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Still no apple solution for notch & menu bar?

AirpodsNow

AirpodsNow

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 15, 2017
231
153
Is it strange for me to assume that macOS should resolve the menu bar issue when there are too many items on it and simply get covered by the notch? I have been using Bartender since the M1 Pro MacBooks and just deleted it to find out whether there is a macOS solution.... I am trying the GitHub Ice app now.

Just wondering if there are really no solutions than going 3rd party?
 
I think the "official" Apple solution is to either use apps in full screen, or just hook up a $1599 Apple Studio Display to your notch-equipped laptop. 💸

Obviously neither is the most elegant solution, but then the notch was always the opposite of elegant to begin with.
 
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Add less things to the menu bar, so there will be no issue in the first place. :p
 
coffeemilktea said:
I think the "official" Apple solution is to either use apps in full screen, or just hook up a $1599 Apple Studio Display to your notch-equipped laptop. 💸

Obviously neither is the most elegant solution, but then the notch was always the opposite of elegant to begin with.
Click to expand...
I got an 16", it must be worse for those on a a 13/14". Weird. Yes, didn't consider lugging around my monitor with me, indeed that would solve my menu/notch issue.
 
disable the notch by switching the resolution to the one with same width but slightly shorter height
 
platinumaqua said:
disable the notch by switching the resolution to the one with same width but slightly shorter height
Click to expand...
Does that work? It just includes the notch no? Anyways, there are plenty of apps that just bumps down the menu by skipping the notch as you suggested, it’s just weird to me it’s not a macOS feature yet.
 
AirpodsNow said:
Does that work? It just includes the notch no? Anyways, there are plenty of apps that just bumps down the menu by skipping the notch as you suggested, it’s just weird to me it’s not a macOS feature yet.
Click to expand...
Either Sonoma or Ventura put that in the system settings panel. I think you option click the scaled option or click the toggle for "show all resolutions" to view all resolutions.

This is how I'm running my MBP 14" since day 1 - menu bar looks like any non-notched display's appearance.
 
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platinumaqua said:
disable the notch by switching the resolution to the one with same width but slightly shorter height
Click to expand...

well. it basically reduces the valuable size of your monitor while adding a huge useless black area at the top. (unless I'm missing something.)
 
zevrix said:
well. it basically reduces the valuable size of your monitor while adding a huge useless black area at the top. (unless I'm missing something.)
Click to expand...
the regular menu bar is only 25 pixels thick (50 physical pixels accounting for scaling), and the notch section is not visible on the pros since that section is not lit. You gain the full horizontal space for all the icons and menu items, and the icon spacing is tighter so more icons fit
 
I guess one of the main reasons of the grumbling after so many years is that I purchased Bartender to solve this issue that existed at that time and assuming it would be resolved somehow later. But i found a free github alternative that can do also the basic things: https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice …
 
platinumaqua said:
the regular menu bar is only 25 pixels thick (50 physical pixels accounting for scaling), and the notch section is not visible on the pros since that section is not lit. You gain the full horizontal space for all the icons and menu items, and the icon spacing is tighter so more icons fit
Click to expand...

on my 16" MBP, the height of notch is at least 3% of the monitor height (I assume this ratio is similar on all monitors). I'm not giving away a single pixel of this expensive monitor.

you also already paid enormous amount of money for your already tiny 14" monitor. and now you also want to saw off the top 3% of your monitor. it's like burning money in a stove for fun (sorry!)


you can tighten the icon spacing using these commands (as you may know anyway):

defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSpacing -int x defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int y

plus other 3rd-party tools provide ways to manage the menu bar items without sawing off the top of the monitor.
 
zevrix said:
on my 16" MBP, the height of notch is at least 3% of the monitor height (I assume this ratio is similar on all monitors). I'm not giving away a single pixel of this expensive monitor.

you also already paid enormous amount of money for your already tiny 14" monitor. and now you also want to saw off the top 3% of your monitor. it's like burning money in a stove for fun (sorry!)


you can tighten the icon spacing using these commands (as you may know anyway):

defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSpacing -int x defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int y

plus other 3rd-party tools provide ways to manage the menu bar items without sawing off the top of the monitor.
Click to expand...
it's a small price to pay for me to get the rectangular screen look, have the full width for menu items (for free), and not having to see that stupid notch. Honestly I wouldn't have bought it if there's no way to permanently disable the notch like this.. but different strokes for different people; not that I'm trying to convince you to go this way or anything.
 
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The notch is the notch.
It is what it is.
It's not going anywhere (at least for a while).

I guess one just has to accept it.
I hardly notice.
 
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