When the Mac menu bar runs out of room
ClockStack was made for these everyday annoyances.
Menu bar icons are hidden behind the notch
On MacBooks with a notch, macOS simply hides status icons that don't fit. ClockStack replaces three icons with one narrow item and frees up space.
The date in the menu bar takes up too much space
The built-in clock shows date and time on one long line. ClockStack stacks them on two lines, so the date needs about half the width.
Battery percentage and seconds at a glance
See the exact battery level and the time to the second without clicking anything.
Is my Mac charging or just plugged in?
With a charge limit or Optimized Battery Charging, a plugged-in Mac often doesn't charge. ClockStack shows the difference: a moving dot while charging, a still dot when plugged in but not charging.
What others say
7 written reviews in the Mac App Store, all with 5 stars
From the Mac App Store and from Reddit, quoted word for word.
Compact little app that replaces your biggest menu bar space hoggers. Lightweight and straight to the point.
★★★★★Mac App Store, US
Just bought it. Nice. It frees up a lot of space on my menu bar, and everything is easy to read. Well done.
ClockStack crammed the time, date, battery, and Wi-Fi into one tiny, beautiful little package.
As someone with a MacBook Air 13" and no external monitor, this is great!
The little colored battery bar is easy to read at a glance and I like that I could set the date to show exactly how I want it.
★★★★★Mac App Store, US
Great idea and beautifully implemented! I love how you can try this out on your website.
More comments
For me this is a great addition to my menu bar management approach.
Really love how compact this is! Thank you for making it!
Just installed this and works exactly as advertised. Nice to get some space back in the menu bar.
Love the new fresh approach to the menu bar. Loving the app so far.
I use Barbee as an app to clear the menu bar clutter, but Clock Stack has worked well as a co-app.
Just bought it and already appreciating it!
A selection, as of October 22, 2026. In the App Store, only people who downloaded ClockStack can write a review; anyone who got it with a promo code can’t. Reddit comments are public, and we don’t check whether their authors use the app. Nobody got money or anything else for a review.
Everything at a glance
Two lines and one battery bar. Nothing to click, nothing to open.
Works like the settings window in the app. Changes apply to the item above and to the menu bar at the top of this page, where a click on ClockStack opens its menu.
Time
With or without seconds, 24 or 12 hours. Or hidden, if the date is enough.
Date
Compact, minimal, ISO, US or a format you write yourself. Or hidden: the time then gets one larger line.
Battery bar
Green, orange, red. Yellow in Low Power Mode. A dot moves up while charging, at the speed you choose.
Network
Three dots for Wi-Fi strength, side by side or stacked. Empty dots without a connection, a red dot when you’re offline. A hotspot symbol when tethering, ‹···› on Ethernet.
Battery level
The exact percentage, up to 100%. Or just the bar.
Clear in every situation
You see whether your Mac is charging, which network it uses and how strong the signal is.
Charging
The white dot moves up through the bar.
Ethernet
Connected by cable: ‹···› instead of the Wi-Fi dots. The still dot means plugged in, not charging.
Tethering
Connected through your iPhone's hotspot.
Low battery, weak signal
Red bar, one dot.
No network access
Orange dots: connected to Wi-Fi, but the internet can’t be reached.
Offline
A red dot: Wi-Fi is off and nothing else is connected.
Set it up your way
Choose formats, sizes and spacing, or write your own pattern. The preview updates while you type.
| 24 hours | 23:31:02 |
|---|---|
| 12 hours | 11:31:02 PM |
| Compact date | Tue 10/06 |
| Minimal date | 10/06 |
| ISO 8601 | 2026-10-06 |
| Your own pattern | 'Week' w → Week 41 |
Light on your Mac
- Updates exactly on the secondOr once a minute if you turn seconds off.
- Event-drivenmacOS reports battery and connection changes. Only the Wi-Fi signal is checked, every 15 seconds.
- Rests when you doPauses while the display is off.
- PrivateNo account, no tracking, no data leaves your Mac.
- Five languagesEnglish, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
- Light while chargingOn one display, macOS moves the charging dot itself, so ClockStack stays well under 1% CPU.
Questions and answers
How do I show the date and time on two lines in the Mac menu bar?
macOS can only show date and time on one line. ClockStack adds a menu bar item with the time on top and the date below. You can swap the order in the settings, or hide one of them to get one larger line.
