GTFO of my menu bar

November 30, 2013

Seriously apps. This is my space and you are trespassing.

I don’t mind after I install your app that you add a menu while you are running.

I don’t mind you sticking around up there if there is an expectation that you have some usefulness running in the background for me (IM clients, syncing tools, quick access to hardware features, etc).

But what I can’t stand is you moving in unannounced and not giving me an easy preference or option to kill your damn icon. It seems the most useless apps and features (usually bundled with other bigger apps like updaters) are also the ones that seem to want to move in. I have no use for you so why the hell do I have to look at you?

I’m looking at you:

People care about this space. It’s valuable real estate. One of my old favorite tumblr’s is MacMenuBars where people display their menu bars and link the apps they have deemed as worthy of showcasing. It’s so valuable that apps like bartender exist to help you get it under control. It’s sacred space and you think developers would get a hint.

If you want to be in my menu bar you follow these simple rules:

• Be easy to kill

• Provide retina icons (it’s been over a year already since the rMBP came out)

• Provide black icons or an option to enable them. Apple doesn’t make colorful icons (except the keyboard switcher).