https://512pixels.net/2026/03/hide-macos-tahoes-menu-icons-with-this-one-simple-trick/

Skip to content 512 Pixels

  * About
  * Now
  * Projects
      + 6K macOS Wallpapers
      + macOS Screenshot Library
      + Dogcow History
      + The iMac G3
      + Performa Month
      + My Gear
      + Podcast -
      + iOS Apps -
  * Merch
  * Follow

Hide macOS Tahoe's Menu Icons With This One Simple Trick -

March 21, 2026 [?] Permalink Stephen Hackett

I really dislike Apple's choice to clutter macOS Tahoe's menus with
icons. It makes menus hard to scan, and a bunch of the icons Apple
has chosen make no sense and are inconsistent between system
applications.

Steve Troughton-Smith is my hero for finding a Terminal command to
disable them:

    Here's one for the icons-in-menus haters on macOS Tahoe:

    defaults write -g NSMenuEnableActionImages -bool NO

    It even preserves the couple of instances you do want icons, like
    for window zoom/resize.

Your apps will respect this change after relaunching. I ran this a
few minutes ago and already appreciate the change. I really think
Apple should roll this change back in macOS 27, or offer a proper
setting to disable these icons for those of us who find them
distracting.

Post navigation

- Previous Post
About:
512 Pixels is a blog about things that light up and make noise,
written by Stephen Hackett.
[                    ]
Merch:
Snag a nerdy shirt (or six!) from the 512 Merch Store.

"Hellow%20Again"

copyright 2008-2026, Hackett Technical Media, LLC
written with love on a Macintosh in Memphis, Tennessee