Ice icon

Ice

Open SourceFree

Elegantly organize your macOS menu bar, hide unnecessary icons with one click, and create a clean, efficient desktop space to help you focus on work and creativity.

Ice - A Powerful macOS Menu Bar Management Tool

Application Overview

Ice is an open-source menu bar management tool specifically designed for macOS. While its core functionality revolves around hiding and showing menu bar items, its goal is to incorporate various additional features, making it one of the most versatile menu bar utilities available.

Note: Ice is currently in active development. Some features are not yet fully implemented.

Download and Installation

Manual Installation

  1. Download the "Ice.zip" file from the latest release
  2. Extract the application
  3. Move the application to the "Applications" folder

Homebrew Installation

Run the following command:

brew install --cask jordanbaird-ice

Key Features and Advantages

Core Feature: Menu Bar Item Management

  • Hide Menu Bar Items: Clean up cluttered menu bars by showing only the items you truly need
  • "Always Hide" Menu Bar Areas: Permanently hide specific items from view
  • Multiple Ways to Show Hidden Items:
    • Show when hovering mouse over menu bar
    • Show when clicking on empty menu bar space
    • Show via scrolling or swiping gestures on menu bar
  • Auto Re-hide: Hidden items automatically re-hide after use
  • Resolve Menu Overlap: Automatically hide application menus when they overlap with displayed menu bar items

Advanced Management Features

  • Drag-and-Drop Interface: Intuitively arrange individual menu bar items
  • Separated Display Bar:
    • Create a dedicated display area for hidden menu bar items
    • Especially beneficial for MacBook models with notches, maximizing menu bar space
  • Search Function: Quickly locate specific menu bar items
  • Menu Bar Item Spacing Control (Beta): Fine-tune spacing between items
  • Configuration System: Create and switch between different menu bar layout configurations for various usage scenarios

Customization Options

  • Independent Dividers: Add custom separators between menu bar items
  • Menu Bar Item Grouping: Organize related items together for easier management

Smart Display Features

  • Conditional Display Triggers: Automatically show menu bar items based on specific conditions

Visual Customization

  • Menu Bar Coloring: Support for both solid colors and gradients
  • Shadows and Borders: Add aesthetically pleasing visual elements to the menu bar
  • Custom Shapes: Rounded corners and/or split-style menu bar designs
  • Background Removal: Remove background behind the menu bar
  • Screen Corner Rounding: Customize the appearance of screen corners
  • Dark/Light Mode Support: Independent appearance settings for different system themes

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Toggle individual menu bar areas
  • Quickly open the search panel
  • Enable/disable Ice Bar
  • Show/hide area separator icons
  • Switch application menus
  • Enable/disable auto re-hide
  • Temporarily show individual menu bar items

Other Practical Features

  • Login Item: Set Ice to start automatically with the system
  • Auto-Update: Keep the application always up to date
  • Menu Bar Widgets (Planned): Further enhance functional integration

Technical Information

  • Development Status: Actively developed, with continuous feature updates and improvements
  • System Requirements: macOS 14 or later only
  • Open Source License: GPL-3.0 License
  • Community Support: Backed by an active open-source community

Application Advantages

  1. All-in-One Solution: Combines multiple menu bar management features, eliminating the need for multiple applications
  2. Highly Customizable: From basic hiding functions to advanced visual customization, meeting diverse user needs
  3. User-Friendly: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface and multiple display options with a gentle learning curve
  4. Performance Optimized: Designed specifically for modern macOS systems with low resource usage
  5. Continuously Updated: As an active open-source project, Ice will receive ongoing feature enhancements and bug fixes

This tool is particularly ideal for macOS users with cluttered menu bars who desire a cleaner workspace, or those seeking fine-grained control over the appearance and functionality of their menu bar.

All software data on this site is synchronized from the Awesome mac project. Copyright belongs to original authors.

Related Articles

Recommended Apps

iGlance icon

iGlance

iGlance is a free macOS system monitoring tool that displays key information such as CPU/GPU temperature, memory usage, network speed, and fan RPM in real-time on the menu bar. With a clean and intuitive interface, it helps you easily monitor your system status.

Itsycal icon

Itsycal

Itsycal is a minimalist and practical menu bar calendar tool with a lightweight design that consumes minimal system resources. With one click, users can view monthly calendars and schedules. It supports customized appearance and quick actions, enhancing time management efficiency for Mac users.

Logoer icon

Logoer

Logoer is a fast icon creation tool designed specifically for macOS, helping users easily create professional-grade logos and icons. With a rich collection of built-in templates and intelligent design features, it meets various design needs such as corporate branding and software icons, allowing users to produce beautiful logos without professional design skills.

MenubarX icon

MenubarX

MenubarX is an innovative macOS application that embeds a web browser directly into the menu bar, allowing you to quickly access frequently used web pages without opening a full-screen browser, thereby enhancing your work efficiency.

MenuScores icon

MenuScores

MenuScores is a menu bar icon management tool specifically designed for macOS. It allows you to easily hide unnecessary menu bar icons, keeping your status bar clean and organized. With one click, you can tidy up your system tray, enhancing both desktop aesthetics and work efficiency.

MonitorControl icon

MonitorControl

MonitorControl is a practical utility for macOS that allows users to directly control the brightness, contrast, and volume of external displays using keyboard shortcuts, eliminating the need for physical monitor buttons and providing a convenient control experience in multi-display work environments.