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Don't hide menu bar with maximized apps

I have Catalina. It seems that now, whenever I maximize an app (click the little green button at top left), the main menu bar disappears.


I do not like this. At all. I want the menu bar to behave as in previous versions, where it remains visible with maximized apps, and only hides when doing something full screen, like playing a video.


How can I restore this? I hope there's a way.

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 9, 2019 11:36 AM

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9 replies

Nov 9, 2019 11:48 AM in response to Justin J. Rebbert

This is a feature of Full Screen.


Your option is exit full screen mode and hold the option key and click the green pill button— to expand the window to take up the entirety of the screen—this is different then Full Screen Mode, and allows for the menubar to be persistent.


You other option here—

>System Preferences>General>Auto hide and show Menu Bar





Use apps in full screen on Mac - Apple Support


Nov 12, 2019 6:46 PM in response to leroydouglas

I believe both of you may have misunderstood what my problem is. If I failed to explain it clearly, I apologize. Let me see if I can explain it more clearly.


Previous MacOS versions:

  1. App is running in a window.
  2. I click the green button.
  3. App fills entire screen area EXCEPT the menu bar area. The menu remains visible.


Catalina:

  1. App is running in a window.
  2. I click the green button.
  3. App fills entire screen INCLUDING the menu bar area and the menu is hidden, and only appears if I move the pointer up to the top edge.


The behavior of what happens when I click the green button in Catalina is distinctly different from what I remember happening with every MacOS I've experienced for the past ten years.


I have tried that setting, the auto hide and show menu bar setting, and that makes it worse. That makes it so the menu bar is ALWAYS hidden unless I move the pointer to the top of the screen.

Nov 15, 2019 4:55 PM in response to dialabrain

He also said, "When you switch to full screen mode." I wasn't switching to full screen mode. I was trying to maximize the app. That was my entire point. I was performing the action that in the past, "for years" to quote the other reply, maximized, not switched to full screen.


If there's no way to change the function of the green button back to what it's been "for years" then I'm done here. If anyone has anything useful to add, I'm glad to read it.

Don't hide menu bar with maximized apps

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