How to hide the menu bar on a Mac
For macOS 13 Ventura and later. Updated October 2026.
macOS can hide the menu bar for you and slide it back in whenever you move the pointer to the top of the screen. It's one setting, "Automatically hide and show the menu bar", in System Settings.
Turn it on
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- In the sidebar, click:
- Menu Bar on macOS 26 Tahoe and later
- Control Center on macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia
- Desktop & Dock on macOS 13 Ventura
- Find "Automatically hide and show the menu bar" (you may need to scroll down) and choose Always.
When you need the bar, move the pointer to the top edge of the screen and it slides in. Move away and it hides again.
What the four choices do
- Always — hidden on the desktop and in full-screen apps.
- On Desktop Only — hidden on the desktop, shown in full-screen apps.
- In Full Screen Only — shown on the desktop, hidden in full-screen apps. This is how macOS comes.
- Never — always shown.
To keep the bar showing again, choose In Full Screen Only or Never.
Switch it without opening System Settings
The setting is several clicks away, which adds up if you want the bar hidden for one task and back for the next. Menu Bar Toggle is a free app that changes the same setting from wherever you are:
- Right-click an empty part of the menu bar to switch between hiding and showing it.
- Press ⌃⌥⌘M (Control-Option-Command-M), or a shortcut you choose.
- Let it hide the bar by itself while the apps you pick are in front.