or usage anywhere.

A menu bar manager with one rule you can remember

Three sections, nothing implicit
Every item is always visible, hidden, or always hidden. The Items screen shows all three at once, so no icon sits in a state you cannot see.
Accessibility access, no helper process
macOS only exposes other apps' menu bar items through the Accessibility API. Barkeep uses it and runs no privileged helper of its own.
It reads the menu bar when you ask
There is no continuous Accessibility scan in the background. Barkeep rescans on demand, so an idle Mac stays idle.
Signed, notarised, and quiet to update
Public builds carry a Developer ID signature and Apple notarisation. Sparkle checks for updates in the background and installs signed releases only.

Common questions about Barkeep

How does Barkeep hide menu bar icons?

Assign each item to Always visible, Hidden, or Always hidden. Click the Barkeep dot to show or hide the Hidden section, and Option-click it to show every section.

Why does Barkeep need Accessibility access?

macOS only lets an app list, open, and move another app's menu bar items through the Accessibility API. Barkeep registers the request, opens the exact Settings page, and shows a short switch guide over it.

Does Barkeep need to stay open?

Yes. Barkeep is the menu bar item that holds the hidden sections, so quitting it returns every icon to the normal macOS menu bar.

Is Barkeep a Bartender alternative for Mac?

Yes. Barkeep is a free, open source menu bar manager that covers the same core job: choosing which menu bar icons stay visible and which sit behind one icon. It is a clean-room implementation and shares no code with Bartender.

Is Barkeep free and open source?

Yes. Barkeep uses the MIT licence and the full Swift source is on GitHub. There is no paid tier, licence key, or account.

How is Barkeep different from Ice?

Both are free and open source. Barkeep keeps one three-section model with a second menu bar off by default, ships Developer ID signed and notarised builds, and installs updates quietly through Sparkle.

Can Barkeep stop menu bar icons hiding behind the notch?

Yes, indirectly. Moving items you rarely need into Hidden or Always hidden shortens the visible row, so the icons you kept stay clear of the notch.

How do I rearrange menu bar icons on a Mac?

macOS lets you Command-drag icons along the bar. Barkeep adds a section menu on every item plus drag and drop between sections, so both the order and the visibility stay put.

Keep the icons you use and put the rest behind one dot.

Download for macOS

v0.1.0 · 2.8 MB · macOS 14+

Star on GitHub
1 star · Open source
Verify the download