Bartender 4.0 was in beta for a long time, and the time and attention to the details paid off. If you were waiting to update until the app was officially released, at present's the fourth dimension to deed considering it's out, and the update is splendid.

I use Bartender on all my Macs, merely I appreciate it most on my MacBook Air. The updated app, which manages your menu bar apps, retains its core functionality, allowing you to rearrange your menu bar apps and hide the ones you lot don't demand regularly. Nonetheless, with version 4.0, Bartender does a lot more too.

The app works perfectly on Apple tree's new M1 Macs. I've been using the beta version since belatedly last twelvemonth, and it'south worked as I expected on my M1 MacBook Air and my older 2018 Mac mini.

The update includes a new feature called Quick Reveal that reveals subconscious carte bar app icons the moment the pointer hovers over an empty space in the bill of fare bar. Of grade, you can activate Bartender by clicking on its bill of fare bar icon and fix a custom delay before hidden icons appear too.

Subconscious items can alternatively announced in the Bartender Bar, which is essentially a secondary menu bar that appears beneath the system menu bar when Bartender is triggered. I don't use the Bartender Bar, but if you lot have a very large number of carte bar apps installed, it tin can be a good style to ensure that you tin see them all when Bartender is triggered.

Private menu bar items tin also be automatically revealed based on triggers. Version iv adds new triggers to Bartender's repertoire. The prototype comparison trigger tin be used for menu icons like Dropbox that change their appearance depending on what they are doing. You can besides reveal menu bar icons based on scripts, which opens upwardly a lot of potential for tying menu bar icons to the connexion of certain peripherals, types of network connections, and more than. There are also special triggers for some items like the battery level indicator, which can exist tied to how much remaining battery power yous have, for instance.

The spacing options for carte bar icons are extensive likewise. Big Sur spaced out the carte bar, which is the default spacing in Bartender, just you tin as well choice the more compact spacing of prior versions of macOS or smash icons right upward next to each other if you desire to save every bit much infinite as possible. Also, Bartender can insert spacers in the carte du jour bar, which is a handy manner to grouping carte bar apps in a mode that makes sense to you. The width of spacers is flexible, and they can exist labeled with text or emoji.

Search has been improved too. Set a keyboard shortcut in preferences, and when it'due south invoked, a search HUD appears for quickly finding and revealing your bill of fare bar apps. The UI is reminiscent of Spotlight and is extremely fast.

I saved my favorite feature for last. With Bartender 4, you tin can assign a keyboard shortcut for whatsoever menu bar app. A lot of card bar apps already offer keyboard shortcuts, simply not all do, including some of Apple'due south. One of the most frustrating that I mentioned in my Large Sur review is Control Center, which cannot be activated from the keyboard. With Bartender 4, withal, I've assigned a keyboard shortcut to Command Centre so I tin get a quick look at those setting as I type and another to At present Playing so I tin can quickly check on the music playing equally I piece of work.

I've used Bartender for many years and consider it one of my must-have Mac apps that I install as presently as I become a new Mac. With version iv.0, Bartender feels more than like a office of macOS than whatever prior version. Of course, it isn't, simply the app runs so smoothly that information technology feels similar an extension of the system menu bar more than it does a third-party app, which I dearest. That, along with the new features added with this release, makes Bartender an essential addition to anyone's Mac setup, especially if you're using a Mac laptop.

Bartender 4.0 is available straight from Surtees Studios for $15 if you lot are a first-time client and $7.50 for anyone upgrading. Bartender is also available with a Setapp subscription.