{
  "@context": [
    "https://schema.org",
    {
      "nuanyue": "https://www.nuanyue.com/ns#"
    }
  ],
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "@id": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/hidden/#software",
  "name": "Hidden Bar",
  "description": "Free, MIT-licensed menu bar utility that hides the icons you choose behind a divider, with an optional always-hidden section and opt-in hover-to-expand.",
  "url": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/hidden/",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/hidden/",
  "operatingSystem": "macOS",
  "applicationCategory": "UtilitiesApplication",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Dwarves Foundation",
    "url": "https://dwarves.foundation/"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
    "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066"
  ],
  "softwareVersion": "1.11.1",
  "license": "MIT",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  },
  "nuanyue:record": {
    "schemaVersion": 1,
    "id": "software:hidden",
    "slug": "hidden",
    "name": "Hidden Bar",
    "type": "SoftwareApplication",
    "entityType": "menu bar manager",
    "description": "Free, MIT-licensed menu bar utility that hides the icons you choose behind a divider, with an optional always-hidden section and opt-in hover-to-expand.",
    "shortDescription": "Free, open-source utility that hides macOS menu bar icons.",
    "answer": "Hidden Bar is a free, open-source Mac utility that hides menu bar icons behind a divider arrow. You hold Command and drag icons to the left of the arrow, then click the arrow to push that group off the visible edge of the menu bar. A second optional separator gives you an always-hidden zone for icons you never want on screen. It is written by Dwarves Foundation in about 1,500 lines of Swift, sandboxed, with no helper app, no daemon and no network access, and it is licensed MIT. The current release is 1.11.1 and requires macOS 13 Ventura or later, because start-at-login moved to Apple's SMAppService API; the last version that supported macOS 10.13 through 12 was 1.10. It is also on the Mac App Store, though that build is years behind the direct download.",
    "page": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/hidden/",
    "dataUrl": "https://www.nuanyue.com/data/software/hidden.json",
    "categories": [
      "system-tools"
    ],
    "tags": [],
    "platform": [
      "macOS"
    ],
    "minOsVersion": "macOS 13",
    "architecture": [
      "arm64",
      "x86_64"
    ],
    "featured": false,
    "pricing": "open-source",
    "pricingDescription": "Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier and no in-app purchase. It is distributed both as a notarized direct download and on the Mac App Store at no cost.",
    "license": "MIT",
    "currentVersion": "1.11.1",
    "releaseDate": "2026-09-18",
    "openSource": true,
    "website": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
    "github": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
    "appStore": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066",
    "download": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden/releases/download/v1.11.1/Hidden-Bar-v1.11.1-macos.zip",
    "developer": {
      "name": "Dwarves Foundation",
      "website": "https://dwarves.foundation/"
    },
    "icon": "/apps/hidden.png",
    "features": [
      "Hides a group of menu bar icons behind a divider arrow; clicking the arrow pushes them off the visible edge",
      "An optional second separator creates an always-hidden zone for icons you never want on screen",
      "Hold Command and drag icons to choose which side of the separator they sit on",
      "Opt-in hover-to-expand, enabled with a defaults command, expands the bar when the pointer dwells in it",
      "Auto-collapse after expanding, with the timer deferring while you are actually using the menu bar",
      "Right-clicking the arrow opens the same context menu as the separator, so Preferences is reachable from the control you already click",
      "Start at login through Apple's SMAppService, and a global keyboard shortcut to toggle the bar",
      "Multi-display aware: the collapse width is sized for the widest attached screen and reapplied when displays are plugged in"
    ],
    "useCases": [
      "Cutting a crowded menu bar down to the icons you actually watch",
      "Hiding status items that sit behind the notch on a MacBook with a camera housing",
      "Keeping rarely needed icons available without leaving them permanently on screen",
      "Replacing a paid menu bar manager with a free utility that does one job"
    ],
    "formats": [],
    "integrations": [],
    "pros": [
      {
        "text": "Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, no in-app purchase and the full source on GitHub.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Sandboxed and self-contained: the developer's architecture notes describe a single process with no helper app, no daemon and no network.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The direct download is notarized, and the project also publishes on the Mac App Store and through Homebrew.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Ships as a universal build, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs alike.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Multi-display handling sizes the collapse width to the widest attached screen, so icons do not leak onto a wider external monitor.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "cons": [
      {
        "text": "Requires macOS 13 or later; users on macOS 10.13 to 12 are stuck on version 1.10.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The Mac App Store listing is still on version 1.8 from 2021, so the store is not a route to the current release.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "app-store",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "On macOS 27 the App Store build cannot hide icons at all because the App Sandbox blocks the accessibility reads the native hiding path needs.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "New menu bar icons land in the hidden zone by default and have to be dragged back out, which is a recurring annoyance the developer lists as known.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "whoIsItFor": [
      "Mac users who want a free, open-source menu bar hider with no configuration",
      "People who prefer to install from the Mac App Store or with Homebrew",
      "Anyone on macOS 13 or later who wants a utility with no daemon and no network access"
    ],
    "notFor": [
      "Users on macOS 12 or earlier, who need version 1.10 rather than the current release",
      "Anyone who wants automatic, rule-based hiding — Hidden Bar hides the group you place behind the arrow, not one it decides on",
      "People who need per-icon scheduling or appearance customisation, which Bartender and Ice provide and this does not"
    ],
    "limitations": [
      "Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. Start-at-login uses SMAppService, which does not exist on earlier releases, so macOS 10.13 to 12 users are pinned to version 1.10",
      "The Mac App Store build is far behind the direct download: the store listing is still on version 1.8 from June 2021, while the direct download is 1.11.1",
