Menu Bar Apps: „Menu Bar Spacing“ and Enhanced Features in „Ice“

The app Menu Bar Spacing is the latest creation by developer Sindre Sorhus. This application allows users to adjust the spacing between the icons in the Mac menu bar to their liking.

Menu Bar Spacing should not be confused with another Sorhus application, Spaced, which uses separators to visually group the icons in the menu bar. Menu Bar Spacing alters the spacing between individual icons evenly across the entire menu bar.

Ultimately, Menu Bar Spacing taps into a hidden macOS setting, which could previously be accessed via command line and terminal. However, the slider provided by this app is far more user-friendly and enables users to see changes in real time.

Menu Bar Spacing is available for free from the developer’s website. Since it accesses system settings hidden by Apple, it is not permitted for distribution through the Mac App Store.

Bartender Alternative Ice Offers a Second Menu Bar

Ice, a free app developed by Jordan Baird, also specializes in menu bar customization. The latest update, version 0.10, has been released.

The new app version mainly introduces the ability to place the removed and hidden icons from the menu bar into an additional bar displayed below the macOS menu bar.

This feature, named Ice Bar, can be activated through the app’s settings. As an alternative to a dynamic display, users can also choose a specific location for the additional menu bar. Besides the left or right edge of the screen, the Ice Bar can also be fixed to always appear next to the mouse pointer or the app icon.

Other new features include the ability to rearrange menu bar icons through the app’s settings. Additionally, support for Mac screens with a „notch“ has been improved.