Vanilla is a free Mac app that lets you hide menu bar icons.
How do I use the beta version of Vanilla?
To enable Vanilla beta releases,
1. Quit Vanilla if it's running
2. Open your Terminal and paste in
defaults write net.matthewpalmer.Vanilla vanilla-updater-use-beta -bool true
3. Hit Return
4. Open Vanilla again
When you open Vanilla again, you should see a notification to update to the latest version. If not, you may need to enable notifications for Vanilla in System Settings or turn off Focus mode if it's enabled.
Please send feedback to [email protected]
How do I fix the gap with Vanilla’s arrow in macOS 12.4 and above?
In macOS 12.4 and above, Apple added a new default system setting to the menu bar Date & Time settings.
With this setting, the date dynamically shows and hides based on the available space in your menu bar. This introduces inconsistencies with Vanilla’s spacing, so we need to turn off the dynamic toggling.
1. Open System Preferences
2. Click Dock & Menu Bar
3. In the sidebar, scroll down to Clock in the Menu Bar section
4. Change the “Show Date” setting from “When space allows” to “Always” or “Never”, depending on your preference
Vanilla might be temporarily misplaced after you toggle that setting. If you click Vanilla's < and > arrows, or quit and restart Vanilla, it should reposition itself correctly.
How many Macs can I use my license code on?
By default, Vanilla Pro license codes can be activated up to ten times. Get in touch if you need more than this.
I’m stuck on the setup / permissions screen when launching Vanilla
Follow our step-by-step guide on removing and re-adding your permissions so that Vanilla works correctly available here.
How do I contact you?
Feel free to contact me any time via email at [email protected]