How to Remove the Bluetooth Icon From Your Mac Menu Bar

By Game Osborne · October 13, 2026 · Mac · Bluetooth, menu bar, System Settings

Hide the Bluetooth symbol without turning Bluetooth off, and learn where to find the setting if you want the icon back later.

What removing the Bluetooth icon actually does

That little angular Bluetooth symbol lives in the menu bar, which is the strip along the top of your Mac’s screen. It gives you quick access to Bluetooth controls, but you do not have to keep it there.

Removing the icon does not turn Bluetooth off. It also does not disconnect your keyboard, mouse, headphones, or other paired devices. You are only hiding a shortcut.

The exact setting depends on your version of macOS. Start with the first method below. If you do not see the named setting, use the method for recent or older versions.

Remove the icon in the newest versions of macOS

Apple’s current Mac guide places menu bar controls in a section called Menu Bar. The sidebar is the list running down the left side of the System Settings window.

1. Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. Click System Settings.
3. Scroll down the left sidebar if Menu Bar is not visible.
4. Click Menu Bar.
5. Find Bluetooth in the list of available icons.
6. Deselect Bluetooth to remove its icon from the menu bar.

If your Mac has a Control Center section instead

On many Macs running recent versions such as macOS Ventura, Sonoma, or Sequoia, Apple keeps this option under Control Center. Control Center is the group of quick controls opened from the switch-shaped icon near the upper-right corner of the screen.

Do not worry if your screen looks slightly different. Apple has moved and renamed these controls more than once.

1. Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. Click System Settings.
3. Click Control Center in the left sidebar.
4. Find Bluetooth on the right side of the window.
5. Open the menu beside Bluetooth.
6. Choose Don’t Show in Menu Bar.

If your Mac uses System Preferences

Older Macs call the settings app System Preferences instead of System Settings. On those versions, the Bluetooth panel usually contains the menu bar checkbox directly.

1. Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. Click System Preferences.
3. Click Bluetooth.
4. Clear the checkbox labeled Show Bluetooth in Menu Bar.

How to bring the Bluetooth icon back

Nothing has been deleted, so restoring the icon is easy. Use the same settings area you used to remove it.

On the newest versions, select Bluetooth under System Settings > Menu Bar. On versions that use Control Center settings, choose Show in Menu Bar beside Bluetooth. On older versions, select Show Bluetooth in Menu Bar inside System Preferences > Bluetooth.

Apple also provides another route on supported versions. Open Control Center, choose Edit Controls, and drag Bluetooth to the menu bar. Dragging means holding down the mouse or trackpad button while moving the item.

1. Open the same Menu Bar, Control Center, or Bluetooth settings page you used earlier.
2. Enable the option that shows Bluetooth in the menu bar.

Where Bluetooth controls go after the icon disappears

You can still manage Bluetooth from System Settings > Bluetooth. On modern macOS versions, you can also click Control Center and select Bluetooth there.

Your devices should continue working exactly as before. If a wireless mouse or keyboard stops responding at the same moment, the icon removal itself was not the cause. Check that Bluetooth is still switched on in System Settings.

Bottom line

Removing the Bluetooth icon only tidies your menu bar; it does not disable Bluetooth or unpair your devices. If you miss the shortcut later, return to Menu Bar or Control Center settings and switch it back on.