{"id":66295,"date":"2017-05-12T11:41:24","date_gmt":"2017-05-12T18:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=66295"},"modified":"2017-06-06T14:21:16","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T21:21:16","slug":"15-of-the-best-menu-bar-extras-for-macos-sierra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/15-of-the-best-menu-bar-extras-for-macos-sierra\/","title":{"rendered":"15 of the Best Menu Bar Extras for macOS Sierra"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

As we outline elsewhere<\/a>, the macOS menu bar is tremendously useful. This article concentrates on the bit at\u00a0the right-hand-side, where you can stash menu extras (also known as status menus) \u2013 little apps whose icons you click to access handy controls (and more). You might have a few\u00a0there already, since Apple provides some with macOS, but we\u2019re delving into third-party utilities here; the aim is to utilize\u00a0all that\u00a0otherwise empty menu-bar space, in order to make you more productive on your Mac.<\/p>\n

Amphetamine<\/h3>\n

Free, William Gustafson<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Energy Saver is great, apart from when you really don\u2019t want your Mac dozing off. Amphetamine provides control over your Mac\u2019s sleeping habits beyond what Apple offers itself. The app\u00a0can be triggered to keep your Mac awake for a set period of time, or even indefinitely. But delve into the preferences and you can define triggers based on specific apps, and auto-deactivate Amphetamine\u00a0if your battery\u2019s running low.<\/p>\n

Bartender 2<\/h3>\n

$15, Surtees Studios<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This one\u2019s an organizational tool for those people with a few too many menu bar extras. On installing the app, you can stash whatever you like in Bartender\u2019s own menu. But there\u2019s more: items can be hidden completely, and apps can temporarily reappear for a few seconds when they update. You can also search within the Bartender menu, to quickly filter your menu extras.<\/p>\n

Default Folder<\/h3>\n

$34.95, St. Clair Software<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This much-loved utility is primarily designed as a radical overhaul for Open and Save dialogs, adding all kinds of handy goodies. But it also comes with a superb menu extra. Click it and you can access Finder windows, recent folders, and recent files. You can also rapidly navigate through your entire Mac\u2019s drive structure, from various starting points (such as Home, iCloud, and Documents).<\/p>\n

Dropzone<\/h3>\n

$10, Aptonic<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The idea behind Dropzone is to make it faster and easier to move, copy, and manipulate files. You drag a file in Finder to the Dropzone icon, whereupon an actions grid opens. This can contain app and folder shortcuts, social media actions, file actions (such as to create a ZIP from a dragged folder), and shortcuts to online servers (FTP, Amazon S3, and Google Drive).<\/p>\n

Endurance<\/h3>\n

Free, Magnetism Studios<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you find your Mac\u2019s always running out of power, Endurance might give it\u00a0the boost you need. You create a trigger for when the app\u2019s\u00a0features kick in (such as when your Mac\u2019s battery hits 50\u00a0per cent\u00a0power). You then determine what Endurance does, such as dimming the screen, and quitting greedy apps. On a typical Mac notebook, this\u00a0can help your Mac run for 20\u00a0per cent\u00a0longer.<\/p>\n

Fantastical<\/h3>\n

$49.99, Flexibits<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This is an interesting one, because it started out as a menu bar extra before evolving into a full-fledged calendar app. The latter bit mirrors Apple\u2019s own calendar, but has a handy day ticker sidebar. The menu bar bit, though, is great if you need fast access to your events, and it also enables you to build new events \u2018live\u2019 by using natural language input.<\/p>\n

Forecast Bar<\/h3>\n

$5.99, Real Casual Games, LLC<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There have been plenty of apps that stick a weather forecast in your menu bar, and\u00a0Forecast Bar is the best of them. Allow it to use your location and you\u2019ll get a little icon showing current conditions, along with a temperature readout. But click the icon and you gain access to an extended forecast, and hourly predictions for temperature and rainfall. (Should you want to access forecasts for elsewhere, you can add further locations,\u00a0too.)<\/p>\n

