Menu bar item hiding and rehiding
Hide icons you do not need, keep an always-hidden section for the rest, and rehide items automatically after they are revealed.
Thaw
Thaw is a macOS menu bar management app for hiding, revealing, rearranging, and styling menu bar items. It is free and open source, with a privacy-first design that avoids tracking, accounts, analytics, and telemetry.
Menu bar management for macOS
Thaw is a macOS menu bar management app for hiding, revealing, rearranging, and styling menu bar items. Its stated aim is to let you take back control of the menu bar so you can keep only the items you want visible and surface the rest when needed.
The app is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with a privacy-first design that avoids tracking, accounts, analytics, and telemetry. The README also says it is signed and notarized by Apple, and that screen recording is optional rather than required for basic hiding and rearranging.
Features
Multiple reveal and search paths
Reveal hidden items by hovering, clicking an empty area, scrolling or swiping, or using a hotkey. A keyboard search panel lets you jump to an item directly.
Trigger-based visibility
Show or hide items based on conditions such as battery level, Focus, Wi‑Fi network, Bluetooth device, audio output, external display, time schedule, location, or script result.
Profiles and context-based layouts
Save the full configuration as a profile and bind it to a display, Space, or Focus filter. Profiles can be imported and exported, with pre- and post-apply script hooks.
Menu bar styling controls
Adjust the bar’s tint, gradient, shadow, border, and shape, with separate settings for light and dark mode and per-Space overrides. The Thaw Bar can use its own shape, tint, and border.
Automation and integrations
Use deep links for core actions, and connect them to Raycast, Droppy, Alfred, Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, or shell scripts.
Common use cases
Declutter a busy menu bar
Keep rarely used menu bar icons out of sight, then bring them back only when you need them so the menu bar stays less crowded during normal work.
Find items quickly
Search for a menu bar item from the keyboard, or reveal it with a quick gesture when you do not want to scan the bar manually.
Switch layouts by context
Bind a configuration to a display, a Space, or a Focus filter so the menu bar can change when you move between work contexts or presentation modes.
Automate visibility rules
Use triggers to show or hide items when conditions change, such as battery level, Wi‑Fi network, external display, or a script result.
Connect menu bar actions to automation
Pair Thaw with Raycast, Alfred, Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, or shell scripts to launch menu bar actions from tools you already use.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Supports several ways to reveal hidden items, including hover, click, scroll, swipe, hotkeys, and keyboard search.
- Offers context-aware profiles and triggers, so the menu bar can change with displays, Spaces, Focus modes, network state, battery, and more.
- Provides detailed appearance controls, including tint, gradient, shadow, border, and custom shapes.
- Uses a privacy-first model with no tracking, no account, no analytics, and no telemetry.
- Deep links and an official Raycast extension make it easier to connect Thaw with launchers and automation tools.
Cons
- The README notes that some trigger conditions are still marked experimental and are enabled one at a time from Developer settings.
- Screen Recording is optional, but without it Thaw cannot provide live item previews or wallpaper-derived tinting for every item.
FAQ
What macOS version does Thaw support?
Thaw is designed for macOS 26 and later. The README says it supports macOS 26 and 27, and installation instructions note that it needs macOS 26+.
What permissions does Thaw require?
Thaw asks for Accessibility on first launch to move menu bar items. Screen Recording is optional and is only needed for live item previews and wallpaper-derived tinting.
How do you reveal hidden menu bar items?
The README lists several ways to reveal hidden items, including hovering, clicking an empty area in the menu bar, scrolling or swiping, or using a hotkey. It also supports search from the keyboard.
Can Thaw switch layouts based on context?
Yes. Thaw can save the whole configuration as a profile and bind a profile to a display, a Space, or a Focus filter. It also supports importing and exporting profiles.
Does Thaw integrate with launcher or automation tools?
Yes. The integration section says every core action is a thaw:// deep link, and mentions official support for Raycast plus compatibility with tools such as Alfred, Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, and shell scripts.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Productivity
- Platform
- macOS 26+; README mentions support for macOS 26 and 27
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Source domain
- github.com
- Pricing
- Free and open source; no purchase, subscription, or upgrade fee stated in the README
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