I like to keep my digital workspace clean, and this includes my Mac menu bar. 

Initially, I used Bartender which was part of my Setapp subscription. After leaving Setapp, I switched to Ice, a free and open-source alternative to Bartender.

For those unfamiliar with apps like Bartender and Ice, they essentially allow you to hide menu bar items you don’t need at the moment. 

Everything else is tucked away behind an icon that can serve as a toggle button or reveal hidden items on hover over the empty area beside it.

The reveal behavior and toggle icon can be customized in the app settings.

This setup keeps the menu bar clean and minimal, displaying only the most essential items, ensuring easy visibility and accessibility. 

When you do require the use of other menu bar apps, you can simply reveal them and use them as usual. 

As mentioned earlier, Ice is completely free to download and is open source. You can view it on GitHub here.