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24 alternatives to I made a macOS app to let you turn On/Off the Touch Bar at will

I bought a new Macbook a few months ago and I found myself hitting the Touch Bar accidentally pretty often. After some frustrations, I made an app to turn it off at will. I found it so convenient I decided to add extra features (auto launch, auto update, ...) and release it for others to use. It would be really great to hear what you guys think so please feel free to share any feedback. Also use the coupon code HNHMB10 to get 50% off for a limited time. I hope it will be as useful to you as it is to me! Website : https://hidemybar.clemstation.com/

Hide My Bar is a macOS application that allows users to disable the Touch Bar on their MacBook. Built to address accidental Touch Bar activation, the app lets users toggle the feature on and off as needed. It includes… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. I made a macOS app to let you turn On/Off the Touch Bar at will launched in 2020; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

  1. 1

    macOS app to turn off the Touch Bar at will

    2020 · clemstation.com · its alternatives →

  2. 2

    A little stopwatch for your Mac's touch bar

    2018 · touch-bar-timer.alexzirbel.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Switch between apps with just the Touch Bar

    2016 · hazeover.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4

    The macOS Touch Bar Simulator as a standalone app

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

    Hello, I'm Kushagra and I am the indie developer behind LookAway (I've posted about it earlier but it has received quite a lot of updates since the last time so I am posting it again). LookAway is a native break reminder for macOS that doesn't interrupt. I built it because I work from home and I spend a lot of time in front of my screens. It's very easy for me to get lost in the flow and I can end up sitting for hours. Due to this, I started facing issues like eye strain and back pain by the end of the day. The solution to this was simply taking enough breaks throughout the day. But…

    Apr 2026 · lookaway.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6
    ExtraBar▲152

    Hey Hacker News The ones that know me here know that I am a productivity geek. After DockFlow to manage my Dock and ExtraDock, which gives me more space to manage my apps and files, I decided to tackle the macOS big boss: the menu bar. I spend ~40% of my day context-switching between apps — Zoom meetings, Slack channels, Code projects, and Figma designs. My macOS menu bar has too many useless icons I almost never use. So I thought to myself, how can I use this area to improve my workflows? Most solutions (Bartender, Ice) require screen recording permissions, and did not really solve my…

    Dec 2025 · extrabar.app · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    All your mac toggles in one place

    2019 · fireball.studio · its alternatives →

  8. 8

    Howdy, gang; After almost two weeks of sitting in Apple's approval queue, my new app Timebar is finally available. I think it has a pretty innovative UI feature, so I wanted to float it by Hacker News. It's a timer app that turns your Mac's menu bar into a sort of virtual hourglass. Your menu bar starts out tinted blue (or whatever colour you pick) and it slowly drains from right-to-left until your time is up. It works very well for situations where you want to keep track of time, but don't need to be super precise. The menu bar is easy to glance up at, and it doesn't take long to happen…

    2013 · whimsicalifornia.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    A MacOS panic button where one key press cleans your screen

    Mar 2026 · solee0524.github.io · its alternatives →

  10. 10
    HapticKey▲133

    Trigger haptic feedback when tapping Touch Bar

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

  11. 11
    TopNotch▲271

    Makes the new MacBook Pro notch disappear like a Ninja

    2021 · topnotch.app · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    A one-click camera check, right from your Menu Bar

    2022 · handmirror.app · its alternatives →

  13. 13
    tapcut▲90

    The analogue shortcut

    May 2026 · tapcut.app · its alternatives →

  14. 14
    MacQuit▲107

    Quit all running Mac apps in one click from your menu bar

    Mar 2026 · awesomemacapp.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    A small app to display your designs on the Touch Bar.

    2017 · touchbar.github.io · its alternatives →

  16. 16
    Fader▲90

    Minimize windows when you switch apps automatically

    Apr 2026 · eythor.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17
    1Setter▲108

    Hi HN, I’m an indie developer and I recently built 1Setter, a macOS menu bar app that lets you quickly access and apply common system settings with a single click. It supports individual actions as well as grouped actions, so you can trigger multiple settings in one step if needed. The motivation came from the friction of scattered macOS settings: some are buried in System Settings, some require multiple steps, and existing menu bar tools often felt too limited or opinionated. I wanted something lightweight, predictable, and fast. Under the hood, the app uses official system frameworks where…

    Jan 2026 · 1setter.app · its alternatives →

  18. 18
    DND Me▲114

    Schedule Do Not Disturb from your Mac's menu bar

    2019 · roland.leth.ro · its alternatives →

  19. 19

    Built this for macOS because I wanted app switching to feel faster and more flexible than the default Command-Tab flow. DashPane combines app switching and launching in one flow, with: • customizable app shortcuts • fuzzy search for apps and windows • sidebar access • edge gestures • more consistent Command-Tab behavior • appearance, menu bar, and haptics settings This is the v2 update, shipped about a month after launch. A lot of the changes came from early user feedback. Site: https://www.dashpane.pro/

    Mar 2026 · dashpane.pro · its alternatives →

  20. 20
    QBlocker▲132

    Never accidentally quit an app again

    2016 · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    Distraction free Do Not Disturb mode with hidden Dock badges

    2017 · app-enzeller.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22

    App Launcher Switcher | Dock and CMD-Tab alternative

    2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  23. 23

    my first app, a Mac menu bar utility to remind you to blink more. any feedback would be much appreciated. or make it your own and share :)

    2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    A minimalist gesture timer from your Mac menu bar

    2024 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

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