Question 1

Is Ice really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GPL-3.0 — Ice is and will always remain open-source and free. Download it, use all features, inspect the source on GitHub.

Question 2

How do I install it?

Accepted Answer

Recommended: brew tap cavaldos/tap, then brew install cavaldos/tap/ice — updates with brew upgrade. Or download Ice.zip from the latest release and move the unzipped app into /Applications. No account, no installer wizard.

Question 3

Which permissions does Ice need?

Accepted Answer

Two grants in System Settings → Privacy & Security: Accessibility (hiding and moving items) and Screen Recording (item images and the Ice Bar).

Question 4

It stopped working after an update. Why?

Accepted Answer

After every update you must grant these again. Builds are ad-hoc signed with a pinned cdhash, so the old grant no longer matches. Quit Ice, run ./script/fix-permissions.sh (or tccutil reset Accessibility / ScreenCapture com.jordanbaird.Ice), relaunch and re-grant.

Question 5

macOS says the app is damaged / won't open?

Accepted Answer

That is Gatekeeper (ad-hoc signed, not notarized). Right-click the app and choose Open, or run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Ice.app.

Question 6

Which macOS versions are supported?

Accepted Answer

Requires macOS 14 or later — fully supports macOS 27. On macOS 13 or earlier, use Ice 0.11.x from the releases page.

Question 7

How can I contribute or report bugs?

Accepted Answer

Contributions are welcome! Read Resources/document/CONTRIBUTING.md, then open an issue or pull request on cavaldos/Ice.

Question 8

Is Ice a good free Bartender alternative?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Ice covers the core Bartender workflow: hide menu bar icons individually or all at once, an always-hidden section, a second bar for notched MacBooks (the Ice Bar), hotkeys, and auto-rehide. The difference is the price: Bartender 5 costs $16, while Ice is GPL-3.0 and free forever.

Question 9

Ice vs Thaw — which should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Both are free and open-source. Thaw requires macOS 26 or later and adds profiles, triggers, and many languages. Ice supports macOS 14 through 27, so it is the pick for older systems or anyone who wants the classic, lightweight Ice experience.

Question 10

Does Ice work on macOS Tahoe and MacBooks with a notch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ice requires macOS 14 or later and fully supports macOS 27, including Tahoe. On notched MacBooks, hidden icons that macOS would swallow stay reachable in the separate Ice Bar below the menu bar.

Question 11

The old Ice broke after I updated to macOS 27. Does this one work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. This build is tested from macOS 14 all the way to macOS 27 — install it via Homebrew (brew tap cavaldos/tap && brew install cavaldos/tap/ice) or Ice.zip, then re-grant Accessibility + Screen Recording so it can hide menu bar items again.

Question 12

What is the best free menu bar manager for Mac?

Accepted Answer

For most people, Ice: free and open-source (GPL-3.0), runs on macOS 14 through 27, hides icons individually or all at once, adds a second Ice Bar for notched MacBooks, and includes hotkeys plus tint, spacing, and shape controls. Paid Bartender 5 ($16) is the pick if you need its extra power-user features.

Install in seconds — download Ice for macOS

1. Homebrew (recommended)

2. Or manual via Ice.zip

Two system grants required

Accessibility

Screen Recording