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Build a macOS status bar that displays information from scripts and responds to events, clicks, and scrolling.
What you can do with SketchyBar
Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop events occur.
Good to know
On Sonoma, `wifi_change` does not supply the SSID. Built-in media reporting relies on MediaRemote, which the source says was locked on macOS 15.3.
Wrong?
Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-bar items.
Good to know
Requires a configured macOS bar.
Wrong?
Display macOS menu-bar app items inside your custom bar.
Good to know
Screen Recording permission is required for aliases on macOS 11 and later.
Wrong?
Display changing numeric values as graphs.
Good to know
Requires a configured macOS bar.
Wrong?
Open popup menus on demand from the status bar.
Good to know
Requires a configured macOS bar.
Wrong?
Animate changes to status-bar elements.
Good to know
Requires a configured macOS bar.
Wrong?
Query bar settings and item state from scripts.
Good to know
Queries return the configured state; scripts must parse the response.
Wrong?
Show all 18
Display images and application icons in bar items.
Good to know
Images require an image source. Built-in `media.artwork` relies on MediaRemote, which the source says was locked on macOS 15.3.
Wrong?
Display Mission Control Space indicators and highlight the selected Space.
Good to know
The sample's click-to-focus action requires yabai.
Wrong?
Select a percentage with a draggable slider and pass it to a script.
Good to know
A script must apply the selected percentage to the intended control.
Wrong?
Reload bar configuration when its files change.
1 other tool for: Reload configGood to know
Automatic hotloading must be enabled.
Wrong?
Limit the number of characters shown in status-bar text.
Good to know
Set `max_chars` on the text to truncate.
Wrong?
Read SketchyBar's documentation locally through man pages.
Good to know
Requires installation of the man pages.
Wrong?
Update bar items when the applications and window counts on a Space change.
Good to know
The `space_windows_change` event requires macOS Ventura or later.
Wrong?
Use a font from a custom file path in your bar.
Good to know
Requires a valid font file at the supplied path.
Wrong?
Show the status bar in fullscreen Spaces.
Good to know
Opt in with `--bar show_in_fullscreen=on`; disabled by default.
Wrong?
Select font features such as tabular numbers and stylistic alternatives.
Good to know
The chosen font must support the requested features.
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Before you upgrade SketchyBar
Newest firstSending a command gives up after five seconds if the receiver's queue remains full, preventing clients from piling up; this is a send timeout, not a response timeout.
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Wrong?
Update parsers of `--query default_menu_items` for `owner,name(index)` strings instead of `owner,name`; results also include unnamed menu entries.
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Replace owner-only aliases that selected a named entry with its explicit `owner,name` or indexed name from `--query default_menu_items`.
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Wrong?
Show 5 older
On Apple silicon, menu-bar placement uses the screen's visible-frame inset when available.
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Wrong?
Update scripts that compare `$MODIFIER` or the JSON modifier field to one key: held modifiers now form a comma-separated list such as `shift,cmd`.
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Wrong?
The source notes that macOS 15.3 locked the private MediaRemote framework used for built-in media reporting.
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Wrong?
The `media.artwork` source depends on MediaRemote, which the repository notes was locked on macOS 15.3.
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Wrong?
Moving an item to another position removes it from its previous popup.
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Wrong?
SketchyBar release history 11
Size status-bar text using typographic advance width when you choose.
Details
Font settings gain optional typographical width and direct OpenType feature selection. Display placement, hidden-bar state, and window stacking fixes preserve configured layouts.
SketchyBar v2.24.1 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Improved / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Improved / inferred: Select font features such as tabular numbers and st…Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Improved: Display images and application icons in bar items.Behavior changed / inferred: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Choose among duplicate macOS menu-bar entries for aliases.
Details
Alias lookup handles duplicates through indexed names. The menu-item query now returns `owner,name(index)` entries, and background positioning uses the requested height.
SketchyBar v2.24.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Improved / inferred: Display macOS menu-bar app items inside your custom…Action required / inferred: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Action required / inferred: Display macOS menu-bar app items inside your custom…Now works / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Behavior changed / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Use combinations of modifier keys in bar mouse actions.
Details
Mouse events report multiple modifiers, including `fn`, and fonts gain feature selection. Rendering fixes address macOS 26 flicker, wake crashes, and animation pixel shifts.
