[OS] Pixley Reader - Read the markdown files your AI tools generate - Free

https://redd.it/1rhwmmz
@macappsbackup

LaunchMe - Launchpad replacement for macOS 26. Big post about huge next update that will bring many new features to LaunchMe.

https://redd.it/1rhyk1u
@macappsbackup

macOS Clamper — The app that "clamps" your precious menu bar

Problem: macOS offers no way to adjust the spacing between menu bar icons, so crowded menu bars waste space or feel cramped.

Compare: Menu Bar Spacing does not handle the padding properly, and TighterMenubar does not show the actual pixel values while changing the padding and spacing. That's why I created my solution there.

Core features:

Adjust icon spacing and selection padding
Live preview strip showing changes in real-time
One-click restore to system defaults
Haptic feedback on slider adjustments

Screenshot:

https://preview.redd.it/asurvg7cxgmg1.png?width=1324&format=png&auto=webp&s=4357dc5e9dbacce3812b0be294de802f70d9d338

Changelog: https://github.com/validatedev/Clamper/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Pricing: Free and open-source (MIT License)

AI Disclaimer: Human Validated

Link: https://github.com/validatedev/Clamper

https://redd.it/1ri35c9
@macappsbackup

Mac Menu Bar Chaos

Not My laptop

# Where We Are… And Why

macOS 26 (Tahoe) is now months into its lifespan. The UI chaos it caused for menu bar management apps has calmed down a bit, but the situation is still far from stable.

A combination of API limitations, OS-level redesigns, and tighter security controls broke many of the assumptions apps like Bartender, Ice, and Barbee relied on. As a result, behavior that used to be predictable is now anything but.

Common symptoms include:

icons disappearing and reappearing randomly
the OS overriding the order of icons
management apps losing track of icon positions
items reindexing themselves
settings resetting
hidden items suddenly reappearing

Even something as basic as determining whether a menu bar icon is visible has become unreliable. For example, NSStatusItem.isVisible can return true even when the icon is hidden behind the notch or pushed offscreen by menu titles.

The new OS-level menu bar controls are also incomplete. Tahoe will quietly hide items when the bar gets crowded, and apps receive no notification when that happens. From a developer’s perspective, the OS is moving the furniture around without telling anyone.

To work around this, some menu bar managers now request:

Screen Recording permission
Accessibility access
Event monitoring

That understandably makes some users uneasy. Worse, Tahoe’s restrictions on these permissions sometimes cause side effects such as ghost clicks, cursor interference, or other input glitches across the system.

None of this is malicious; it’s just what happens when an ecosystem built on clever workarounds collides with a new security model.

# What the Future Probably Looks Like

Long term, the situation likely resolves in one of three ways:

1. Apple ships a real menu bar overflow manager
2. Apple exposes proper status-item APIs for developers
3. The category slowly fades as launchers replace menu bar workflows

The third possibility is already happening.

Launchers are increasingly taking over tasks that used to live in the menu bar. The bar itself is drifting toward a status display, not an interaction surface. You glance at it to see whether something is syncing or connected. When you actually want to do something, you open a launcher.

# Accepting a Partial Solution

Over the past few months I’ve tested most of the menu bar managers currently available. Like many power users, I ended up choosing the option that annoys me the least. That is not the same thing as finding a solution that makes me happy.

Different setups behave differently. The manager that works well for Power User A might be completely unusable for Power User B depending on hardware, display configuration, and which menu bar apps are installed.

Here’s where things landed for me:

Hidden Bar
Too minimal and largely unmaintained.
Ice / Thaw
Interesting ideas; still plagued by the usual Tahoe bugs.
Barbee
Visually polished but inconsistent in day-to-day use.
Sanebar
Promising; currently suffers from the same underlying instability.
Bartender
Still buggy, but actively maintained and responsive to user feedback.

For now, Bartender still wins in my setup because nothing else matches its feature set:

The Bartender Bar, which shows active but hidden apps
Three icon states: Menu Bar, Bartender Bar, and Hidden
Adjustable menu bar spacing
Icons that appear only when an app changes state (great for cloud sync indicators)
Presets for different icon layouts
Automations triggered by conditions; for example, hiding the battery icon unless charge drops below 50%

To keep things stable, I avoid several features that add extra system hooks:

Mac Menu Bar Chaos

[Not My laptop](https://preview.redd.it/ldvyedtbtung1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=af60325a50b8f0a6c82da94f86c98e2f6c3fdd93)

# Where We Are… And Why

macOS 26 (Tahoe) is now months into its lifespan. The UI chaos it caused for menu bar management apps has calmed down a bit, but the situation is still far from stable.

A combination of **API limitations, OS-level redesigns, and tighter security controls** broke many of the assumptions apps like Bartender, Ice, and Barbee relied on. As a result, behavior that used to be predictable is now anything but.

Common symptoms include:

* icons disappearing and reappearing randomly
* the OS overriding the order of icons
* management apps losing track of icon positions
* items reindexing themselves
* settings resetting
* hidden items suddenly reappearing

Even something as basic as determining whether a menu bar icon is visible has become unreliable. For example, `NSStatusItem.isVisible` can return `true` even when the icon is hidden behind the notch or pushed offscreen by menu titles.