How do I get back menu bar icons hidden by the MacBook notch?
macOS hides icons that don't fit next to the notch. The fix is fewer items: ClockStack combines clock, date, battery and Wi-Fi in one. At first launch, a short setup guide shows the rest: hide the battery and Wi-Fi icons in System Settings > Menu Bar (Control Center on older macOS) and set the system clock to analog.
Can I remove the Apple clock from the menu bar?
Not completely. Since macOS Big Sur the clock opens Notification Center and can't be removed. Set it to analog in System Settings, then it only takes the width of a small icon.
How do I show the battery percentage in the Mac menu bar?
ClockStack shows the exact percentage next to a colored battery bar: green, orange from 50% down, red from 20% down. You can change the thresholds, hide the % sign or show just the bar. macOS can also show a percentage next to its own battery icon.
How can I tell if my Mac is charging or just plugged in?
A moving dot in the battery bar means the Mac is charging. A still dot at the top of the fill means it’s plugged in but not charging, for example because of a charge limit or Optimized Battery Charging. With the animation off or Reduce Motion on, a dot at the bottom of the bar means charging. No dot means it runs on battery. The ClockStack menu also shows how many watts it charges with.
Can the Mac menu bar clock show seconds?
Yes. ClockStack shows seconds by default and updates exactly on the second. Turn them off in the settings and it updates once a minute.
Which date and time formats are supported?
24 hours, 12 hours, the system format, ISO 8601 (2026-10-06), a compact date, a minimal date without weekday and your own pattern, for example EEE d MMM or a week number with 'Week' w. Compact and minimal follow your region, and weekday and month names follow the language you choose.
Does ClockStack show when I use my iPhone's hotspot?
Yes. Instead of the Wi-Fi dots it shows a hotspot symbol when your Mac is online through Personal Hotspot, USB or Bluetooth tethering. On Ethernet it shows ‹···›, as in the macOS network settings.
What do the red dot, empty dots and orange dots mean?
A red dot means Wi-Fi is off and there is no other connection. Empty dots mean Wi-Fi is on but not connected to a network. Orange dots mean your Mac is connected to Wi-Fi but has no network access, for example when the router has no internet.
Does ClockStack drain the battery?
No. It redraws only when something changes and gets battery and connection changes from macOS. Only the Wi-Fi signal is checked, every 15 seconds. While charging, macOS moves the dot itself on a single display. While the display is off, ClockStack pauses.
Does ClockStack collect any data?
No. There is no account, no analytics and no tracking. Everything is read locally on your Mac and never leaves it. ClockStack never reads your location. It reads your Wi-Fi network name only if you choose to show it in the menu (version 1.1 and later); macOS then asks once for location access.
Which Macs and macOS versions are supported?
macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Macs with Apple silicon or Intel. On Macs without a battery, such as a Mac mini, the battery bar is hidden.
Can I hide the date or the time?
Yes. Turn off “Show date” or “Show time” in the settings. The other one then gets one larger line, and whatever you hide appears at the top of the ClockStack menu. You can also hide the percentage, the % sign and the network status.
Does ClockStack show how fast my Mac charges?
Yes. Its menu shows how many watts your Mac charges with or uses, your charger’s power and the time until full or empty. If the charger is too weak for what you’re doing, it says so, even with Apple’s battery icon hidden.
Can ClockStack show my Wi-Fi network name?
Yes, in its menu, if you turn on “Show Wi-Fi name in menu”. macOS only gives Wi-Fi names to apps with location access, so it asks once. ClockStack never reads your location, and the name never leaves your Mac.
What does ClockStack cost?
Until 30 November, ClockStack costs CHF 3.–€2.99$2.99 instead of CHF 5.–€4.99$4.99 as a launch price. After that it costs CHF 5.–€4.99$4.99. It’s a one-time purchase without subscription. Prices can differ by country.
ClockStack costs CHF 5.–€4.99$4.99 on the Mac App Store, as a one-time purchase without subscription. Prices can differ by country.
ClockStack in brief
- What it is
- A menu bar app for macOS
- Name in the App Store
- ClockStack: Menu Bar Clock
- Shows
- Time, date, battery level, charging state and network status: Wi-Fi strength, no connection, tethering, Ethernet. Its menu adds watts, charger power, time remaining and, if you like, the Wi-Fi name
- Requires
- macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel
- Languages
- English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
- Data collected
- None
- Developer
- Konrad Sigl (SIGL IT), Basel, Switzerland
- Availability
- Mac App Store, CHF 3.–€2.99$2.99 until 30 November, then CHF 5.–€4.99$4.99Mac App Store, CHF 5.–€4.99$4.99