How to hide the menu bar on a Mac for more room

Hide the menu bar to give windows the full height of the screen. Where the setting is on recent macOS, the choices it offers, and what you trade.

Guide · Updated 13 October 2026

On macOS Sonoma and later, open System Settings, Control Center, and set Automatically hide and show the menu bar to Always. On Ventura, the switch is in Desktop & Dock.

The choices

ChoiceThe menu bar
AlwaysHidden until you move the pointer to the top
On Desktop OnlyHidden only when no window is in front
In Full Screen OnlyShown, except in full screen apps
NeverAlways shown

What you trade

  • You gain about 24 to 37 points of height, depending on the display and notch.
  • On MacBooks with a notch, the top strip beside the notch stays dark either way.
  • Menu bar icons, the clock and battery are a pointer move away instead of always visible.

Hiding the Dock gains more room than the menu bar; see auto hiding the Dock. For more ways to make room, see getting more screen space on a MacBook.

ClutterFreeMac lays windows out within the space macOS gives it, so hiding the menu bar or the Dock gives every column on the strip a little more height.

Questions

How do I hide the menu bar on a Mac?

On Sonoma and later, System Settings, Control Center, Automatically hide and show the menu bar, Always. On Ventura it is in Desktop & Dock.

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