The Redundant Bluetooth Icon
The macOS menu bar is prime real estate. By default, Apple places several system status icons on the right side of this bar, including the Bluetooth icon. This icon provides a quick visual indicator of whether Bluetooth is turned on, and clicking it offers a dropdown menu to quickly connect to previously paired AirPods, mice, or keyboards.
However, since the introduction of macOS Big Sur, the menu bar has featured a unified Control Center (the icon with two toggle switches). Clicking the Control Center gives you immediate access to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, and display settings all in one place. Because Bluetooth management is now permanently housed within the Control Center, having a separate, dedicated Bluetooth icon sitting loose in the menu bar is entirely redundant. If you want to declutter your screen, you can safely remove it.
How to Hide the Bluetooth Icon
You can remove the standalone Bluetooth icon via the Control Center settings.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of the menu bar and select System Settings… (or System Preferences).
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Control Center.
- In the right-hand pane, look at the very top section labelled “Control Center Modules.”
- Locate the Bluetooth module.
- Next to the Bluetooth icon, click the dropdown menu that currently says “Show in Menu Bar.”
- Select Don’t Show in Menu Bar.
The dedicated Bluetooth icon will immediately vanish from your menu bar. You can still manage all your wireless devices at any time by simply clicking the main Control Center icon.