HazeOver<\/h3>\n

$7.99, Maxim Ananov<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Apple would have people use full-screen mode in order to focus, but that can be a jarring interface, not least when you need to switch between quite a few apps. HazeOver provides an alternative \u2013 a kind of dimmer switch that reduces distractions by fading out background windows. Neatly, the amount of fade is controlled by two-finger swiping up or down on the menu bar icon, which\u00a0turns its little dial.<\/p>\n

iBetterCharge<\/h3>\n

Free, Softorino<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever picked up an iOS device to find it mysteriously dead, before very quickly realizing you\u2019d not actually plugged it in, iBetterCharge is an essential app. Assuming\u00a0your devices are set up to use Wi-Fi sync in iTunes, iBetterCharge tracks their power. When they hit a specific battery capacity (or are fully charged up when plugged in), the app will let you know.<\/p>\n

iStat Menus<\/h3>\n

$18, Bjango<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You won\u2019t find a better system monitor than iStat Menus \u2013 nor a more convenient one. Whether you want to track CPU or memory usage, disk capacities, network and fan speeds, or how your batteries are doing, iStat Menus provides tiny graphs in the menu bar. Click them and they expand into a wealth of info to satisfy even the geekiest user. The app also bundles the best world clock you\u2019ll ever see on the Mac.<\/p>\n

Itsycal<\/h3>\n

Free, Mowglii<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you like the idea of a menu bar calendar, but don\u2019t fancy spending cash on Fantastical, Itsycal is a smart, free alternative. It sits in the menu bar, displaying the current date (and, optionally, day); click and you\u2019ll see the current month\u2019s calendar. If you like, the app will also list your appointments over the coming days.<\/p>\n

Resolutionator<\/h3>\n

$3, Many Tricks<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Apple inexplicably stopped enabling you to switch display resolutions from the menu bar a while ago, presumably because it reckons every display should use its most optimal settings. If you need to regularly switch resolutions, Resolutionator does the business. And if you\u2019ve multiple screens, you can change each one\u2019s resolution from within its own sub-menu.<\/p>\n

Time Out<\/h3>\n

$0.99 monthly, Dejal Systems, LLC<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to get into bad habits when using a Mac. Perhaps you spend time playing games, or get sucked into social networks. Time Out aims to help you focus by cycling work sprints and breaks, along with \u2018micro breaks\u2019 for stretching every so often. The app itself is free, but you\u2019ll need to subscribe ($0.99 monthly) to use the menu bar component.<\/p>\n

Vanilla<\/h3>\n

Free\/$3.99 for pro, Matthew Palmer<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A simpler alternative to Bartender, Vanilla simply has you place within it the menu extras you don\u2019t need permanently displayed. On doing so, Vanilla collapses, hiding the relevant icons. If you pay for pro, you can set specific icons to never appear, automatically hide icons after five seconds, and always have Vanilla start at login.<\/p>\n

Witch<\/h3>\n

$14, Many Tricks<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This utility\u2019s catchphrase is \u2018Command-Tab everything\u2019. It\u2019s essentially a replacement for Apple\u2019s app switcher, also enabling you to quickly switch to individual windows. It\u2019s all very configurable, and you can define multiple switchers (for example, if you want one akin to Apple\u2019s, and another specifically for windows). The menu bar component conveniently lists all of the apps you have open, and on selecting a window from one of them will immediately bring it to the front.<\/p>\n

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Are you new to Mac?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to get the most out of your new MacBook, iMac or other Apple computer? Whether this is your first laptop or you\u2019ve just switched from Windows, there are a few things you should know about your new Mac, like basic keyboard shortcuts or how to use the various features macOS has to offer. Learn more about what your Mac computer can do for you at the Intego New Mac User Center: Get started now!<\/strong><\/a><\/address>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we outline elsewhere, the macOS menu bar is tremendously useful. This article concentrates on the bit at\u00a0the right-hand-side, where you can stash menu extras (also known as status menus) \u2013 little apps whose icons you click to access handy controls (and more). You might have a few\u00a0there already, since Apple provides some with macOS, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":66406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[10,151,11],"tags":[3058,3211],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n