Mac Tutorials
Easy Steps to Hide or Display the Top Menu Bar and Dock on Mac OS
Welcome, dear reader, to this quick, easy and handy tutorial on how to hide the top menu bar and the dock on Mac OS. Whether you’re interested in a temporary or permanent solution, we’ve got you covered. Are you ready to enhance your OS experience? Let’s get down to it! 🚀🖥️
The Temporary Solution
Got an app window open on Mac OS? You can swiftly send it into full-screen mode and hide both the dock and the top menu. Here’s the drill – go to the application window, and click the green button located on the top left corner. Presto! Full screen mode, no dock or top menu! Hover at the top or bottom, and the menu bar or dock will display. Clicking the green button again will take you back to original display. Carry on with your work under minimal distraction. 🖱️💼🌳
The Permanent Solution
Here’s the deal for the go-getters who intend to keep their dock and top menu hidden. Start off by clicking the apple icon at the top left corner and navigate to System Preferences. Note that this guide covers the current version of Mac OS, Big Sur. On older versions, the process may slightly differ. Your go-to option on Big Sur is the “Dock and Menu Bar”; older versions house menu bar settings in “General”. Simply check the boxes to hide the dock and the menu bar. The top menu bar and dock will display when hovered over at the top or bottom. Quite simple, isn’t it? 🍏⚙️🚫
A Potential Hiccup and a Pro Tip
When using Google Chrome in full screen, some users have noticed a minor issue – if you aim to select a tab but overshoot slightly, the top menu bar might drop down undesirably. If this resonates with you, we have a pro tip to counter it. Switch to Safari! With tabs placed below the address bar, it’s harder to accidentally summon the menu bar. A helpful adaptability feature for a smoother browsing experience. 🌐🦾🦁
Reversing the Functionality
Changed your mind and want the menu bar and the dock always displaying? Easy peasy! Uncheck the corresponding boxes in the “Dock and Menu Bar” or “General” settings, depending on your version of Mac OS. Both the dock and the menu bar will be back, steady in their positions. Flexibility is the name of the game. 💡🔄🔒
Conclusion: 🏁
Thank you for taking the time to get acquainted with this guide. Whether your aim is to de-clutter your screen or adapt to a unique workflow, these simple steps to hide and display your Mac OS menu bar and dock should come handy. If you found this guide helpful, please consider sharing it for others to benefit from. And remember, you hold the reins of your tech experience. Mastery is just a few clicks away! 🤩💡🌐
FAQ
How can I hide the top menu bar and Dock on Mac OS?
You can hide the top menu bar and Dock through system preferences. For the menu bar, visit System Preferences, General, and check the box ‘Automatically hide and show the menu bar’. For the Dock, right-click the Dock’s separator, then select ‘Turn Hiding On’.
What are the benefits of hiding the top menu bar and Dock?
Hiding the top menu bar and Dock gives you more screen space for applications. It reduces visual clutter, making your workspace feel clean and spacious.
What will happen if I hide Dock on my Mac OS?
If you hide the Dock, it won’t appear until you hover your cursor at the bottom of the screen. Then it will reappear so you can use it.
How can I display the Dock again after hiding it?
Move your cursor to the bottom of the screen where the Dock was previously visible. It will reappear as long as your mouse is in that position.
What steps would I take to hide the menu bar?
To hide the menu bar, open System Preferences, go to General settings, and check the box that reads ‘Automatically hide and show the menu bar’.
Can I hide only the Dock or the top menu bar alone?
Yes, you can choose to hide either the Dock or the top menu bar, or both together. The preferences for each are located in different areas of the System Preferences.
Is it possible to adjust the size of the Dock?
Yes, the size of the dock can indeed be adjusted. Go to System Preferences, choose Dock & Menu Bar, then adjust the size using the slider.
Can the position of the Dock be changed?
Yes, the Dock can be positioned on the left, bottom or right sides of the screen. To change its position, go to System Preferences, then Dock & Menu Bar, and select the preferred position.
