Lloyd vs SaneBar

Lloyd is a free, MIT-licensed macOS utility that brings menu-bar icons hidden behind a MacBook notch into a panel below the menu bar. The panel displays those icons as live images. Hovering identifies the app behind an icon, or gives the item name for system extras. Clicking an icon moves it to a visible menu-bar slot and opens its menu; right-clicks are forwarded too. Open the panel from Lloyd’s menu-bar icon or with ⌃⌥L. Lloyd places its own icon at the far right of the movable menu-bar area. To capture and operate the hidden items, it requests Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions. The app is signed but not notarized, uses private APIs, and is distributed directly rather than through the App Store. The maker provides a DMG download and Homebrew cask instructions. A revealed item stays visible because macOS provides no way for Lloyd to put it back into notch overflow; it can be hidden again by dragging it toward the notch.

SaneBar is a macOS utility for hiding menu bar apps and bringing their icons back when needed. Hidden items appear in a floating Icon Panel or a full-width Second Menu Bar, with search, a one-click toggle, keyboard shortcuts, and per-icon hotkeys for managing them. Automation options include AppleScript, Shortcuts, and triggers tied to battery level, Wi-Fi, Focus, app launches, schedules, or scripts. Users can import layouts from Bartender or Ice and move settings between Macs. Icons can be locked with Touch ID or a password. SaneBar is open source under the MIT License, with public source code. It keeps menu bar contents and personal files on the Mac; its privacy policy describes limited update requests and anonymous aggregate app counts. It requires macOS Accessibility permission and says Screen Recording is not needed for normal use. The free plan includes all features and requires macOS 14.0 Sonoma or later and Apple Silicon. The maker says most Apple menu extras and ordinary third-party menu bar apps work, though a few apps with unusual custom behavior may be exceptions.