Surtees Studios recently announced it has released a public beta of Bartender 3 for testing on macOS High Sierra and macOS Sierra. It's a free update available within Bartender 2, which costs $15 after a free four-week trial.

bartender 2
The popular tool for rearranging or hiding Mac menu bar items has been completely rewritten in Swift, according to the release notes.

Bartender 3 also no longer requires the Bartender Helper to be installed in menu bar apps in order to control them. As a result, Bartender is no longer able to display the Bartender Bar beneath the menu bar—only within it.

The change was necessary since, in macOS High Sierra, Apple has apparently tightened its System Integrity Protection security feature, preventing system items like Spotlight search from being controlled by Bartender 2.

iStat Menus 5 was also recently updated with improved support for macOS High Sierra and MacBook Pro, MacBook, and iMac models released in 2017.

istat menus 5 header cpu
The popular Mac system monitor also gained improved per-process network monitoring, improved per-process memory monitoring in OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra, improved Bluetooth battery monitoring, and improved disk monitoring performance, plus a fix for an issue with the sun position in light map.

iStat Menus is built into the macOS menu bar, providing power users with convenient access to system information, such as CPU and GPU usage, memory stats, fan speeds, temperatures, disk usage, and battery life.

iStat Menus 5 is $18 on developer Bjango's website, with a free 14-day trial available. The latest update is version 5.32.

(Thanks, Neil T.!)

Related Forum: macOS High Sierra

Top Rated Comments

mixel Avatar
107 months ago
I need bartender. my menubar gets ridiculous without it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bjango Avatar
107 months ago
This is great news, and we’re really happy to see Bartender working well on High Sierra.

iStat Menus 6 is coming.

https://twitter.com/bjango/status/900681265745076225
Yep, we’re in the middle of the beta, and things are going really well! Still a few more things to fix before we can release the update. It’s worth noting that anyone who buys iStat Menus 5 now will get iStat Menus 6 for free.

$18 for a single install still seems like way too much for iStat Menus, especially when I'd be fine with a free lite version.
The upgrade is heavily discounted for current iStat Menus customers (USD$9.99). We’ve been working on iStat Menus for over 10 years, and will continue to invest time and effort into making sure it’s the best system monitoring tool for macOS. Quite often, that means buying hardware for testing, especially for sensor support. This is our full time job, and we’re very grateful we can do it with the support of our customers.

iStat Mini might be a good option, if you don’t need all of iStat Menus’ features.
https://bjango.com/mac/istatmini/

Over the years there have been alternatives developed after iStat Menus went paid, like Menu Meters which I was using on OS X Mavericks, but unfortunately I'm not aware of any that work on Sierra or High Sierra.
Yep, feel free to use an alternative, or even stay on iStat Menus 5, if you want. If you like iStat Menus 5, I think you’re going to love iStat Menus 6.

Why... What could 6 offer over 5?

I love istat, but I'm not given a good reason to upgrade....
You can continue to use iStat Menus 5, if you like. iStat Menus 6 is a massive update though. We’ve been working on it for years.

When it comes out you can try it to see if you still feel that way, and make your choice. For me, I'm running the 6 betas, and I already paid them for the family pack upgrade.
Thank you! The feedback we’ve had during the beta has been amazing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swrobel Avatar
107 months ago
Anyone else getting sick of SIP?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poi ran Avatar
107 months ago
$18 for a single install still seems like way too much for iStat Menus, especially when I'd be fine with a free lite version.

Over the years there have been alternatives developed after iStat Menus went paid, like Menu Meters which I was using on OS X Mavericks, but unfortunately I'm not aware of any that work on Sierra or High Sierra.
I'm using MenuMeters on Sierra, a fork from https://member.ipmu.jp/yuji.tachikawa/MenuMetersElCapitan/ , I have no idea about it working on High Sierra though. I use it in combo with HWMonitor (http://www.hwsensors.com/) , and see little use for iStat these days even if iStat is very "good looking" and probably safer to use than HWMonitor which I only run on a "hackintosh".

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Starflyer Avatar
107 months ago
Love Bartender! Worth every penny to reduce desktop clutter.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
107 months ago
Sorry for being dense — I'm not quite sure I follow this point. I've tried to install the beta of version 3 too see for myself but it won't let me... If anyone has installed it, can you explain/screenshot what this means?

At the moment I have the Bartender icon hidden completely and access it via keyboard shortcut, is that still an option?
Instead of the bartender menu popping up under the toolbar, it becomes the right side of the toolbar. Select the bartender icon again and it goes back to the toolbar.

If you are on high sierra, make sure you go to the bartender creator's blog and select the link to sign up for the beta. Then just hit update on the bartender menu and it will update.

Not sure about the keyboard shortcut but I can't imagine that would be gone. I can check later.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Tomorrow With These 8 New Features

Sunday November 2, 2025 11:50 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 26.1 this Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app,...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...