Does hiding the menu bar interfere with my application operations?
No, hiding the menu bar or Dock does not interfere with the operation or accessibility of your applications. These will remain fully functional.
Is my Dock’s ability to hold applications affected when I hide it?
No, hiding your Dock does not affect its capacity to hold applications. It just makes the Dock invisible until you hover over it.
Can I automatically hide and show the Dock on my Mac?
Yes, this can be done by right-clicking on the separator line in your Dock and then choosing the ‘Turn Hiding On’ option.
Do my settings persist even if I restart my Mac?
Yes, the changes you make to the Dock and menu bar settings will persist even after you restart your Mac.
I can’t find the ‘Automatically hide and show the menu bar’ option. What do I do?
Make sure you’re looking in the correct spot: System Preferences, then General. If the option still isn’t visible, try updating your MacOS.
How do I make my hidden Dock visible again if moving my cursor doesn’t work?
If the Dock does not reappear when you move the cursor, check your Dock preferences. Perhaps the ‘Automatically hide and show the Dock’ setting was accidentally disabled.
Does hiding the Dock make my Mac run faster?
Hiding the Dock does not impact your Mac’s performance. But you may experience a slight speed bump when revealing the Dock, as the computer needs to load the Dock’s contents.
Can I permanently hide the menu bar and Dock?
While the ‘Automatically hide and show’ feature is not permanent, it does hide the menu bar and Dock until you mouse over their location on screen or change the setting.
Why won’t my Dock disappear even after selecting ‘Turn hiding on’?
Sometimes you need to wait a few seconds for changes to take effect. If it still won’t disappear, double check your menu bar to ensure that ‘Turn Hiding On’ is checked.
Can I set a schedule for when the Dock and menu bar hide and appear?
No, MacOS currently does not support scheduling the appearance and hiding of the Dock or menu bar.
Is it possible to hide specific apps in the Dock?
No, the Dock either shows all open apps or none of them. However, you can remove specific app shortcuts from the Dock by dragging them out.
Can I choose which apps appear in the Dock when it is visible?
Yes, you can choose which apps to keep in your Dock. Just drag the unwanted ones off the Dock, and they won’t appear next time.
Can I hide the Dock and menu bar on an external monitor?
Yes, the settings you apply on your Mac will also affect the Dock and menu bar on an external monitor.
Does hiding the Dock and menu bar affect the battery life of my Mac?
No, hiding the Dock or menu bar does not significantly impact your Mac’s battery life.
Can I adjust the animation speed of the Dock appearing and disappearing?
The animation speed of the Dock is not directly adjustable through system settings. However, there are third-party applications that offer this feature.
Are there shortcuts to hide and display the Dock?
Yes, you can use the keyboard shortcut ‘Command+Option+D’ to toggle the visibility of the Dock.
How can I bring up the Dock if I can’t find it on screen?
Move your mouse to the area where you normally see the Dock. If it doesn’t appear, you may have turned off automatic hiding and showing in your settings.
What are some troubleshooting steps if the ‘Automatically hide and show Dock’ function is not working?
Make sure your macOS is updated to the latest version. Sometimes, restarting your Mac can also resolve the issue.
Can different user accounts on the same Mac have different Dock and menu bar settings?
Yes, each user account on a Mac can have its own Dock and menu bar visibility settings.
Can I change the Dock and menu bar settings from the terminal?
Yes, although it’s more advanced, you can use terminal commands to change the visibility settings of the Dock and menu bar.
Can I hide the menu bar in a specific app only?
No, the visibility of the menu bar is a system-wide setting. However, some apps might have a full-screen mode that hides the menu bar when the app is in use.
Can I add spacers to my Dock on Mac OS?
Yes. To create spacers for the Dock, you can use the Terminal command ‘defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add ‘{tile-type=spacer-tile;}’; killall Dock’.