      "On macOS 27 the App Store build cannot hide icons at all, because the native hiding path needs Accessibility reads that the App Sandbox blocks; the direct download is unaffected",
      "Icons that macOS inserts to the left of the separator appear in the hidden zone by default, because new status items are placed at the far left of the menu bar",
      "Hiding is manual and group-based: there are no rules, schedules or per-app triggers",
      "The project still uses the repository name and bundle identifier com.dwarvesv.minimalbar from before the app was renamed Hidden Bar"
    ],
    "firstUse": {
      "installation": {
        "value": "Install with `brew install --cask hiddenbar`, download the notarized build from the GitHub releases page and drag the app to Applications, or install it free from the Mac App Store.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "firstLaunch": {
        "value": "Launch the app and its arrow appears in the menu bar. The developer's instruction is to hold Command and drag the arrow to the right, past the icons you want hidden, so it sits between the visible and hidden groups.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "systemIntegration": {
        "value": "Adds a menu bar arrow and an optional always-hidden separator. Start-at-login registers through Apple's SMAppService, and a global hotkey toggles the bar. A tutorial view runs on first launch and can be rebuilt from Preferences.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "appleSilicon": {
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    },
    "updates": [
      {
        "version": "1.11.1",
        "date": "2026-09-18",
        "summary": "Fixes the Preferences window showing a Custom View placeholder instead of the General and About tabs on macOS 27.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      },
      {
        "version": "1.11",
        "date": "2026-09-18",
        "summary": "Raises the floor to macOS 13 Ventura, restores hiding on macOS 27 by using native menu bar visibility, adds opt-in hover-to-expand, and fixes multi-display collapse width and auto-collapse timing.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      },
      {
        "version": "1.10",
        "date": "2026-03-03",
        "summary": "Last release supporting macOS 10.13 High Sierra through macOS 12 Monterey; later versions require Ventura.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "question": "Is Hidden Bar free?",
        "answer": "Yes. It is free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier and no in-app purchase, and it is also free on the Mac App Store.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "How do I install Hidden Bar?",
        "answer": "With Homebrew: `brew install --cask hiddenbar`. Or download the notarized build from the GitHub releases page and drag it into Applications. It is also on the Mac App Store, though that build is years behind.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Which macOS version does Hidden Bar need?",
        "answer": "Version 1.11 and later require macOS 13 Ventura or newer, because start-at-login uses the SMAppService API introduced there. Version 1.10 is the last release that supports macOS 10.13 through 12.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does Hidden Bar hide icons automatically?",
        "answer": "No. It hides the group of icons you have dragged to the left of its arrow, and you toggle that group by clicking. There is no rule system that decides for you.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Why are my new menu bar icons hidden?",
        "answer": "Because macOS places new status items at the far left of the menu bar, which is inside the hidden zone. Hold Command and drag them to the right of the separator. A built-in pin is on the developer's planned redesign list.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does Hidden Bar work on macOS 27?",
        "answer": "The direct download does, using macOS 27's native menu bar visibility, which needs Accessibility permission and requires the app to run from Applications. The Mac App Store build cannot hide icons on macOS 27 because the App Sandbox blocks the required reads.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "What is the difference between Hidden Bar and Dozer?",
        "answer": "Both hide menu bar icons behind a clickable control and neither has a rule engine. Dozer adds two or three dots and a second toggled group; Hidden Bar uses a divider arrow and adds an optional always-hidden section, and it is actively maintained while Dozer has not had a release since 2020.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "target": "ice",
        "type": "alternative",
        "reason": "Both are free menu bar hiders, but Ice adds arrangement, profiles and appearance controls while Hidden Bar is a divider arrow with an optional always-hidden section.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "dozer",
        "type": "similar",
        "reason": "Both are small open-source menu bar hiders with no configuration beyond which icons sit to the left of the toggle.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "vanilla",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both hide menu bar icons behind a divider, but Vanilla is closed source with a paid Pro tier while Hidden Bar is free and MIT licensed.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "bartender",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both declutter the menu bar, but Bartender applies rules to decide what is visible while Hidden Bar only hides the group you have moved behind its arrow.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "hidden:app-store",
        "type": "app_store",
        "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066",
        "title": "Hidden Bar on the Mac App Store",
        "trustLevel": "A",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "hidden:official",
        "type": "official_website",
        "url": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
        "title": "Hidden Bar — official website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "hidden:developer",
        "type": "developer",
        "url": "https://dwarves.foundation/",
        "title": "Dwarves Foundation — developer website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "hidden:repository",
        "type": "github",
        "url": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
        "title": "Hidden Bar — source repository",
        "trustLevel": "D",
        "accessedAt": null
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.isA",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "isA",
        "value": "menu bar manager",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.supportsPlatform",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "supportsPlatform",
        "value": [
          "macOS"
        ],
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.officialWebsite",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "officialWebsite",
        "value": "https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.listedInCategory",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "listedInCategory",
        "value": [
          "system-tools"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.pricingModel",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "pricingModel",
