A menu bar manager without Screen Recording
Short answer
ChocolateBar for Mac is a menu bar manager that works with Accessibility permission only. It never asks for Screen Recording, so macOS does not let it record your screen, and it sends no telemetry. The trade-off is that when it shows a mirrored copy of a hidden app's menu, that copy looks plainer than the real one.
Screen Recording lets an app capture what is on your screen. ChocolateBar for Mac never asks for it. It reads and clicks menu bar items through Accessibility only.
A menu bar manager has to see the menu bar to do its job. There is more than one way to give it that view, and the permissions involved are not equal. ChocolateBar for Mac uses Accessibility and nothing broader. It never asks for Screen Recording.
What Screen Recording lets an app see
Screen Recording lets an app capture what is on your screen, including the windows of other apps, even while you are using something else. On macOS 15 the permission is called Screen & System Audio Recording, and Apple's support page says apps that hold it can record your screen and audio.
A menu bar manager can use that permission to take pictures of menu bar icons and draw them somewhere else. It works. It also means granting access that reaches far past the menu bar, to anything that is on screen while the app runs.
How ChocolateBar works without it
ChocolateBar reads and clicks menu bar items through the Accessibility API. Without Screen Recording, macOS does not let it record what is on your screen.
Accessibility is a strong permission too. It lets an app read and operate the interface of other apps, which is how ChocolateBar finds your menu bar items, reads their menus, and clicks them for you. Nothing it reads from your menu bar leaves your Mac.
The app has no telemetry, no analytics, and no account. It contacts ChocolateBar's servers only to check for a new version, which is off unless you turn on automatic updates or click Check for Updates. Downloading an update sends your license key to confirm it.
The honest trade-off: mirrored menus
Not capturing your screen has a cost, and it shows up when an icon is hidden. Here is what happens when you click an icon in the row:
- The icon is visible in the menu bar. ChocolateBar clicks the real menu bar item, so the app's real menu opens.
- The icon is hidden, and your Mac has a notch. With the setting Reveal hidden items on click turned on, ChocolateBar slides the real icon out with a Command-drag, opens its real menu, and tucks the icon back when the menu closes. The setting is a beta. It is on by default for new installs. If you upgraded from an earlier version, it stays off until you turn it on.
- The icon is hidden, and that setting is off or your Mac has no notch. ChocolateBar shows a mirrored copy of the app's menu, built from what Accessibility reports.
A mirrored menu cannot carry the original icons or every custom behavior, so it looks plainer than the real menu. None of the three uses Screen Recording.
If an option you need is missing from the mirror, or you want a menu exactly as its app draws it, turn on Reveal hidden items on click if your Mac has a notch. Or keep that app's icon visible in the menu bar (to the right of the notch, not tucked behind ChocolateBar) and click it there. You get the app's real menu.
Check which apps hold each permission
On macOS 13 to 15, open System Settings > Privacy & Security. Click Screen & System Audio Recording (on macOS 13 it is called Screen Recording) to see which apps can record your screen. Click Accessibility to see which apps can control your Mac. Turn a switch off to take that permission away. On macOS 12 Monterey, the same lists are in System Preferences > Security & Privacy, on the Privacy tab.
If ChocolateBar is in the Accessibility list, that is the one permission it uses. It will not appear in the Screen Recording list, because it never asks.
Free fixes and comparisons
If the notch or a full bar is what brought you here, the notch guide starts with the free fixes macOS already has. The comparison pages cover other menu bar managers one by one, including what each one's own pages say about Screen Recording.
Which Macs
ChocolateBar for Mac hides menu bar apps or shows them full size in a second row under the menu bar. The row opens with ⇧⌘B or a click on the ChocolateBar icon. It runs on macOS 12 Monterey through 15 Sequoia, on Intel and Apple Silicon. macOS 26 Tahoe support is coming soon. The compatibility page has the full table.
$15 once, or $12 for the next 20 buyers with code LAUNCH30. 48-hour free trial, no card. One year of updates. 7-day refund.
Questions people ask
Does ChocolateBar need Screen Recording permission?
No. It needs Accessibility only. It reads and clicks menu bar items through the Accessibility API and never asks for Screen Recording.
Why would a menu bar manager ask for Screen Recording?
Screen Recording lets an app capture what is on the screen. A menu bar manager can use it to take pictures of menu bar icons and draw them somewhere else. ChocolateBar reads the menu bar through Accessibility instead.
What do I give up without Screen Recording?
Some menus are mirrored copies. A hidden icon opens a mirrored copy of its menu when Reveal hidden items on click is off, or on a Mac without a notch. A mirrored menu looks plainer than the real one and may miss some custom behavior. On a Mac with a notch, Reveal hidden items on click opens the real menu instead, and it is on by default for new installs. You can also keep that app's icon visible in the menu bar and click it there.
How do I see which apps have Screen Recording permission?
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security, then click Screen & System Audio Recording on macOS 15, or Screen Recording on macOS 13. Each app in the list has a switch that shows whether it holds the permission now. On macOS 12, look in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.
Try ChocolateBar for Mac on your own menu bar.
Runs on macOS 12 Monterey through 15 Sequoia · macOS 26 Tahoe support coming soon. Universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel. $15 one-time (next 20 buyers pay $12 with code LAUNCH30). 1 year of updates, 7-day refund, 48-hour free trial (no card).