The Unused Accessibility Module
macOS is renowned for its comprehensive accessibility features, allowing users to connect and manage specialized hardware directly from the operating system. One such feature is native support for MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad/Mac) hearing aids. To provide quick access to these devices, Apple allows you to place a dedicated “Hearing” icon (often depicting an ear) directly in your menu bar. Clicking this icon lets you adjust the volume or change the environmental presets of your paired hearing aids.
However, if you do not wear compatible Bluetooth hearing aids, this icon serves absolutely no purpose and simply consumes valuable space in your menu bar. Because macOS allows you to customize the menu bar extensively, there is no reason to keep inactive hardware controllers permanently visible on your screen. You should disable it to keep your desktop uncluttered.
How to Hide the Hearing Devices Icon
You can remove this specific accessibility module via the Control Center preferences.
- 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.
- In the right-hand pane, scroll down past the default modules to the section labelled Other Modules.
- Locate the Hearing option.
- Next to Hearing, click the toggle switch to turn it Off (or, on older macOS versions, change the dropdown menu to “Don’t Show in Menu Bar”).
The ear icon will immediately vanish from the top of your screen. If you ever purchase compatible hearing aids in the future, you can easily return to this menu to re-enable the quick-access controls.