SketchyBar v2.23.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Improved: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Action required / inferred: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Added / inferred: Select font features such as tabular numbers and st…Improved: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Animate changes to status-bar elements.Behavior changed / inferred: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Behavior changed / inferred: Display images and application icons in bar items.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Keep your status bar visible in fullscreen Spaces when you choose.
Details
`show_in_fullscreen` opts into fullscreen visibility, and `--query displays` reports the current display configuration. Mouse events and display-layout tracking become more reliable.
SketchyBar v2.22.1 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Added / inferred: Show the status bar in fullscreen Spaces.Improved: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Now works / inferred: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Use SketchyBar with 'Displays have separate spaces' turned off.
Details
The separate-Spaces startup restriction is removed. `notch_display_height` customizes bar height for the built-in display, and scrolling scripts receive held modifiers.
SketchyBar v2.22.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Limit lifted: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Improved / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Improved: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Improved: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Now works: Open popup menus on demand from the status bar.Behavior changed / inferred: Open popup menus on demand from the status bar.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Open popup menus from grouped bar items.
Details
Brackets can host popups, text gains `scroll_duration`, and `--load-font <path>` loads custom fonts. Scripts receive `BAR_NAME` to identify their bar instance.
SketchyBar v2.21.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Improved: Open popup menus on demand from the status bar.Improved: Limit the number of characters shown in status-bar…Added / inferred: Use a font from a custom file path in your bar.Improved: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Improved: Display images and application icons in bar items.Now works: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Behavior changed: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Behavior changed / inferred: Reload bar configuration when its files change.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Keep the bar stationary while switching Spaces.
Details
`sticky=on` now keeps the bar fixed during Space-change animations. The sample configuration changes its bar height and appearance.
SketchyBar v2.20.1 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Behavior changed: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Behavior changed / inferred: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Update bar items when the applications and window c…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Keep a deliberately hidden bar hidden after waking your Mac.
Details
Startup now checks the separate-Spaces setting. Hidden bars remain hidden after wake, and Bluetooth mute and hidden-window changes reach subscribed scripts.
SketchyBar v2.20.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Action required: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works / inferred: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Now works: Update bar items when the applications and window c…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read truncated text by letting it scroll automatically.
Details
Items gain `scroll_texts`; images can show `media.artwork`. The new `space_windows_change` event reports applications and window counts per Space.
SketchyBar v2.19.6 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Improved: Limit the number of characters shown in status-bar…Improved: Display images and application icons in bar items.Improved / inferred: Display images and application icons in bar items.Added / inferred: Update bar items when the applications and window c…Behavior changed: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Now works: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Behavior changed: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Now works: Display changing numeric values as graphs.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Keep long status-bar text within a chosen character limit.
Details
Text gains `max_chars`; local man-page documentation is announced. App-icon and wake-from-sleep fixes restore affected bar displays.
SketchyBar v2.18.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Added / inferred: Limit the number of characters shown in status-bar…Added: Read SketchyBar's documentation locally through man…Now works: Display images and application icons in bar items.Now works: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Now works: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Action required: Read SketchyBar's documentation locally through man…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
v2.18.0
Starting point
Starting point
Build a macOS status bar that changes with your scripts and desktop events.
Details
The existing bar supports configurable items, event-driven scripts, animations, graphs, aliases, and popup menus. This baseline records capabilities that predate the release window.
SketchyBar v2.18.0 for macOS, available from the project's release and installation links.
Added: Customize the appearance and contents of a macOS st…Added: Update status-bar items from scripts when desktop e…Added: Run actions by clicking or scrolling over status-ba…Added / inferred: Display macOS menu-bar app items inside your custom…Added: Display changing numeric values as graphs.Added: Open popup menus on demand from the status bar.Added: Animate changes to status-bar elements.Added / inferred: Query bar settings and item state from scripts.Added / inferred: Display images and application icons in bar items.Added / inferred: Display Mission Control Space indicators and highli…Added / inferred: Select a percentage with a draggable slider and pas…Added / inferred: Reload bar configuration when its files change.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read the evidence
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/README.md
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/src/alias.c
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/src/message.c
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/src/image.c
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/sketchybarrc
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/src/bar_item.c
- FelixKratz/SketchyBar/blob/v2.18.0/src/hotload.c