The Title Bar Proxy Icons
In macOS, many applications (most notably Finder, Preview, and TextEdit) display a small icon in the title bar right next to the name of the document or folder you currently have open. This is known as a “proxy icon.” The proxy icon is actually highly functional: you can click and drag it to move the file to a different folder, drop it into an email as an attachment, or right-click it to reveal the file’s entire folder path hierarchy.
However, Apple recently redesigned how these icons appear. In modern versions of macOS, the proxy icon is hidden by default to make the title bar look cleaner. It only appears when you hover your mouse cursor directly over the document title, causing the text to shift slightly to the right to make room for the icon. If you find this shifting text annoying, or if you simply prefer the ultra-clean, minimalist look of the title bar and never actually use the proxy icon for dragging files, you can disable the hover effect entirely.
How to Turn Off Window Title Icons
You can prevent proxy icons from appearing on hover 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 Accessibility.
- In the Accessibility menu, look under the “Vision” section and click on Display.
- Scroll through the Display options until you find the setting labelled Show window title icons.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it Off (or uncheck the box).
The next time you open a Finder window or a document, hovering your mouse over the title will no longer cause the text to shift or the proxy icon to appear, ensuring your title bars remain completely static.