How to Completely Hide the Top Bar (GNOME Panel) in Ubuntu

The standard Ubuntu desktop environment (GNOME) features a persistent black bar running across the very top of your screen. This “Top Bar” houses the Activities button, the current time, and your system status indicators (like Wi-Fi, battery, and volume). While useful, it consumes valuable vertical screen real estate, which can be frustrating if you are working on a small laptop screen or using a specialized application that demands a distraction-free, full-screen environment.

Unlike the left-hand dock (which can be hidden easily via the standard system settings), Ubuntu does not provide a built-in toggle switch to hide the Top Bar. To achieve a truly clean desktop, you must rely on GNOME Shell Extensions—official community-built plugins that modify the core behaviour of the desktop interface.

Installing the Extension Manager

To safely install and manage GNOME extensions, you should use the official “Extension Manager” application, rather than trying to install them through your web browser, which can often lead to compatibility issues.

1. Open the Ubuntu Software app (or the App Center on newer versions of Ubuntu).
2. Click the search icon and type Extension Manager.
3. Look for the app with a blue puzzle piece icon (developed by Matthew Jakeman) and click Install.
4. Alternatively, you can install it via the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T and running the command:
   sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

Installing the “Hide Top Bar” Extension

Now that you have the management tool installed, you can find and activate the specific plugin designed to remove the top panel.

1. Press the Super key (Windows key) to open the Activities overview, type Extension Manager, and press Enter to launch the app.
2. At the top of the Extension Manager window, click on the Browse tab.
3. In the search bar, type Hide Top Bar.
4. Look for the extension named exactly “Hide Top Bar” (usually created by a developer named tuxor1337 or similar community maintainers).
5. Click the Install button next to the extension.
6. A system prompt will appear asking you to confirm the installation. Click Install again.

Configuring the Auto-Hide Behaviour

Once installed, the extension is active immediately. By default, it uses “intellihide,” meaning the top bar will only disappear when a window is pushed up against it, and it will reappear when you move your mouse to the top edge of the screen.

1. In the Extension Manager app, switch back to the Installed tab at the top.
2. Scroll down to the “User-Installed” section and find the Hide Top Bar extension.
3. Click the small Gear icon (Settings) next to the toggle switch.
4. Here, you can customise exactly how the bar behaves. If you want it completely gone at all times, you can adjust the sensitivity and keyboard shortcut settings to ensure it never reveals itself unless you explicitly command it to.