By the NotchPop team · Updated
Short answer
macOS doesn't wrap the menu bar around the notch. When there are too many icons, the ones on the left are hidden behind the camera with no warning. Fix it by tightening icon spacing with a Terminal command, removing icons you don't need, or using a menu bar manager like Ice or Bartender.
Why icons disappear
Menu bar icons, which Apple calls status items, fill the right side of the menu bar from right to left. The app menus fill it from left to right. On a MacBook with a notch, neither side can use the space behind the camera. When the right side runs out of room, macOS silently hides the extra icons instead of moving them. They are still running. You just can't click them.
It's worst when you open an app with many menus, like Xcode or Photoshop, because the app's menus take more of the left side.
1. Tighten the spacing between icons
macOS has two hidden settings for the gap around each menu bar icon. Smaller values fit several more icons. Open Terminal and run:
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSpacing -int 6
defaults -currentHost write -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding -int 6Log out and back in to see the change. Try values from 2 to 8. To undo it:
defaults -currentHost delete -globalDomain NSStatusItemSpacing
defaults -currentHost delete -globalDomain NSStatusItemSelectionPadding2. Remove icons you don't need
Hold Command and drag any system icon, like Wi-Fi or Spotlight, out of the menu bar to remove it. Hold Command and drag to reorder the rest, so the ones you use most sit on the right where they're never hidden. For third-party apps, look for a "Show in menu bar" option in their settings.
You can also move some system icons into Control Center under System Settings > Control Center, where they stay one click away.
4. Move widgets into the notch
Many menu bar icons are small status readouts: a timer, the weather, CPU use, what's playing. A notch app can take over those jobs, so you can quit the separate menu bar apps. NotchPop includes a focus timer, weather and system stats, calendar and media controls in the notch itself, which frees up menu bar room.
5. Scale the busy app below the camera
If one app with many menus is the problem, select it in Finder, choose File > Get Info, and tick Scale to fit below built-in camera. That app will draw below the notch, which gives the menu bar its full width while it's open. More in how to hide the MacBook notch.
