New to Apple, frustrated with menu bar

I highly doubt that Apple will ever change this functionality. I expect that they view full screen mode as a view with no distractions, even the date and time. Personally I agree with you regarding the Menu Bar. At least the application menus should be easily available. And I find the way they work more distracting because when they do appear, they overlay the top of the application window.

That said, and since Apple likely won't change anything, the best option I've found is to use maximize and hide the dock. In most cases, that gives you a full screen with a menu bar. This avoids the menu bar popping open because it's always open.

Another option, if you're just looking to easily access the application menus, is to use MenuPop or MenuEverywhere from Binary Bakery. They pop up the application menus wherever the mouse pointer is via a shortcut key. Unfortunately, nothing stops the menu bar popping open if you get too close to it in full screen mode.

Bob

Hi there. I hope I make some people happy... I have been as ****** off as you all with this issue... but I found something that it workks for me.

How to keep you cheat on Apples stupidity:

1. Forget FULL SCREEN MODE. It is crap just because Apple wants to be crap. Don't use it.

2. Open Mission Control

4. Once you are in Mission Control, create a new desktop placing your cursor on the top right corner and clicking on the sign + This will add a new desktop to the queue. Open it up

5. Once you are in this new Desktop, open up Safari and expand it manually untill it fits the room available below the Menu Bar.

6. Repeat the same process for any other app: email, itunes, etc...

The secret is to create desktops... as stupid as it sounds... but thanks to this, you will be able to sweep apps and keep the Menu Bar on top all the time... don't close them and you'll never have to open these apps again 🙂

I was equally frusted as you Milew66, and have been reading like crazy but to no avail.

However just now I came cross a post and it seemed worked - so far, for 5 minutes now.

It's very simple, you press Command + Option + D, that will hide the dock (I have it on the left size of the screen, instead of the default bottom, but that should have nothing to do with hiding or not), and free up the space, then you click the green+ button of the upper left corner of the (Chrom) window, this will expand the window to occupy all spaces except the menu bar.

Note though, do not click the upper right cornor button (the two arrows), which will put the window into presentation mode, that in turn will make the menu bar disappear as well.

Good luck.

Did you ever work out how to do it? I have just read most of this chain with great sympathy for you because I am having the same frustrations. I have now, thanks to what I read, worked out how to do it. I admit I didn't read to the end!

Thanks Darkscheider so much for the workaround utilizing the Desktops! It's not perfect, but it helps me to ‘cheat on Apples stupidity' :-) As you so aptly put it.

milew66,

I thank YOU for starting this topic and describing the issue so clearly. And I DEEPLY feel the same FRUSTRATION that you (and at least 18 other people currently on this forum) have. It’s crazy (and bad usability) that Apple doesn’t give us the OPTION to make the Menu Bar available in Full Screen mode.

Can you hear us OS X designers!? Help. Do something...

Ramón G Castañeda wrote:

Addendum: You owe her an apology not just because she's volunteering and sharing her vast knowledge for free, but also becauseshe did answer your question right after her welcoming opening passage.

Press Command + Control + F to exit or enter full screen mode.

Shame on you for not reading carefully. 😝

Shame on you for not reading the original question carefully. It was NOT answered by Carolyn Samit. She only offered a WORKAROUND.

VesaVuorinen wrote:

Shame on you for not reading the original question carefully. It was NOT answered by Carolyn Samit. She only offered a WORKAROUND.

Wow. Really? You are replying to a post from May 20, 2012. That was TWO years ago! Shame on YOU for not reading the original post carefully. smh

Two years ago. So what? This topic is still open to discussion and hasn't been resolved.

I would be surprised if it changes or even becomes an option. The idea of Apple's full screen mode is to remove distractions and obviously Apple sees the menu bar as a distraction. I imagine their reply would be that this is the way it's supposed to work and if you really want the menu bar, then simply maximize the window. And if you want to get rid of the dock, then auto hide it. I do like Darkschneider's technique when working with multiple maximized applications.

The only way I've found is to go ahead and use the two arrows at the upper right, then while the screen is reduced drag the margins to be the size you want. There might be another way, but that way is easy and works for those of us not computer nerds (that certainly describes me!)

Do you mean the double arrow you get when you place the mouse pointer on the edge or the corner of a window? You can certainly use that to resize any way you want. And you can use any corner or edge.

However, if you want to maximize the window and retain the menu bar, try the green dot in the upper right. That's the maximize button.

There are utilities that remember window sizes and let you recall them. There is also at least one utility that allows you to put a menubar on each window. However, I would not recommend either to people who don't like to fiddle.

Bob

I'm not seeing a green dot on the upper right. There is one on the upper left. Yes, I definitely don't like to fiddle. I get something the way I want and I would love for it to just stay that way through the updates (which doesn't seem to happen). However, I do fiddle enough to at least try to learn how things work (even if I forget what I did later).

Carolyn

Sorry. Obviously some days I don't know my left from my right. I meant upper left.

Bob

I'm new to macs and I want to be able to keep the menu bar visible at the top of the screen at all times- not have it vanish so I have to move the mouse to the top of the screen and then have to pause for a moment for it to disappear. I googled waht I was after and found this discussion thread- I've read through the first few pages with a sinking feeling. I am hopeful that if a read a few more pages it will say "this is how to keep your apple menu bar visible" or "forget it, you can't"- it looks like the latter is true, sadly.

There are a number of ways, documented in this discussion, to make a window fill the screen and still leave the menu bar visible. What everyone seems to get thrown by is Apple's full screen mode that you get to by clicking on the shaded double arrows in the upper right of many windows. Apple's approach is to minimize all distractions and that includes the menu bar and they don't give you the option, at least not in full screen mode.

However, you can still maximize a window by using the green button at the upper left. The three buttons are similar to MS Windows. Red is close, yellow is minimize, and green is maximize. This will maximize the window so that it fills the screen except for the menu bat and the dock. You can hide the dock, make it smaller, or move it to one of the sides to get it out of the way.

If you have a number of apps that you want to set up like this and don't want to be constantly setting them up, use Darkschneider's suggestion to use Mission Control and Desktops. The full post is at the top of page 6 of this discussion. I've copied the basic technique here for your convenience:

1. Forget FULL SCREEN MODE. It is crap just because Apple wants to be crap. Don't use it.

2. Open Mission Control

4. Once you are in Mission Control, create a new desktop placing your cursor on the top right corner and clicking on the sign + This will add a new desktop to the queue. Open it up

5. Once you are in this new Desktop, open up Safari and expand it manually untill it fits the room available below the Menu Bar.

6. Repeat the same process for any other app: email, itunes, etc...

Bob