The new OS-level menu bar controls are also incomplete. Tahoe will quietly hide items when the bar gets crowded, and apps receive **no notification** when that happens. From a developer’s perspective, the OS is moving the furniture around without telling anyone.

To work around this, some menu bar managers now request:

* Screen Recording permission
* Accessibility access
* Event monitoring

That understandably makes some users uneasy. Worse, Tahoe’s restrictions on these permissions sometimes cause side effects such as ghost clicks, cursor interference, or other input glitches across the system.

None of this is malicious; it’s just what happens when an ecosystem built on clever workarounds collides with a new security model.

# What the Future Probably Looks Like

Long term, the situation likely resolves in one of three ways:

1. Apple ships a real menu bar overflow manager
2. Apple exposes proper status-item APIs for developers
3. The category slowly fades as launchers replace menu bar workflows

The third possibility is already happening.

Launchers are increasingly taking over tasks that used to live in the menu bar. The bar itself is drifting toward a **status display**, not an interaction surface. You glance at it to see whether something is syncing or connected. When you actually want to *do* something, you open a launcher.

# Accepting a Partial Solution

Over the past few months I’ve tested most of the menu bar managers currently available. Like many power users, I ended up choosing the option that annoys me the least. That is not the same thing as finding a solution that makes me happy.

Different setups behave differently. The manager that works well for Power User A might be completely unusable for Power User B depending on hardware, display configuration, and which menu bar apps are installed.

Here’s where things landed for me:

* [Hidden Bar](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12)
* Too minimal and largely unmaintained.
* [Ice / Thaw](https://macmenubar.com/thaw/)
* Interesting ideas; still plagued by the usual Tahoe bugs.
* [Barbee](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/barbee-hide-menu-bar-items/id1548711022?mt=12)
* Visually polished but inconsistent in day-to-day use.
* [Sanebar](https://sanebar.com)
* Promising; currently suffers from the same underlying instability.
* [Bartender](https://www.macbartender.com)
* Still buggy, but actively maintained and responsive to user feedback.

For now, **Bartender still wins** in my setup because nothing else matches its feature set:

* The **Bartender Bar**, which shows active but hidden apps
* Three icon states: *Menu Bar*, *Bartender Bar*, and *Hidden*
* Adjustable menu bar spacing
* Icons that appear only when an app changes state (great for cloud sync indicators)
* Presets for different icon layouts
* Automations triggered by conditions; for example, hiding the battery icon unless charge drops below 50%

To keep things stable, I avoid several features that add extra system hooks:

*

Appearance customization
* Menu bar search (Raycast handles that better anyway)
* Automatic icon reordering
* Complex trigger rules

# Changing the Workflow

One tactic that has helped a lot is simply **reducing my reliance on menu bar interfaces altogether**.

Many tasks I used to perform through menu bar icons now live elsewhere:

* **Raycast** for launching and quick actions
* **ExtraBar** for custom shortcuts
* **BetterTouchTool** triggers
* **Apple Shortcuts** automations

In some cases I just disable icons entirely using the menu bar controls in System Settings. A few functions have migrated to Control Center as well.

The result is a much quieter menu bar.

Back in August 2024 [I wrote a post about everything living in my menu bar at the time:](https://appaddict.app/post/what-s-in-your-menu-bar)

I had **43 icons**.

Today I have six:

* Alter
* ExtraBar
* Dato
* Bartender
* MountMate
* Ollama

And honestly, that feels about right.

https://redd.it/1roab5t
@macappsbackup

Pandemojo – The Reason for This Subreddit’s Success

The owner of this community, Pandemojo, has recently decided to move off Reddit. This came as a shock to me and the other moderators. Out of respect for his personal privacy, we didn’t want to bother him with questions or try to figure out what’s going on. Here was his final message to the moderators

>"Guys, I have decided to leave Reddit. You lot made the experience here better and I thank you for that. The communities are lucky to have you running it. Really. I wish you the best. Goodbye o/"

Who is u/Pandemojo?

Pandemojo was the owner of this subreddit for over a decade, actively moderating it the entire time and growing it to have hundreds of thousands of weekly visitors. To me, he is a mentor, someone I’ve always looked up to, and always a very genuine guy. I sincerely wish him all the best wherever his life takes him next, and I hope he finds happiness.

I’m leaving this post open to anyone who would like to share their experiences with Pandemojo or any final messages. I sent him this post, and he’ll be following it. If I receive any other messages from him, I’ll append them to this post.

https://redd.it/1rmq6em
@macappsbackup

What is your list of mac apps that was worth every penny

As the name suggests, what is your list?


EDIT: This blew up. Thank you so much for sharing your favourites everyone. It helps bring forward useful apps and you guys are really showing it.

https://redd.it/1rog48x
@macappsbackup

I built the most complete directory of macOS window managers out there (and also tools that fit in the ecosystem like scripting and menu bars). It's free. Did I miss any?
https://macoswm.com/

https://redd.it/1roe38m
@macappsbackup