Notch Guide

Give the MacBook notch less control over your menu bar.

The notch makes horizontal menu bar space feel scarce. Tuck's Shelf Mode moves hidden icons into a clean panel below the menu bar, so the icons remain reachable without crowding the top edge.

Shelf ModeNotch-awaremacOS 14+

Why the notch changes menu bar organization

On a notched MacBook, the menu bar is visually continuous but practical space is interrupted. Apps that add many status items can collide with app menus, Control Center items, and the notch area.

Tuck avoids treating the top bar as the only place icons can live. When icons are tucked, Shelf Mode can show them in a temporary panel below the menu bar.

How Shelf Mode helps

Hidden until needed

Keep everyday utility icons tucked away while you work.

Panel below the bar

Open a shelf of hidden icons instead of squeezing everything around the notch.

Works with Push Mode

Use one-click hiding as the base behavior, then open Shelf when needed.

Pro controls

Combine Shelf with auto-hide, hover, icon styles, and per-icon rules.

Why Screen Recording may appear

macOS protects the contents of the screen. When Tuck opens Shelf and needs to identify menu bar icons accurately, macOS can require Screen Recording permission. Tuck requests it only when the Shelf path needs it, not as a general analytics permission.

Recommended setup

  1. Install Tuck and complete Accessibility permission.
  2. Use Push Mode first to confirm the basic hide and restore behavior.
  3. Open Shelf Mode from Tuck when you want hidden icons below the menu bar.
  4. If macOS asks for Screen Recording, approve it in System Settings and reopen Tuck.

For the exact walkthrough, use the Shelf Mode tutorial.