The menu bar at the top of your Mac screen is designed to give you quick, at-a-glance information about your system. For MacBook users, the battery icon is essential for knowing when it is time to plug in the charger. By default, macOS often displays the exact battery percentage numerically next to the battery icon (e.g., “74%”). While some users love this precise data, others find that watching the number tick down creates “battery anxiety,” or they simply prefer a cleaner, more minimalist menu bar with just the visual battery icon. If you want to hide the numerical percentage, it only takes a few clicks.
How to Hide the Battery Percentage
On modern versions of macOS, the battery icon’s display settings are located in the Control Centre preferences.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Control Centre.
- In the main window, scroll down to the section labelled “Other Modules.”
- Look for the entry titled Battery.
- Under the Battery section, you will see a toggle switch labelled Show Percentage.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it Off (the switch will turn from green to grey).
The numerical percentage will instantly vanish from your menu bar, leaving only the classic battery icon.
Checking the Percentage Manually
Even with the number hidden from the main menu bar, you can still check your exact battery level whenever you need to. Simply click the battery icon itself, or open the Control Centre (the icon with two switches next to the clock), and the exact percentage will be displayed inside the drop-down menu.