The menu bar is automatically hidden by macOS when you launch an app in full-screen mode by clicking the green traffic light icon in the upper-left corner of the window. By keeping the menu bar items out of the way, this deliberate behaviour strives to offer an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, it appears to be a clever design on the new 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro to ensure that the notch is hidden by the black bar in full-screen mode. What if, however, you find that this functionality interferes with your workflow? So, here’s how to keep the Mac menu bar visible when the screen is full.
How to Make the Menu Bar Stay Visible in Full Screen Mode on Mac
It’s simple to become perplexed because Apple has placed the choice to show/hide the Mac menu bar in full-screen mode inside the Dock & Menu Bar options. When activated, it enables you to make the system-wide menu bar visible. A per-app basis modification along with the system-wide setting would have been perfect. Hopefully, Apple’s next macOS 13 gets it right.
1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen to begin.
2. Click the System Preferences option from the drop-down menu now.
3. Select Dock & Menu Bar next.
4. To finish, deactivate the checkbox to the left of Automatically hide and reveal the menu bar in full screen, then close System Preferences.
You’re all set! The modification will take effect right away. On your macOS device going forward, the menu bar will remain displayed in full-screen mode. Return to the original setting and check the box at the very end if you ever want to hide it again.
Note:
- In some cases, the menu bar will remain hidden in full-screen mode even after you have unchecked the box for Automatically hide and show the menu bar in full screen. In this situation, you may need to restart your Mac to implement the change. Simply, click the Apple menu at the upper-left corner of the screen and choose Restart in the drop-down menu.
Show/Hide the Mac Menu Bar in Full-Screen Mode
In full-screen mode, that is how you can either conceal or show the Mac menu bar. Always preferable is the ability to deal with a trait that not everyone may find appealing. This reminds me of how Apple eliminated the battery symbol with the percentage metre in macOS Big Sur and later. Many people would be OK with just the battery icon, but I enjoy having the battery percentage indication so that I can easily keep track of the battery life. This design modification is not very user-friendly. The menu bar is typically hidden by default on macOS while a programme is in full-screen mode, which is roughly on par. Do you have any more comments or questions, by the way? Don’t forget to communicate your thoughts.