How to Automate Your Mac Menu Bar Based on Apps and Time

Your menu bar needs change throughout the day. During focused coding sessions, you might want a minimal setup. During video calls, you need quick access to audio controls. Rather than manually reorganizing every time, you can automate these changes.

Why Automate Your Menu Bar?

Different contexts require different tools:

Work mode:

  • Communication apps visible (Slack, email)
  • Project management tools accessible
  • Calendar always showing

Focus mode:

  • Minimal distractions
  • Just clock and essential system icons
  • Everything else hidden

Creative work:

  • Design tool integrations visible
  • Color picker accessible
  • Music controls handy

Video calls:

  • Camera and microphone controls prominent
  • Screen sharing tools ready
  • Notifications silenced indicator visible

Manually switching between these setups is tedious. Automation handles it for you.

Automation Triggers

Modern menu bar organizers can respond to various triggers:

Time-Based Automation

Set different layouts for different parts of your day:

  • Morning (6 AM - 9 AM): Show calendar, email, and news
  • Work hours (9 AM - 5 PM): Show work tools, hide personal apps
  • Evening (5 PM - 10 PM): Show personal apps, hide work tools
  • Night (10 PM - 6 AM): Minimal layout, just essentials

This works well for people with predictable schedules. Your menu bar adapts without any manual intervention.

Application-Based Automation

Change layouts based on your active (frontmost) application:

  • When Zoom is active: Show audio controls, camera toggle
  • When VS Code is active: Show Git status, minimal distractions
  • When Figma is active: Show color tools, screenshot utilities
  • When Safari is active: Show bookmarks, reading list

This contextual approach means your most relevant tools are always at hand.

Display-Based Automation

Adjust based on connected monitors:

  • Built-in display only (laptop mode): Compact layout to save space
  • External display connected (desk mode): Expanded layout with more icons visible
  • Specific monitor detected: Custom layout for that workspace

Perfect for people who work from multiple locations with different setups.

Setting Up Automation with Bar Bar Jinks

Bar Bar Jinks supports all three automation types. Here’s how to use them:

Creating Presets

First, create layouts (presets) for your different contexts:

  1. Arrange your menu bar for a specific context
  2. Save it as a preset with a descriptive name
  3. Repeat for each context you need

For example, create presets named “Work,” “Focus,” “Calls,” and “Personal.”

Adding Time Triggers

Set a preset to activate at specific times:

  1. Select a preset
  2. Add a time trigger
  3. Choose the days and time
  4. The preset activates automatically

You might set “Work” to activate at 9 AM on weekdays and “Personal” to activate at 6 PM.

Adding App Triggers

Link presets to applications:

  1. Select a preset
  2. Add an app trigger
  3. Choose the application
  4. When that app is frontmost, the preset activates

Set your “Focus” preset to activate when your code editor is frontmost, and “Calls” when Zoom or FaceTime is active.

Adding Display Triggers

Configure presets for monitor configurations:

  1. Select a preset
  2. Add a display trigger
  3. The system detects your current setup
  4. Save the trigger

Now when you connect your external monitor at home, your “Home Office” preset activates automatically.

Trigger Priority

When multiple triggers could apply, you need a priority system:

  1. App triggers typically take highest priority—the active app dictates immediate needs
  2. Display triggers come next—they reflect your physical environment
  3. Time triggers serve as defaults—what to show when nothing else applies

Most menu bar organizers let you adjust these priorities or disable specific triggers temporarily.

Practical Examples

The Remote Worker

  • Home office (external display): Full layout with all work tools
  • Coffee shop (laptop only): Minimal layout, VPN icon visible
  • Video calls (Zoom active): Audio and video controls prominent

The Developer

  • Coding (VS Code active): Git status, just clock, minimal distractions
  • Testing (Terminal active): System monitor visible
  • Documentation (Browser active): Standard layout with bookmarks

The Designer

  • Design work (Figma active): Color picker, screenshot tool, font manager
  • Client calls (Zoom active): Presentation mode, clean and professional
  • Research (Browser active): Bookmarks and note-taking tools

Tips for Effective Automation

Start Simple

Begin with just time-based triggers. Add app and display triggers once you understand your patterns.

Don’t Over-Automate

Too many triggers can cause jarring frequent changes. Focus on your major context switches, not every minor app change.

Leave Manual Override

Sometimes you need a different layout than automation would choose. Ensure you can quickly switch manually when needed.

Review Periodically

Your work patterns change. Revisit your automation rules every few months to ensure they still match your workflow.

Quick Access When Automation Isn’t Enough

Even with good automation, you sometimes need an icon that’s currently hidden. This is where quick search becomes essential—press a keyboard shortcut to instantly search and access any menu bar icon, regardless of its visibility state.

Bar Bar Jinks provides this with Cmd+Shift+B: type a few characters of the app name, and you can interact with its menu bar icon immediately.

Conclusion

Menu bar automation eliminates the friction of manual organization. Your workspace adapts to what you’re doing, not the other way around. Start with a few presets and triggers, then refine based on how you actually work. The goal is a menu bar that always has what you need without any effort on your part.