Customize the Menubar in OS X

The typical OS X menubar is pretty functional. Several items in System Preferences allow you to display a Menubar Icon (Displays, Bluetooth, Network, Sound, and Energy Saver to name a few) for quick access to system settings. There are many Applications available that enhance the Menubar, adding additional functionality, while using very few system resources.

Notice how I’ve added an Eject Button, a Network Monitor (available through Little Snitch), an Audio Controller called Soundflower that allows me to reroute System Audio, and a Fan Speed Controller for my overheating MacBook Pro called smcFanControl to the Menubar? You can do the same thing. Most, if not all MenuBar items are just like any other Application. By the way, if you haven’t already you should tell Finder to display file extensions (Open Finder, Navigate to Finder -> Preferences and Select “Show All File Extensions”). This isn’t necessary, but always a good idea.

Just download the Menubar Application you want, unzip it and drag whatever is unzipped to the Applications: Utilities folder (This is just the preferable folder for me to put them, you could even create a New Folder in Applications called “Menubar Items”). Double click the Application to open it for the first time. Sometimes a Menubar will have an option already built in to load the Application at Startup or Login. Sometimes they don’t. If you navigate to System Preferences -> Accounts -> Login Items, you can manually add an Application to load when you Login.

Some Menubar items cost money, but many of them are available for free! Super OS X Menubar Items has a superb listing of available Menubar applications, although this site has not been updated for some time.

When you are finished installing your Menubar Items, you can rearrange them by holding Command and dragging the icon. Some downloadable Menubar Items cannot be handled in this fashion.