The Persistent Network Icon
In macOS, the menu bar at the top right of your screen is designed to give you quick access to system status and settings. By default, Apple places a Wi-Fi icon there. This icon allows you to quickly see if you are connected to a network, check your signal strength, and switch between available wireless access points without opening the System Settings.
However, if you are using an iMac or Mac Studio that is permanently hardwired to your router via an Ethernet cable, you will likely never need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. In this scenario, the Wi-Fi icon simply sits in the menu bar, taking up valuable horizontal space that could be used for other third-party application icons or a longer clock format. If your network connection is static and managed via Ethernet, you should remove this redundant wireless status indicator.
How to Hide the Wi-Fi Icon
You can remove the Wi-Fi status indicator via your System Settings.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings… (or System Preferences).
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Control Center.
- Look at the right-hand pane under the Control Center Modules section.
- Locate the entry for Wi-Fi.
- Next to Wi-Fi, you will see a dropdown menu (it usually says “Show in Menu Bar”).
- Click the dropdown menu and change it to Don’t Show in Menu Bar.
The Wi-Fi icon will immediately disappear from the top of your screen. (Note: Your Mac will still be able to connect to Wi-Fi if enabled; you will just have to manage those connections through the Control Center icon or the main System Settings app instead.)