Get a missing app icon back in your Mac menu bar

Why it happens

macOS lets you allow or block menu bar icons app by app. An update or a stray click can switch one off, and the app keeps running with no icon. On a MacBook with a notch, icons that don't fit can also hide behind it.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings and click Menu Bar in the sidebar.

2. Scroll down to Allow in the Menu Bar and turn on the switch next to the app you're missing.

   Menu Bar›Allow in the Menu Bar

3. Look at the menu bar. If the app is running, its icon should be back. If it isn't running, open the app from your Applications folder.

Still not fixed?

1. Still missing on a MacBook? It may be hidden behind the notch. Turn off controls you don't need in Menu Bar Controls to make room, or hold Command and drag other icons off the bar.

   Menu Bar›Menu Bar Controls

2. If the app isn't in the Allow in the Menu Bar list, quit it with Command-Q and open it again, or restart your Mac. Some apps only add their icon when they start.

3. Check the app's own settings too. Many apps have their own option to show or hide the menu bar icon.

4. If several icons vanished after an update and won't come back, contact Apple Support. If it's just one app, its developer is the best place to ask.