        "value": "Open source",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:app-store",
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.developedBy",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "developedBy",
        "value": "Dwarves Foundation",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:developer",
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.ownership",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "ownership",
        "value": "Third-party product — not published by Nuanyue",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.isOpenSource",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "isOpenSource",
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository",
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.licensedUnder",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "licensedUnder",
        "value": "MIT",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository",
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.currentVersion",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "currentVersion",
        "value": "1.11.1",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:app-store",
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.hasFeature",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "hasFeature",
        "value": [
          "Hides a group of menu bar icons behind a divider arrow; clicking the arrow pushes them off the visible edge",
          "An optional second separator creates an always-hidden zone for icons you never want on screen",
          "Hold Command and drag icons to choose which side of the separator they sit on",
          "Opt-in hover-to-expand, enabled with a defaults command, expands the bar when the pointer dwells in it",
          "Auto-collapse after expanding, with the timer deferring while you are actually using the menu bar",
          "Right-clicking the arrow opens the same context menu as the separator, so Preferences is reachable from the control you already click",
          "Start at login through Apple's SMAppService, and a global keyboard shortcut to toggle the bar",
          "Multi-display aware: the collapse width is sized for the widest attached screen and reapplied when displays are plugged in"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.usedFor",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "usedFor",
        "value": [
          "Cutting a crowded menu bar down to the icons you actually watch",
          "Hiding status items that sit behind the notch on a MacBook with a camera housing",
          "Keeping rarely needed icons available without leaving them permanently on screen",
          "Replacing a paid menu bar manager with a free utility that does one job"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.audienceFor",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "audienceFor",
        "value": [
          "Mac users who want a free, open-source menu bar hider with no configuration",
          "People who prefer to install from the Mac App Store or with Homebrew",
          "Anyone on macOS 13 or later who wants a utility with no daemon and no network access"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.audienceNotFor",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "audienceNotFor",
        "value": [
          "Users on macOS 12 or earlier, who need version 1.10 rather than the current release",
          "Anyone who wants automatic, rule-based hiding — Hidden Bar hides the group you place behind the arrow, not one it decides on",
          "People who need per-icon scheduling or appearance customisation, which Bartender and Ice provide and this does not"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.limitation",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "limitation",
        "value": [
          "Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. Start-at-login uses SMAppService, which does not exist on earlier releases, so macOS 10.13 to 12 users are pinned to version 1.10",
          "The Mac App Store build is far behind the direct download: the store listing is still on version 1.8 from June 2021, while the direct download is 1.11.1",
          "On macOS 27 the App Store build cannot hide icons at all, because the native hiding path needs Accessibility reads that the App Sandbox blocks; the direct download is unaffected",
          "Icons that macOS inserts to the left of the separator appear in the hidden zone by default, because new status items are placed at the far left of the menu bar",
          "Hiding is manual and group-based: there are no rules, schedules or per-app triggers",
          "The project still uses the repository name and bundle identifier com.dwarvesv.minimalbar from before the app was renamed Hidden Bar"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.advantage.0",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, no in-app purchase and the full source on GitHub.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.advantage.1",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Sandboxed and self-contained: the developer's architecture notes describe a single process with no helper app, no daemon and no network.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.advantage.2",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "The direct download is notarized, and the project also publishes on the Mac App Store and through Homebrew.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.advantage.3",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Ships as a universal build, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs alike.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.advantage.4",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Multi-display handling sizes the collapse width to the widest attached screen, so icons do not leak onto a wider external monitor.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.drawback.0",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "Requires macOS 13 or later; users on macOS 10.13 to 12 are stuck on version 1.10.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.drawback.1",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "The Mac App Store listing is still on version 1.8 from 2021, so the store is not a route to the current release.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:app-store"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.drawback.2",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "On macOS 27 the App Store build cannot hide icons at all because the App Sandbox blocks the accessibility reads the native hiding path needs.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "hidden:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:hidden.drawback.3",
        "subject": "software:hidden",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "New menu bar icons land in the hidden zone by default and have to be dragged back out, which is a recurring annoyance the developer lists as known.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
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        ],
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    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z",
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}