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# Menu bar overflow notch hiding and user-disabled menu bar items

> Source-anchored research for Menu bar overflow notch hiding and user-disabled menu bar items. Run status: COMPLETED.

Parent: [macOS Menu-Bar App Design](https://llms-explorer.com/tree/macos-menu-bar-app-design/) · 3 facets · 7 facts · page: https://llms-explorer.com/tree/menu-bar-overflow-notch-hiding-and-user-disabled-menu-bar-items/

## How-to and procedures

- Set a distinct autosaveName on every NSStatusItem: macOS stores 'NSStatusItem Preferred Position <name>' in the app's defaults and restores the Command-dragged position at launch; without it only the first item's position is remembered. (medium confidence) — [source](https://github.com/steipete/CodexBar/pull/3723)

## Problems, failure modes and limitations

- When there are more menu bar icons than fit right of the notch, macOS hides the overflow items with no notification and no user-facing indicator; apps cannot control their own position to avoid it. (high confidence) — [source](https://tailscale.com/blog/macos-notch-escape)

## Facts and statements

- An app can detect that its status item is hidden behind the notch by observing occlusionState (window occlusion notifications) on the status item's window; Tailscale used this to show a dialog telling users to rearrange icons. (low confidence) — [source](https://tailscale.com/blog/macos-notch-escape)
- Do not make the menu bar icon the only way to reach the app: Tailscale shipped a windowed interface (1.96.2+) reachable from the Dock to remove dependence on a possibly hidden icon. (low confidence) (verified as of 2026-03-27) — [source](https://tailscale.com/blog/macos-notch-escape)
- macOS 26 adds System Settings > Menu Bar > Allow in the Menu Bar, letting the user disable an individual app's status item. Apple DTS states there is no API to read that state; the alternative is to set NSStatusItem removalAllowed (NSStatusItemBehaviorRemovalAllowed) so the user can remove the item directly, and observe removal via KVO on isVisible. Feedback FB18341478 requests exposing the preference. (medium confidence) (verified as of 2025-06-30) — [source](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/788101)
- Position loss: on macOS 26, removing a status item (removeStatusItem) or setting isVisible = false while the app runs clears its saved Preferred Position, so the re-created item appears at the far left. Documentation says visibility persists via autosaveName, but a 2021 Feedback report (FB9052637, still open) showed isVisible=false then true loses the Command-dragged position. Workaround: capture the saved defaults before removal and restore after. (medium confidence) (verified as of 2026-09-18) — [source](https://github.com/steipete/CodexBar/pull/3723)
- Reportedly macOS 27 (released 2026-09-14) adds a native expand/collapse chevron at the edge of the icon area that reveals notch-hidden icons to the left of the notch; the OS chooses which fold by width, nearest the notch first. The same sources say the render rework broke Bartender, Ice and other third-party menu bar managers in beta 1. (low confidence) (verified as of 2026-10-02) — [source](https://badgeify.app/macos-27-golden-gate-menu-bar-changes/)